Last fall I was in Holland attending the KNPV Nationals and had the opportunity to meet Hennie Bolster. He was introduced to me as the most successful trainer in the KNPV. He has trained several dogs that have gone on to win or place very high in the KNPV Nationals. Hennie is also a Police K-9 Officer which gives him a good understanding of what it takes to make a good street dog.  The following is an interview I did with Hennie via email in the months that followed meeting him. I asked him to start with a brief introduction and then we went to a Q&A format.


For Videos of Hennie see the links at the end of this article.

Introduction:


My name is Hennie Bolster.  I am 51 years old. I am married with Yvonne.  We have three children, two girls and one boy.  We live in the east of Holland, in the biggest city from the east.  This city is called Enschede.  I’m a police officer in Holland for 31 years now.  I am working as a K-9 officer now for 23 years.  My hobby is to train dogs by the KNPV; I am also training 20 security officers with dogs.


Police K-9 Magazine: I know you are both a police K-9 officer and a high-level KNPV trainer and competitior. Which came first?


Hennie Bolster: When I was living by my parents a liked to look by the training for dogs by a KNPV club in Enschede.  In my town there were on that time 5 KNPV clubs. Then I was 17 or 18 years old. My parents did not want me to have a dog. But when I was living on my own. I was than 21 years old I became a police officer and I became a member of a KNPV club called Twente. This was in 1979.

In 1984 I changed by the club I’m training [with] til now because this club is training on the way I want to train. It’s a club who is training on a very High level. A lot of members of my club have been Dutch champions. The club is called “Ons Ideaal”. I became an official Decoy by the KNPV and by the police when I was 28 years old.



Police K-9 Magazine: Can you explain how big the KNPV is in your country?



HB: Our country is containing 11 provinces. Every province has their own KNPV clubs. They all falling under the head office from the KNPV how is to find in Amersfoort. The KNPV has 6100 members. In a land with 16 million.



Police K-9 Magazine: How many times have you competed in the nationals and where did you place in those?



HB: The KNPV have 3 different exams where we have to do some things with obedience and with a decoy. Those exams are the PH I and PH II and Object. The KNPV has also some exams for searching dogs.

I have now competed in the nationals for 4 times. All the times I have won.

In 2005 I have won with my malinois Beau, 2 nationals in one weekend. Friday I won the PH II and Sunday I won the Object.  In 2006 I have won with Beau the second time the PH II nationals.  In 2008 I Have won with Baron(son of Beau) the PH I national.

Beau is my police dog now since 2005 and Baron is a police dog too since 2008. The police organization where I worked for (politie Twente) has bought Baron. A colleague of mine is working with him.



Police K-9 Magazine: How many people have you trained that went on to win the KNPV?



HB: In my club we have now almost every year from 2000 a competitor by the nationals. In 2000, one competitor, he has won PH 1. In 2003, one competitor, he has won. In 2005 two competitors, I won 2 times. In 2006, three competitors, two of them won.  In 2008, one competitor, he won, and in 2009, two competitors.



Police K-9 Magazine: Has the KNPV changed much since you first started in it? How?



HB: The KNPV did not changed much. The programs have been the same.  The level of the training did changed a lot since I first started in the KNPV. When you want to go to the nationals you have to have all the points by the exam. So by PH I you can have 440 points for a exam. So when you have to go to the nationals you have to realize all the 440 points. When I first started with the sport was between 420 – 430, from the 435 points,  was enough.



Police K-9 Magazine: Many dogs trained for the KNPV program end up in the U.S. as police dogs. Do you think the dogs are used to their full potential here in the US? If not what do you think should be changed?



HB: I think that the dogs are used to their full potential enough. But I have seen that the level of the training in the U.S. is not so high than by us. The obedience of the dogs and the knowledge of the training by the handlers and trainers can be better. They missed the knowledge to learn the dogs from six weeks old til they are ready to be a police dog.  To train your own dog from a puppy til the end is the best way to learn how to train a dog.

