Page 16 - Chiron Calling Autum 2021/Spring 2022

New arrivals at 1st Military Working Dog Regiment RAVC
by LCpl Paul Oxley, 103 (HQ & Sp) Sqn
Recently, five new Protection dogs arrived at 1st Military Working Dog Regiment after
their training at the Defence Animal Training Regiment (DATR). Upon arrival the dogs were all paired with new handlers and I was given the task to conduct training to bring both handlers and dogs to the required standard to be certified to make an effective Operational dog team.
The training initially focused on obedience training, from the basics of loading their dogs on a marker word, gaining their dog’s focus and engagement through the use of food and toys, all the way through to teaching the obedience behaviours required for the dog to begin scenario based training.
We continued their bite development, carrying on from what they have been exposed to at the
DATR. This included assessing the dogs in different drives, developing the dogs bite grip through different types of communication to what we would like for the bite, working our way through the different types of bite equipment before exposing the dogs to the bite suit. We then trained how to target the correct area of
the suit once we were satisfied that all the foundations of the bite were where they needed to be.
We then exposed the dogs
to different pressures and environmental factors it could face whilst biting and communicated with the dog how to deal with
these types of scenarios, setting the dog up to become a confident operational protection dog. As protection dogs, they are also required to learn how to patrol with their handlers and how to pick
up on the presence of potential
intruders in their patrol area. As training progressed, I joined 105 MWD Squadron on a dog training exercise away to Kirkcudbright, Scotland. This opportunity came at a really good time in the new dogs training and gave us the chance
to expose the dogs to several new environments and an introduction to working at night. The training exercise proved a successful one with the dogs thriving in all areas and progressing well.
Returning to North Luffenham I have been included in training with
a number of Protection teams from various Squadrons, helping with the maintenance of their dogs and also giving advice and extra training to dogs with training issues. Being part of the training team is not only a great opportunity to develop myself but also to develop the Military Working Dogs and handlers as teams.
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