RCMP Police Dog Service

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR EVALUATION OF DOG HANDLER TEAMS

DOG OBEDIENCE

Heel - Dog Shall walk close to the handler's left side without crowding, permitting the handler freedom of motion at all times. (Dog's shoulder at handler's left knee).

Jog at heel - As above at the "jog."

Sit at Heel - At each order to "halt", by the evaluator, during the heeling exercise, the handler will stop and the dog shall sit at the heel without command or signal and not move until commanded to do so by the handler.

Down at Heel - Placed in a prone position at the heel by either voice or hand
signal depending on the exercise performed. (Group - voice; Individual - hand)

Stay - Dog to remain in position (down or sit at the discretion of the evaluator) with the handler out of sight for a minimum of two minutes. Exercise to be performed in group as well as individually.

Sit at Distance-Handler to bring dog to a "sit" position from the "down" position by
either voice or hand signal depending on the exercise performed (Group - voice;
Individual - hand) from a distance of at least 40').

Down at Distance-Dog to be brought to a "down" position from the "sit" position by
either voice or hand signal depending on the exercise performed (Group - voice;
Individual - hand) from a distance of at least 40'.

Stay on Recall -Dog to stop on command from handler as directed by evaluator. Dog to
maintain position (sit, down or stand) until further commanded by handler.

Recall - Handler to bring the dog to a "sit" fore position, immediately in front of him by either voice or hand signal depending on the exercise performed (Group - voice - individual - hand) from a distance of 40'.

Finish - Handler to bring the dog from the fore position to the "sit at heel" position by either voice or hand signal depending on the exercise performed (Group - voice - Individual - hand).

Evaluator to judge previous exercises on his commands, "forward", "halt", "right
turn" "left turn" "about turn" (both left and right) "slow", "normal", "jog", "left
wheel", "right wheel" may be given in any sequence or, combination arid may be
repeated if necessary.

DOG HANDLER

Proper signals - handler to demonstrate proper voice commands and hand signals
during obedience exercises.

EXERCISE VOICE COMMAND HAND SIGNAL

Heel "HEEL" Left. hand slaps left thigh.

Sit at Distance "SIT" Right arm rigid, palm up at knees,arm brought up in front of body at 45 degrees above shoulder

Sit at Heel "SIT" Left hand slaps left thigh

Down at Distance "DOWN" Right arm held rigid, palm down approx 45 degrees
above shoulder level in front of body, hand extended in downward motion towards ground

Down at Heel "HEEL" Left arm held rigid, hand extended placedbetween left leg and dog's body, slightly bent at waist

Stay at Heel "STAY" Left hand placed in front of dog's face as handler walks away

Stay at Distance "STAY" Right arm rigid out in front of body, approx 90o to
shoulder palm up facing dog

Recall "COME" Right hand, palm in, brought in a sweeping motion from the side to the abdomen

Finish "HEEL" Left hand slaps left thigh

PRAISE - Handler will extend appropriate, sincere praise to his particular dog for
a exercise well done.

CORRECTION - Handler will implement proper correcting procedures at appropriate time for an error made by the dog. Handler will anticipate error on the part of the dog
and prevent its happening in some areas.

USE OF VOICE - Handler will use voice. inflection appropriate to command, correction
or praise.

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CRIMINAL APPREHENSION

CONTROL - The desired result of Criminal Apprehension.

The dictionary defines this word as a device for regulating a mechanism." In the
Criminal Apprehension profile, you the dog handler, are the device responsible for
regulating the canine mechanism. A police service dog that possesses the confidence
and capabilities to stop a suspect fleeing from a crime scene or acting in a violent
manner against someone is an asset in police work.

We will progress step by step through the equipment to use, who will use it and how
and for what purpose. Also, you will have a better understanding of the purpose
behind aggression training and how it is accomplished.

The following material will service dog to attack a suspect on command and stand
away.

Throughout training in this your mind.

WHAT IS AGITATION?

Simply put, the act of agitation is excitement. This is when you bring a dog to a
frenzy or to a pitch of excitement and to develop through the use of this systematic
agitation a level of aggressive, positive response towards a subject either by
command or stimulus ending in controlled aggression.