They can maybe ask someone from the Netherlands to help you to get your training on a higher level. I have helped the colleagues in Los Angeles two times during my holiday and I think they have learned something from me. Maybe I will go back sometime when they want my help.



Police K-9 Magazine: The KNPV program has an influence on the U.S. by the mere fact that we import so many dogs that have KNPV titles, or at least were started in the program. Do you see influence from other countries or programs in the KNPV?



HB: Yes I see influence because you can learn from every other program and countries. I have looked in other programs in Netherlands and Belgium, and I have been in Germany and Austria to look to their training programs. I also have been by other police associations in Germany.

I think when you are training with a dog you can learn from everyone. Because more people in the KNPV have looked to other programs the level of our training has been higher.



Police K-9 Magazine:If you were in charge of the whole KNPV program what changes would you make?



HB: I would change the PH II program. This is a program who is not more from this time.  I would change this program on many places. By the PH I program they have changed the way to go to the nationals since 2009. When you have got your exam with 440 points you must have played another game somewhere in Holland. So when you had 440 points with your exam and 436 with the game then the total score will be split in two. You have than 438 and than the 10 highest handlers with their dogs go to the nationals. That’s better. Someone with 436 by his exam can when he will played with another game and got a higher score also the opportunity to go to the nationals.



Police K-9 Magazine: Many officers here see Holland as a country with excellent dogs everywhere, one where you can pick and choose between good and great dogs. Can you explain how it really is?



HB: Of course not all the dogs in Holland are good and excellent dogs and not every handler is a perfect handler. The level of training is also in Holland different. The level of training in the KNPV and by the police is not everywhere perfect. There is a lot of difference.

Not every dog in the KNPV will be a police dog. From the 10 dogs who will get his KNPV exam is there, maybe 2 or 3 who is good enough for a police dog.  We pick our police dogs before they go to a KNPV exam. Mostly 1 year for his exam. Than we make some arrangements with the KNPV handlers.

In the police force I’m working (politie Twente) we are lucky that from the 24 handlers, six of the handlers are training dogs by the KNPV. Not every K-9 policeman or woman is training by the KNPV. The level of training by our K-9 police dogs in Twente is one of the highest in the Netherland, that because of the six KNPV handlers in our group. 

Not every KNPV handler will be a competitor in the nationals of the KNPV.  That level is also very different. I‘m lucky that I‘m training by a KNPV club where the members have the same idea about training dogs. That’s the reason that our club have such good results the last 25 years.



Police K-9 Magazine: How long have you been a police officer?



HB: I’m now a police officer since 1979.



Police K-9 Magazine: Is it difficult to be hired as a police officer in Holland?



HB: Yes it is difficult.



Police K-9 Magazine: Describe the hiring process and or the training process. Do you have to attend an academy? How long is it?



HB: The hiring process is very difficult. From the 100 people who have signed in for the study of police officer will be maybe 1 or 2 been hired. The selection is so difficult because of the test and sport tests. They are very difficult.

In my time you had two levels to get a policeman or woman. There were two academy. One for the normal police work that was only one year, and one for the police management this was two years.  Then you came by a police department.  You got a older policeman to learn you the first three month the most and then you had to work as a policeman.

Now you have four levels when you want to be a policeman or woman. A study for level 2-3-4-5. Level 2 - two years. Level 3 –three years and level 4 and 5 both four years. Level 5 is for police management.



Police K-9 Magazine: Once you became an officer, what was the process to become a dog handler?



HB: When I came by the police I had just begun by a KNPV club to training dogs. So by the police I have been worked the first 8 years by different departments. Relief surveillance(regular police work), traffic police,  S.W.A.T. team.

When you want to be a K-9 dog handler in my force you have to do decoy work for at least six month. I did decoy work one day in the week in my own time from 1983 til 1986 because dogs where my hobby and I did want to be a K-9 dog officer. In 1986 there was a handler he stopped as a K9-handler. So I applied for the job and I became a K9- police officer.



