Page 14 - Feb Mar 2018 PDF 2 12 18 22_Neat

Dog Depression - A Story About Dekker

Dekker would spend time ment. The Handler assured time” to relax, play and
with all of them, grabbing us that Dekker would forget training and his job. F
his long rag and teasing spend the majority of his The Handler assured us O

the puppies to chase him, time with him and only be that he was doing as we R
latching on to the rag for a in the kennel when abso- had suggested. G

ride. He was a wonderful, lutely necessary. E
well-adjusted dog. Time went by and as is R
On the third day of normal, the phone calls Y

Dekker’s Career Dekker’s 2-week proba- from Dekker’s Handler
tion as a K-9 Officer, he became fewer, but eventu- D

The day came when we made a felony drug arrest. ally we received a phone E
received a phone call from The Handler was very call from him expressing C
a police department in- pleased with Dekker and concern that Dekker was E

quiring if we had another we felt we had placed him being lazy and listless P
dog like Anka, as word where he would do the on the job. We asked if T

had spread about her out- most good. he was still competing in I
standing performance. We There are Police Dog Tri- dog trials and the Handler O
informed the Police Of- als that K-9 Handlers can gave a negative response N

ficer that we did indeed enter for prizes and rec- because Dekker had lost
have another Belgian ognition within the Police the last few trials he had L

Malinois that would fit his K-9 community. Because entered. Our advice was I
requirements. Every dog Dekker was so good at his for rest, play and cut back E
we placed with a Police job, his Handler started on training sessions out- S

K-9 Unit received 2 weeks entering him in these com- side of on-duty hours.
of instruction and training, petitions. Dekker was now

which included evalua- working regular shifts as Depression
tion of the bonding pro- a K-9 Officer, training for
cess because believe it or competitions, attending A short time later,

not, not all dogs like their competitions and winning. Dekker’s Handler called
Handlers. The first reser- During a conversation we again, complaining that

vation we had about this had with the Handler re- the dog was not perform-
K-9 Unit was that the dog garding Dekker’s success ing at work and he wanted
was kept in a kennel at the at yet another Police Dog to return him for a refund.

police station instead of Trial, we reinforced the We convinced him to send
living in a family environ- fact that he needed “down Dekker back to us for

14