An agitator is the one who performs this agitation. He/she is the one who starts
and keeps up the aggression. The agitator must be a highly trained person, trained
to follow instructions. She/he knows that the end result of each level of encounter
must end with the dog feeling a personal victory over the agitator. Both the
handler and the agitator must work to that end. The agitator must never back down a
dog. He/she must back off to avoid conflict and build up the dog. By being an actor
for the benefit of the dog, the agitator will back off and cringe and give the dog
the desired level of confidence and the feeling that he/she- is in control of the situation at hand. Remember, it is you, the agitator, who, trains the dog, not tl-1e handler. At
any time when you arc performing the task of agitator, the paramount thing in your
mind must be the dog must win.

You, as an agitator, must recognize different levels of temperament in dogs. You
will be able to see through the dog's eyes, her/his demean our arid attitude just
what the dog's temperament is. The temperament in a. dog refers to basically the
level of confidence. Three levels of temperament are low, medium and high.

- A low temperament dog would most likely be undesirable for police work as
that dog will cower and may develop into a fear biter and show aggressive
tendencies only for survival instinct.

- Medium is probably the best level for police work as this type of dog
displays all the attributes of ,being very confident controllable and
trainable.

- A high temperament level in a dog probably would be an uncontrollable dog
and also not suitable for police work.

By using your acting ability as an agitator, along with the proper equipment, to
your advantage, you will be able to read these temperament levels in a dog and be
able to bring out the best in the dog.

The following is a list of equipment to be utilized in agitation and its uses.

EQUIPMENT USE

Leash, 6' for control, nonrestrictive, does not choke: the dog, enable the agitator to read the dog better because the dog's head is always up and not being forced down as it would be in a harness.

Sack the sack is used to build up drive and excitement in the dog; it is probably the moSt important part at the start. The sack can be waved in front of the dog's face and build up excitement, it can be flailed or rolled up to produce a good biting surface to develop dog's bite; by using the burlap sack the dog can sink his teeth into it and get a good hold without slipping off; one caution - do not flick in dog's eye - this may turn the dog off.

Bite Bar puppy tug-o-war, simulate an arm from its size, soft, good biting surface for the dog at the onset

Exposed Guard Arm the guard arms are used to simulate the dog grabbing hold of
the agitator's arm, various surfaces are introduced to the dog to build up the dog's bite

Soft soft biting surface is a good bite developer

Medium this builds a harder bite as the dog becomes more confident, you want a harder surface for her/him bite on to build up his/her drive to hold the suspect.

Hard the dog becoming more confident, to develop a firmer, harder bite

Police Style Muzze used for very hard trained dogs, also with some arms which have a built-in bite-bar to develop the bite even further.

All of the above exposed arms are covered with a jute surface to enable the dog to
develop a good bite.

Concealed Arm in police work we must build realism into our training exercises and this is done by using the concealed arm Sweaters and Jackets - these pieces of equipment are used to cover the concealed arm to inject even more realism as now the dog will not see any form of guard arm but will react solely on the agitator him/herself as he/she would in an actual situation

Gauntlet this is merely a spongy material to go under the concealed arm to absorb a bit of shock and pressure

Sticks used to build courage, caution must be used with sticks not to flick in directly in front of the dog's eyes or use it in a mariner to injure the dog's eyes

Collars
     - choke      for teaching the "out"
     - spike
     - nail

Agitation Line to stake a dog, no chance of a dog lunging on an agitation line as would be with a handler holding the leash so the agitator has a better advantage to move in as close as he/she wants without a dog being able to lunge that extra few inches and nail the agitator.

Gun and Blanks build courage and conditioning, caution should be used never to fire the gun directly at the dog; don't condition the dog to the use of gunfire; hold revolver in the same hand the guard arm is on if at all possible; dog trained to go for the arm that holds the threat; remember, never point gun at dog or man or fire in direction of either - blank ammunition can cause a serious wound; tests carried out by Oklahoma City Police using .38 cal blank ammo fired at solid beef fat wrapped in a plastic bag and covered with T-shirt to simulate human body - .38 blank at 2" from object penetrated 1/2 inches, shot from 6" penetrated 1", shot from 1" had wounding effect to blind; when loading revolver, check to ensure the ammunition you are putting in is, in fact, blank.