Police K-9 Magazine: Are you a dedicated K-9 unit, meaning do you only do dog related stuff?



HB: We are just a dedicated K-9 unit. We only work with our police dogs when we are working as a police officer. We only do K-9 officers work. Our main work is to make the work of the regular police officer so safety as possible—assistance by aggressive people, fights, drug transfer, burgling , to help S.W.A.T. teams. We are always with more dogs by soccer games because there is a lot of problems by these games. It is not in the whole Netherlands the same. Some K-9 units have to do regular report type calls.





Police K-9 Magazine: What is the primary use for police dogs in Holland?



HB:The primary use for police dogs is:

-  To make the work of the regular police officer so safety as possible

-  To search persons or things

-  Narcotic dogs

-  Money dogs

-  All kinds of other searching dogs



Police K-9 Magazine: In the U.S. we get sued a lot, are there a lot of civil suits in Holland?



HB: No, not yet. But we hear it more often than in earlier days.



What are the circumstances in which it is okay for you to use your dog and let him bite a suspect?



We may use the dog for more circumstances to let him bite:

-We have to look: what has the suspect done and can we not get him on another way?

-The bite of the dog do this stand up against the crime the suspect has done?

-Is the life of a college or a citizen in danger—a fight with a colleague, someone with a weapon, soccer fights etc.

-To protect our self or colleague or citizen.



Police K-9 Magazine: In the U.S. we get sued a lot, are there a lot of civil suits in Holland?



HB: No, not yet. But we hear it more often than in earlier days.



Police K-9 Magazine: I know you spent some time recently in the U.S. with the LAPD. What did you think of what you saw of U.S. law enforcement compared to law enforcement in Holland?



HB: I have only been on the training field on the two days I have been there. I did not see the work at the street with the colleagues. My time was too short to go with them. We only talked about the training of the dogs.

The second day I was there, Dave Stambaugh had asked me to show a KNPV video of my championship in a classroom to start the day off at the Los Angeles K-9 police. I have explain for a full class what the dog is doing and a little on how we get the dog do it. Along with that I answered and explained any other questions that the colleagues had.

After that we have gone to the K9 field and the handlers worked out their dogs. They asked me to give them some input on the fieldwork and answered some questions for the handlers. I think they liked it. I liked it too. Maybe I will come back again.


Watch videos of Hennie here:

Video #1 Video #2 Video #3 Video #4 Video #5 Video #6

Heat injury is a fairly common problem in working dogs and severe cases can be fatal. Many recommendations by veterinarians or canine first aid references offer conflicting and complicated recommendations on the best way to treat an overheated dog. The single most important factor to survival is immediate treatment and rapid cooling to reduce the dog’s core body temperature when the first signs occur. For the working dog handler and tactical medical personnel supporting units with canine teams, this means beginning treatment at the point of injury, long before arrival to veterinary care. While heat injury is a complex problem that can have serious complications or outcome, immediate lifesaving treatment is relatively simple, and does not need to be complicated. Basic, rapid measures to cool the dog to a more normal body temperature can greatly increase his chance for survival.

Recognizing Heat Injury

There are many definitions for heat injury, with temperature ranges from 105-107 depending on the source of information. Normal temperature of dogs is usually between 99-102.5, however their temperature may go up as high as 106 to 107 during hard work and still be abnormal. Hyperthermia is the term meaning that the body temperature is elevated above the normal range. However, hyperthermia does not mean that there is something wrong with the dog. The time that it takes the temperature to return to normal after a dog stops working may be a better indicator of if there is a problem, vs. the high temperature itself. Different dogs will respond differently and it is important to know what normal recovery time is for your dog. In general, all definitions of heat injury include a significantly high body temperature in combination with clinical signs such as abnormal behavior, exhaustion, or collapse. With mild cases of heat injury a dog may only show vague signs such as appearing tired, or slow or reluctant to follow commands. In more serious cases the dog may collapse, lose consciousness, and may have seizures. Any sudden change in behavior, level of energy, or physical actions of a dog during warm or hot weather should be considered possible heat injury until proven otherwise.

