Page 10 - Chiron Calling Autum 2021/Spring 2022

1 MWD
Training
Team
by Cpl Wood-103 (HQ & Sp)
Over the past year 1st Military Working Dog Regiment (1 MWD Regt) has developed
a Military Working Dog (MWD) training team set within the Regimental Training Wing. At the beginning of November 2020, the newly formed MWD Training Team planned and executed a month-long training programme, focusing on
the foundations of training MWDs. The training was delivered through theory and practical lessons focusing on Protection, Vehicle Search and Arms and Explosives Search. One of the main aims of the training period was to give all levels of Service personnel
before they escalate. This in turn makes maintaining any MWDs an
easier process and allows them to build on the foundations
on which the dogs’ future development is based upon.
For all specifications, week one
started with lessons. Both detection and protection learnt about the
procurement and foundation training that occurs at the DATR. Detection then branched off into relevant sections for lessons on pattern training, the importance of the scent wall and demonstrations of the clicker / mark. Protection focused on the importance of canine communication (visual, auditory, tactile and olfactory) and the different types of drives present
in their dogs, good and bad and
how to utilise them in training. Each Squadron’s / Section’s dogs also underwent assessments from
a good
understanding
on how MWDs
are trained at
the Defence
Animal Training
Regiment
(DATR) and
provide them
with a problem-
solving workshop, giving them the tools to rectify minor training issues
Scent recognition lessons were taught making sure that each MWD was able to locate the presence of a small piece of Kong during a search
8 / Chiron Calling