All of the pieces of equipment noted above have been discussed in a. special
order. This order is a progression to be used in agitation, introducing
different degrees of difficulty as the dog is built up. It is important not to
progress too quickly; be consistent with each piece of equipment and not move on
until the dog is completely confident with each piece of equipment.

At times you may have to return to basics, however, if consistency and slow progression are used, this will not happen. When this does happen, valuable time is wasted and also confidence of the dog is affected.

You, as the handler, must communicate to your dog in the proper way. The agitator is providing the excitement and motivation to the dog, however, he/she must have encouragement from you, the handler and want to work for you. This is done by proper use of voice inflection. The tones of your voice are very important to excite and build confidence in the dog. Try not to communicate with hands-on contact with the dog as this may distract the dog from what he is doing. This will vary with some dogs, however as a rule, the dog will feel you at the start as being with him/her from the tension on the leash to the agitation collar and your hands are not needed. Once you progress to the off line work then you will be able to stand back and the dog can perform her/his task without distractions. Verbal communication must come from you by giving command words. The "watch" is used prior to the bite. You will tell your dog to "watch" the agitator and build up some excitement in him/her with this command word. The command word for the attack itself is "hag". The command word "out" is used to command the dog to release the agitator and command word "stay" is used to put the dog on the stay while search of the agitator is being conducted.

TIPS FOR THE AGITATOR

The following are some tips for you to use while performing the agitation. The agitator must try to keep his/her body low down so that the dog is not being threatened. Do not come at the dog straight on, but come in at an angle. This also eliminates you coming directly- at the dog and threatening him/her and also helps to protect yourself because there is less chance of the dog lunging and getting the front part of your body.

When keeping the body low, keep your focus high with the sack or guard arm so that the dog is coming up into the agitator. Role play is very important. Be an actor and excite the dog. You will see from the dog's eyes and demean our and attitude when the timing is right for you to come in and when it is to back off to build up that dog. When you are presenting the arm, do not force the arm into the dog's mouth, but present the arm for the dog to take. The most important thing is to watch the dog's attitude and know when to quit, when you see the dog becoming tired, losing her/his grip. This is the time for the dog to win - the dog must win each encounter.

TIPS FOR THE HANDLER

Take up a. "T" stance - this affords you better balance and absorb. shock. Keep your knees bent slightly. Use your voice for proper inflection at the proper time to encourage, the dog and do not use, any hands-on contact to distract the dog. When working on leash, keep the leash taut, extend your arms with a slight bend at the elbow. To teach the "out", you, as the handler, will work up the line, keeping the line tight, in a hand over hand motion. Once you reach the agitation collar, put your hand under the collar and push the dog into the arm, forcing the dog to open her/his mouth and release the agitator. In off leash work, the agitator can help by spinning the dog around into the handler and when the dog comes into contact with the handler, he/she will release his/her grip.

DO'S AND DON'TS FOR THE AGITATOR

There are some very important do's and don'ts for you as an agitator. They are as follows: never force the arm into the dog's mouth, this could turn him/her off; never back the dog down; always fight the dog in a side to side motion, never up and down as this can injure the dog's neck; keep the early fight. short, do not wear the dog down so he will be discouraged; use the stick in a backhand swing, never directly into the dog's face; never fire a gun directly at the dog, always away at the ground; and don't condition the dog to react to gunfire.

CONTROL - the desired result of Criminal Apprehension

You now have the knowledge to approach this phase of training and proceed, following the correct progression to develop your dog into a capable tool to pursue and stop any fleeing criminal with confidence.

"The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms" section 12 states everyone has the right not to be subjected to any cruel or unusual treatment or punishment. The above statement is self explanatory. Govern yourself by its contents whenever you are involved in an incident of criminal apprehension that utilizes the police service dog.