An affected dog’s heart rate will likely be elevated, possibly at 150 beats per minute or greater for a typical 60 to 80lb dog, and his respiratory rate and effort will likely also be increased. Like his body temperature, this could be elevated from hard work and still be considered normal for him. The heart rate and respiratory effort of a normal dog should begin to return to normal within a few minutes of when he stops working and rests.

Heat injury is usually categorized in different degrees of severity. Mild cases are typically called “heat stress” or “heat exhaustion.” These cases may resolve with adequate rest in a cool environment and rehydration by drinking water or administration of IV or subcutaneous fluids. More severe cases are typically called “heat stroke,” and can often have serious complications. It is not as important for you to know the definitions of the types as it is being able to recognize the conditions in which it’s likely to occur, ways to prevent it, or treat if when it happens.

Working dogs, with their high drive and desire to please their handlers, may not show any signs at all of problems, then suddenly stagger for a few steps and collapse. Any sudden change in behavior, level of energy, or physical actions of a dog during warm or hot weather should be considered possible heat injury.

Thermometers and Method of Taking a Temperature

Every canine first aid kit should contain a thermometer. Rectal measurement of temperature is the most practical, accurate representation of core, or inner body temperature in dogs. Since many working dogs don’t like having a thermometer inserted into their rectum, it would be nice to have a less intrusive method of evaluating their temperature. Unfortunately, there is currently no better way to do this. Ear thermometers are generally designed for humans and are not long enough to reach areas of the ear canal that give an accurate temperature reading, and a lot of dogs resent those just as much as rectal thermometers. Flexible digital thermometers, many of which give a reading within seconds, are probably the best type to use as far as accuracy, safety, and comfort for your dog.

Treatment

According to studies in both veterinary and human medicine, the most important factor in treatment of heat injury is immediate treatment. The more quickly cooling occurs, the better chance for survival. Specifically, if aggressive cooling begins within 10 minutes of collapse, the patient has a significantly greater chance for survival that if cooling is delayed longer than this. If you have only one choice at a time between cooling the dog or transporting the dog, cool him first, then transport him to a veterinarian. Ideally, you would start rapid cooling first, then transport to a veterinarian while continuing cooling if needed. Air conditioning inside a vehicle would not be considered “aggressive cooling.” Aggressive cooling would include more rapid measures, such as immersion in cold water or placement several ice packs around the dog’s body and head.

Some recommended methods of immediate cooling include:

- Move into a cooler environment (shade, air conditioning, etc)

- Immersion in cold or cool water

- Wrap in cool or cold wet towels

- Provide a strong breeze with fans or other air movement

- Place ice packs around the body and head

- Administer IV fluids if available

- Place rubbing alcohol on wet fur (avoid the face)

-

Contrary to some recommendations, there are really no “wrong” methods of cooling down an overheated dog, baring the extreme or obviously unsafe. For years veterinarians and canine first aid references have warned against immersion in cold or ice water, claiming that those methods will actually slow down or prevent cooling. This is based on the idea that cold or ice water will cause the blood vessels in the skin to constrict, preventing needed heat loss from the blood. While the vessels will constrict to some degree, there is no scientific evidence to show that this slows or prevents cooling overall, and there is also no scientific evidence to show that this method is actually harmful to the overheated patient. In fact, many studies confirm that cold water immersion is the most rapid method for cooling subjects with exercised-induced heat injury, and is the preferred method of cooling down humans with heat stroke.