DOG

Pursuit Dog will run as fast as he can in pursuit of fleeing quarry

Attack Dog will bite immediately on catching quarry
and maintain hold. Quarry to raise - dog off ground to demonstrate
bite.

Out Dog will release hold (bite) on command "out" from handler

Stay Dog will stay as directed by the 'handler

Escort Dog will accompany handler in the heel position quarry in front. Dog
will be attentive. to quarry.

DOG HANDLER

Participation

Release Dog handler will display control of the dog prior to release. Dog will not advance until given the command "hag" by the handler.

Follow-up Handler, on release of dog, will advance as quickly as possible to dog and quarry.

Encouragement Handler will encourage dog throughout exercise as and if required.

Search of Quarry Handler will conduct a search of quarry with dog at "stay". Handler
should not put himself between dog and quarry during search. Search will be thorough. Search to be conducted at minimum of eight feet from the dog.

Control of the Dog Handler will demonstrate control of dog throughout exercise.

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TRACKING

No single area of dog work offers more enjoyment or rewards than that of tracking. It is
the most exacting, demanding and requires the most teamwork. No man can force a dog to track. A dog, however, can be taught to follow a specific track on command. The world of tracking belongs to the dog. Nature has provided him with the necessary tools, equipment and instinct to do the job. In the wild state, the dog (or canine species) has to rely on his senses and instincts to survive. Only the animals with the keenest senses and strongest instincts would survive in the wild. Evolution is nature's insurance that only the strongest survive to breed and propagate - thus strengthening and bettering the race.

Tracking can be defined as, "man's intelligence working with dog's senses and natural
instincts."

THE TRACK PICTURE

The track picture, as it's presented to the dog, is a compilation of many factors. It is a
combination of personally generated scent, coupled with reinforced scent, combined with earth scent.

As stated in the lecture and material supplied during the scent lecture, personally
generated scent is that scent which is generated by the body. It is a combination of many factors unto its own. "Rafts" of dead cells are, cast off during the regeneration process, and they couple with bacteria, mucous secretions, toiletries, etc. to form the personally generated scent.

The reinforced scent takes its form from the individual's occupation, clothing, footwear
etc. The reinforced scent couples with the personally generated scent to assist in the
formation of the "track picture".

The third factor that contributes to the overall track picture is that of earth scent.

When a person, animal or object passes through an area, the environment through which it passes is disturbed or altered in many ways. Vegetation is crushed, brushed or broken, rocks and dirt are overturned, insects are crushed. These disturbances carry with them their own unique odours and are discernable to the trained dog.

The earth scent disturbances combine with the individual and reinforced scent. This then, becomes "the total track picture".

TRACK SCENT CATEGORIES

In addition to the track picture, track scent is presented to the dog in varying ways:

a) Grounded Scent
As a person, animal or object passes through an area, it is giving off its
personally generated scent or odour, as well as the reinforced scent. In the case
of a. human, it would take the form of "human scent".

This scent settles into the ground or into the surrounding cover where it remains
until such time as conditions prevail that may cause it to dissipate. The dog's
acute sense of smell can detect these particles. Utilizing the sense of smell and
tracking instincts, a dog can be trained to locate and follow these particles.

b) Earth Scent
When a person or animal or object passes through an area, the ground with which
it comes in contact is altered. Vegetation may be crushed, brushed or broken.
Insects may also be crushed. Rocks or dirt may be. disturbed. The scent of the
crushed vegetation is different to that of the undisturbed. The dog's acute sense
of smell can detect these differences, and a trained dog utilizing his track
training and instincts can form a pattern and follow it. This is of particular
significance when dealing with aged tracks.

c) Air Scent
As stated previously, when a person, animal or object passes through an area it
continually gives off its personally generated and reinforced scent. This scent
will tend to remain or hang suspended in the air - or be carried by the wind for
some time - prior to it settling. This is termed "air scent".

Conditions may prevail which cause "earth scent" and
" grounded scent" to rise and become airborne; thus becoming "air scent".

FACTORS THAT AFFECT SCENT AS IT RELATES TO TRACKING

Age, weather, terrain and contamination are all factors which have= an effect on scent as it pertains to training. These effects vary and may be encountered alone or in any
combination.

a) Temperature
Temperature extremes have a marked effect on scent: Heat tends to dry out or
" burn" scent, thus making it more susceptible to dissipation. Extreme cold
temperatures will tend to freeze scent and hold it in limbo.

b) Humidity
There is a misconception that a dog cannot work a track in the rain. This is
false. It is true that an extremely heavy rainfall or a rainfall over an extended
period of time can tend to wash out or dilute a track. Extreme moisture - or lack
of it - will undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on scent as it pertains to
tracking. As in all things, moderation is the key word.

c) Wind
Wind itself does not affect scent a great deal other than possibly hastening the
drying process. It will, however, have a pronounced effect on a track. Sufficient
wind will scatter or dissipate a track. Here again, moderation is the key word.

d) Age
Like wind; age does not affect scent. The age must, however, be taken into
consideration when dealing with tracking. There is a definite difference between
a five minute old track and a five hour old track. What must be considered is;
" How much time has the heat had to work on the scent?" "How much time has the
rain had to work on the track?"

e) Terrain
Scent by its very nature collects or adheres to the surface on which it comes to
rest or comes in contact with. Manmade or prepared surfaces (eg concrete,
asphalt, etc) are generally smoother and not as conducive to scent adherence as
nature's surfaces. Scent on these surfaces tends to be blown away or dried
quicker than on natural surfaces. Terrain must be considered. Rocky ground or
grass covered? Undulated or flat? Heavy bush or road edge? These all have an
effect, to some degree, on the dog's tracking ability and the handler must be
conversant with what comprises a "high scent" or "low scent" area.

The following is a list of ideal (high Scent) terrain for tracking:

1) light bush
2) grass covered fields
3) areas protected from wing by trees

The following is a list of less (low scent) suitable tracking terrain:

1) Pavement
2) Rocky grounds
3) Shale areas
4) Area or rose bushes or black berries
5) Swamps

Contamination and visual distraction

When tracking the dog must be taught to deal with animal pedestrian and vehicular
contamination as well as their inherent visual distraction. This is of particular
importance to a dog expected to function in an urban environment. It would not be
realistic to expect a dog to follow a one hour old track at rush hour in a major urban
center. He can be trained, however, to work in urban areas and deal with contamination and distraction in varying degrees. A well trained dog will meet with a good degree of success in tracking in an urban area. Familiarity training, patience, combined with a good nose and tenacious tracking instinct can overcome manifest adversity.

Adaptation

As indicated there are many factors that affect scent. These, plus many other outside influences will have an effect on your dog's tracking ability. One of these outside influences is to termed "adaptation". "Adaptation" can best be shown in the following example:

We, as humans, experience adaptation all the time. In most cases we are not aware of it. If, for instance you are on holiday and pass through a pulp mill town, you are very aware of the aroma of the mill.

If, however, you remain in the town for a short time, you no longer are aware of the smell. In other words – you have adapted. The same thing can occur to a dog along a track – particularly a long, hot track. If this is encountered, the dog will appear to stop tracking for no apparent reason. He should be taken away procedure should only take approximately five minutes. The track can then be continued.

FACTORS THAT FAVOUR TRACKING

a) Prompt Call
It is essential to receive your calls promptly. Detachment members should be instructed and trained to call the team at the earliest opportunity not as an afterthought. They should be instructed on when and how the team can be of assistance, as well as the team's limitation. This will cut down on response time and increase chances of success.

b) Prompt Response
As stated previously, time is a prime factor when coupled with other conditions. Response time should be kept to a minimum in an effort to give the dog all the opportunity for success that can.

c) Clear Areas
Investigators should be instructed to keep the area as clear as possible. This reduces contamination and visual distractions which will improve the team's chances for success.

d) Time of Day
It is generally calmer and cooler in the early morning or late evening. There is also a general reduction of traffic - Pedestrian as well as vehicular – during these periods.

e) Frame of Mind
The handler should be in a good, healthy, positive frame of mind. The dog picks up many things from his handler. One of the most important is frame of mind.

f) Dog and Handler Well Rested
It is essential that dog and handler be well rested. Performance ability is directly related to the amount of fatigue present.