Similarly, some recommendations state not to place wet towels over a dog to cool them down as the towels will actually “trap” the heat from escaping. Similar to cold water immersion, there is no scientific evidence to back up this recommendation either, and it may come down to common sense on that one: If the water in the towels is colder than the dog, then heat will be transferred from the dog to the towels and the dog will cool down. One study showed that cool water immersion cooled down overheated subjects twice as fast as wrapping the patient in wet towels, but both methods were effective in cooling overall.

If you or your teammates have the skills to place IV catheters and administer fluids, this could also be considered. However, do not delay cooling efforts in order to place an IV catheter. And along that same line, once the dog has been cooled, do not delay transport to veterinary care in order to place an IV catheter. Subcutaneous fluids (fluids administered under the skin) may not help much in a severe case of heat injury, but administered in an appropriate dose may help with mild cases, and probably won’t hurt in more severe cases. Do not attempt IV or subcutaneous fluid administration unless you have been properly trained to do so, as serious complications could occur if not done properly with the right type of fluid solution.

Many scientific studies have been done on dogs and humans to evaluate which method and speed of cooling is best for survival, and to date the only practical conclusion from these studies is that the more rapid the cooling, the greater chances of survival. The method used should be the one available to you that will cool him most quickly.

Because your goal is to rapidly cool the dog, you have to be careful not to overcool him and cause his temperature to drop too low. Overheating can alter the dog’s ability to regulate his temperature through damage caused to his hypothalamus; a specific part of the brain that controls temperature regulation. With loss of his normal temperature regulation mechanisms, and your aggressive cooling methods, his temperature can drop way below normal. The general recommendation is to stop aggressive cooling when the dog’s rectal temperature reaches 103 degrees F. If his temperature continues to drop below that, you may need to take measures to keep him warm and prevent even more heat loss. Drying him with a towel and wrapping him in a dry blanket may be all that is needed, but the most important part is to continue monitoring his temperature every five to ten minutes after that until his temperature remains stable and he is in the care of a veterinarian.

Conclusion

Practical treatment of heat injury in working dogs revolves around the idea that the more rapid an overheated dog is cooled down after he reaches a critical temperature, the more likely he is to survive this potentially fatal condition. Don’t let yourself be hindered by complicated recommendations of which methods of cooling are the best or are detrimental to care. The bottom line is that all of the practical methods seem to be effective and not harmful if done with common sense and frequent monitoring of the dog’s temperature. Cool the dog first, then transport to a veterinarian unless aggressive cooling and transportation can be done at the same time.

Checklist for Treatment: What You Should Do

-Cease working the dog, and move him to a cooler environment if possible (a/c is ideal)

-Remove his muzzle if he is wearing one

-Get him wet all over, with cold water if available. Immerse him in the water if safe to do so, protecting his head from going under

-If the only water available is room temperature or slightly warmer (i.e. warmed by the sun) use it anyway but do not immerse him in it—pour it over him or sponge it on him to wet his fur. Do not use hot water

-Place ice packs around the dog’s head if he is unconscious.

-Provide a strong breeze with fans if available

-Provide oxygen by mask if available

-Take his rectal temperature as soon as possible, and repeat every 5minutes to monitor cooling.

-Stop cooling when his temperature reaches 103 degrees F.

-Be prepared to keep him warm if his temperature continues to drop or goes below 99 degrees F.

-Administer IV or subcutaneous fluids if already trained to do so. DO NOT delay other methods of cooling or transportation in order to place an IV or administer fluids.

-Transport to a veterinarian for further care.

Janice Baker, DVM

Veterinary Tactical Group

jbaker@vettacgroup.com

As an individual who began my canine education in Europe some 40 years ago, I accepted many concepts from old masters. The goals in training are to pass an examination for man and dog. The testing process was, and still is, used to measure a dog’s worthiness and a human’s ability to instill certain controlled behaviors in a sometimes uncooperative canine. The exams addressed both police and sport dogs and have been in place since the beginning of the 20th century.