FACTORS THAT FOUL TRACKING

The following factors have been covered previously and are now listed for easy reference

1) high wind
2) heavy rain
3) extremely hot, dry weather
4) blowing dust
5) persons in area to be worked
6) time element (age)
7) terrain (city streets, rocky ground)
8) extreme cold weather

THE TRACKER
The tracker works mainly on earth scents, and has the ability to deal with more aged tracks. This is because this type of scents emission
is more constant and less susceptible to weather conditions. The dog's nose is very close to the ground and the dog is positioned more or less over the track. He will almost work from footprint to footprint. If any deviation occurs, he will be slightly on the downwind side
of the track. As he runs out of scent on corners, experience has taught him to circle, dog expected to deal with age and distance tracks.

THE TRAILER
The trailer works mainly on a combination of air and grounded scents. His ability to trail is restricted to the amount of scent left in the air. Conditions must be excellent to ideal in order for this style to be effective. Age is a handicap to the dog trained solely in this mode. The dog carries its head quite high and works noticeably downwind from the track. This style forces the dog to make larger circles and "feather" into or with the wind. This style is only effective under excellent or ideal conditions.

THE SEARCHER
The pure search dog does not relate to the track I any way. His relationship is only to the scent source. This style has many applications, but is used mainly in the location of missing persons where there is no known track start. It is a very hit and miss
proposition, as the dog must be positioned downwind in order to be effective.

The search profile can be refined and perfected in order to detect specific scent sources (eg articles, explosive, narcotics, illicit spirits).

A police service dog must be a composite all three methods of detection. They must be capable of tracking, trailing or searching – depending on the circumstances. They must have the ability to utilize each method individually, any combination of methods, or all
three methods. This can only be attained through conditioning and extensive training.

TEACHING THE DOG
The following points must be remembered and considered by the handler when track training:

1) It is quite natural for the dog to initially follow on indicate animal track or presence. You must scolded on animal indication and praise on human. The dog should learn quickly the difference and channel his tracking instinct solely to human.

2) Age and distance of practice tracks should be varied. This will create and maintain interest. Further, it will build up tracking stamina.

3) Vary the terrain. This will also build up tracking stamina and maintain interest.

4) Vary working speed. The handler must know when the dog is working. "Reading is of extreme importance." You must know when to "go" and when to "slow". You must be conversant with high and low scent areas.

5) What should be pleasant for the dog?

a. Following human scent because he's receiving praise
b. When the handler is in the "go" mode

6) What is unpleasant for the dog?

a. Following animal scent because he's being scolded
b. Having to drag the handler up hill and down dale

7) Expect the dog to overshoot corners. On indication – slow down or stop. Allow the dog to circle, relocate and continue. Assist with the
circle if necessary.

8) The dog should indicate all articles along a track. The indication should be definite and momentary. The handler should recover the article
smoothly and allow the dog to advance the track.

WHAT THE DOG DOES

The following is a list of what the dog does during track training:

1) Inhales the scent
2) The scents are pooled in the olfactory epithelium
3) Scents are separated, the information is passed to the brain

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CONCLUSION

Having read over these handouts it is hoped that you feel comfortable and confident with the task of raising a potential police service dog. As previously stared our main goal is to receive a sound dog who is well socialize in all areas and ready to work in any environment ie. contaminated areas, ect. When this has been established and when the dog is capable then progression can be made into some of the working profiles but only under the supervision of a dog handler.

The supervising dog handler will monitor all month end returns and address any issues of concern. In order to properly supervise, he will be required to personally observe the dog on a weekly/biweekly basis and to offer his expertise in all areas. Should the dog progress to the point of being introduced to the working profiles then he will have to be very active in keeping on top of all training that is being done.

This is a very demanding project that will take a great deal of patience, time and effort on everyone's part but to get a decent end result it will be required.

This training centre is available for assistance in any way that we can.