My initiation into the world of police dogs came about in 1975. Using knowledge I learned training sport dogs and looking to European police agencies for direction, I introduced concepts and techniques that were new to this country. One of these was “guard and bark” training for a police service dog. Initially I had very little knowledge of the rights of a person who choose to hide from the police, so my use of the guard and bark technique had less to do with liability than with efficiency.

Using European history as well as dog training techniques, I concluded civil rights did not exist in most of Europe, certainly not in Germany, during the first half of the 20th century, yet the guard and bark was taught to police & military dogs almost exclusively! This fact alone was enough to rouse my interest, if only for the historical content.

My research took me to a study of comparative psychology as relating to animal behavior. The first person to show a scientific interest in this field was Charles Darwin. His early works include “Origin of   Species” (1859) and “Descent of Man” (1871). These works caused many to admit the study of animals could shed light on the abilities of man. Thus was born the concept of comparative psychology. This science is still evolving and can be quite complex for a layperson to comprehend. Fortunately, only the basic concepts are necessary for our work. These include classic and operant conditioning and the relationship between a conditioned stimulus and a conditioned response.

Most concepts and facts concerning conditioned stimulus/conditioned response behavior were first introduced during the latter part of the 19th century by Ivan Pavlov in Russia. Other notable scholars in the field were J.B. Watson and B.F. Skinner. While many other scientific minds studied this phenomenon, a study of their (Watson & Pavlov) experiments would suffice for our conditioning of dogs.

My definitions and examples will be a very basic form of the sometimes quite complex subject.  I am a dog trainer, not a scientist.

Operant Conditioning

“We are in luck if, in training a dog we can use his instincts as a basis for what we require. For the more instinctive an action is, the more reliable it will be” -Konrad Most

A simple definition of operant conditioning is, it would appear to be voluntary to the dog. There is little or no stress involved. In early experiments involving laboratory rats it consisted of a rat negotiating a maze primarily through trial and error until the end is located and a food reward is consumed. The rat eventually memorizes the maze and can eventually traverse it without making one wrong turn. However, when presented with a different maze, he must learn it again. The trial and error is repeated until success is his. He is able to reward himself with little or no stress applied. The behavior is totally self-rewarding. The only benefit to the human is a study of animal behavior.

An analogy to the above scenario would be a dog conditioned to search a building (maze) until he locates a person. No stress or compulsion is present, so he bites the person (suspect).

Two basic elements missing are stress and a reward system for the dog that also benefits the handler.

Subjecting a dog to stress, closely followed by a satisfaction of a drive, teaches the dog how to handle stress while insuring we can put compulsion on the behavior we are shaping. If behavior is shaped absent stress (compulsion) it becomes far less predictable. Even play drive should be shaped with compulsion.

Shaping a behavior simply means all other behaviors are neutralized when the handler issues an order. For example, when ordered to sit, the dog is not allowed to lie down or exhibit any other behavior but sit. Even a delay in displaying the behavior should not be tolerated.

Classic Conditioning

“In the absence of compulsion neither human education nor canine training is feasible. Even the most soft hearted dog-owner cannot get on terms with his idolized favorite without some form of compulsion” –Konrad Most.

In classic conditioning we always have a conditioner, or a conditioned stimulus plus a conditioned response. In the beginning there is no connection between the two. In the case of a police dog, the behavior would have been learned (conditioned) without stress. The behaviors are biting and barking. Initially the connection between the two is vague.

Along this school of thought how much of our protection work, or biting reflexive behavior or a conditioned response are in question?  There are valid arguments on both sides. For our purposes it is as much semantics as scientific fact. For example, how much of the behavior is classic conditioning versus operant conditioning. Regardless of individual views on this subject, the end result for a police service dog is the same. If we accept prey behavior as the basis for bite work, and this behavior is innate, then we have more of an approach to classic conditioning as our task. Further thoughts on the subject raise the question of barking prior to a reward of a bite is a responsive or a reflexive behavior.

Various experiments show that the conditioned response (CR) increases in intensity when the conditioned stimulus (CS) conditioned response (CR) combination is successfully repeated over an extended period.

Equally as important, the CR (conditioned response) is weakened when the CS (conditioned stimulus) is used for more than one CR. While we almost certainly would not intentionally weaken the CR, if the dog were able to seek his goal absent the CR, he will do so.

How does this relate to the guard and bark controversy? The CS (conditioned stimulus) is a stimulus given to the dog that he then relates to an opportunity to bite. The CR (conditioned response) is the task he must perform to earn that bite. The more bites he receives absent the CR, the weaker the response becomes. The important lesson here is, once a CS-CR relationship is established, the dog must continually earn the CR. Every CR given freely (not earned) weakens the CS-CR relationship.

The concept seems to be in place with most handlers and trainers with detection dogs. Seldom do we see a detection dog that has more then one response to an odor. The CR (conditioned response) is the reward for finding and alerting on the odor. The CR must be timely and exact each time.
The same handlers then deploy a patrol dog to search for people. In this case he does not train his dog to “earn” a bite by a consistent alert schedule. Thus, the “alert” varies in type & frequency. These handlers frequently have to maintain eye contact with their dogs to insure that they observe the “alert”.

When the desired response is not consistent, your ability to read your dog’s alert is greatly diminished. The suspect he can “almost” get to may illicit a better response than the suspect behind a door, or otherwise deemed by the dog as situation where a free bite is not forthcoming. Based on prior experiences the alerts will vary (read inconsistent). While a CS-CR relationship maintained more than 90 percent of the time would not produce a perfect dog, it will certainly insure a more reliable (consistent) dog.

Classic conditioning then becomes a near perfect way to shape behavior. Behavior cannot be considered properly shaped unless you can demonstrate it 90+ percent of the time.

Occasionally in our courtroom encounters we are confronted with an expert on animal behavior. Often a person with a Ph.D. impresses jurors with a scientific approach to our job. The concept being, if you cannot give a scientific explanation for a behavior, then you cannot justify its use. While our counter argument that dog training is more of an art than a science, it is great to have a scientific explanation for some behaviors.

While I can understand that persons with little or no experience with dog behavior, may view the difference between behaviors (guard and bark versus search and bite), from an anthropomorphic perspective, it baffles me that a true dog trainer with an understanding of basic dog behavior would not insist on a proper CS-CR relationship in all aspects of conditioning (training) dogs to perform at an expected much higher level than is demanded of a sport dog.

The CS-CR relationship also has a conditioned time frame. Once the proper relationship is established and the dog learns he will receive no free bites, we have to condition the time frame for the behavior. This is accomplished by sequential exercises until the time frame is adequate. Typically this would be 100 plus barks. The safety relationship to both officers and suspects is enhanced when you have the proper CS-CR plus time relationship.

While I have only discussed the CS-CR relationship here there are other behavioral considerations that may be enhanced using good helpers and established guard and bark techniques. These include transitional and confrontational training.

The courts have given us virtually no direction on deployment techniques, which is a positive point. We are far better off not having the courts mandating deployment policies. Judges (attorneys) would then make the decisions as opposed to animal behaviorists (Dog trainers).

The DOJ has recommended (ordered) some agencies they investigated to adopt the guard & bark method of deployment, so we have people participating reluctantly.
I recently obtained on the Internet a Ph.D. thesis on the guard and bark/search and bite theories. While it was very comprehensive (200 plus pages), it did not address the primary reason the technique should be utilized.
Training dogs to perform in law enforcement is probably 70-80 percent observed phenomenon and 20-30 percent science. If you ignore the CS/CR relationship, your scientific approach is a considerably lower number. Viewed from a scientific behavioral perspective the guard and bark becomes the most efficient method of police dog deployment!
To be successful in any conditioning or behavior modification you must insure the desired behavior is exhibited by the dog a minimum of 90 percent of the time!

TRAIN DAILY!!

Any questions may be directed to the author.
David Reaver

Adlerhorst@adlerhorst.com

Under a cloudless pre-summer day with temperatures slated for the 90s, the shimmer of a desert mirage hovers over a sea of police K9 cruisers as they idle in the parking lot, staged and ready for the opening ceremonies at Scottsdale Stadium. The muffled barks coming from inside the vehicles add to an almost tangible excitement that fills the air. Inside the stadium stand scores of uniformed police officers and anxious citizens alike. Bagpipes break the mid-morning silence and blare out an introduction of the Scottsdale Police Honor Guard and the Colors are presented. A courageous and talented young woman belts out a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. As the round of patriotic applause subsides, the stadium announcer hits a button and base heavy music pumps out deep into center field. The exciting beat reaches its crescendo and like the start to a NASCAR race the deep voiced artist challenges every soul within earshot: “LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!”

Attention is drawn to the pristinely manicured baseball field as a muscled police dog launches from home plate out toward towards the pitcher’s mound. What happens next would make any NFL linebacker take a knee in genuflection. The four-legged warrior delivers a ferocious body slam that can be felt three rows back of the first baseline as his jaws sink deep into the arm of Mr. Bitesuit. The crowd first gasps at the display and then roars with applause as the First Bite is thrown out at the 8^th Annual Desert Dog K9 Trials in Scottsdale, Arizona.

This signature City Event draws law enforcement and security K9 teams from all around the Phoenix Metro area, outlying Arizona jurisdictions, neighboring states, hospitals, and federal installations. Originally conceived as a solution to the old Phoenix Area K9 Trials, the Desert Dog is now the forum for Southwest Regional canine teams to showcase the best of the best. Usually limited to about 60 teams in order to reduce down time between events, handlers and their dogs compete in Bomb and Drug Detection, Tactical Building Search, Tactical Challenge, Obedience, Area Search and Handler Protection events. The goal of these events is to capture the coveted Top Dog - Grand Champion Trophy. Another highly sought after trophy goes to the top “Tough Dog” as judged by the award creators Lieutenant Dick VanLeenen and Sgt. Wim VanBochove of the Rotterdam, Holland Police. Awards are given for 1^st through 6^th place performances and awards are given for best Agency Teams.

The Desert Dog is a spring event in Scottsdale that spans three days starting with a gathering of all the handlers for important training and networking via the Arizona Law Enforcement Canine Association meeting. This year’s event hosted guest speaker and veteran canine handler/ Instructor Steve Sprouse of the Broward County Florida Sheriff’s Office. Steve provided a no-nonsense approach to modern canine law enforcement focusing on his highly acclaimed “Transferring Training to Reality” lecture. The class was designed to help handlers understand the behaviors and mechanics of canine operations and how context plays such a critical role in transferring what is experienced in training to the dangerous field of reality. While the Desert Dog K9 competition may start with highly valued training and friendly reunions of law enforcement colleagues, make no mistake these canine teams are fierce competitors too. When the training is over, the judges meet and are issued their clipboards and score sheets. Then it’s time to get down and dirty and start shooting for that sought after grail; the Top Dog trophy.

Friday night the bombs are planted and things get rolling. This year there were fourteen bomb detection teams from various city, county, state and military police agencies. When all was said and done, Mike Armentrout and his dog Harrie of the Chandler, Arizona Police Department won first place. Drug dogs got their shot the next morning and had to brave an interior building search and a vehicle search as well. Scott Armstrong and his dog Dino of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, handled this challenge in high fashion bringing home the top trophy in that event. As the weekend wore on it would soon be discovered that Scott and Dino had been doing their prep work getting ready for Desert Dog. A wise and renowned canine guru once said, “Obedience is the foundation of ALL canine training”. Well apparently Scott and Dino were sitting at the guru’s feet because they took home the gold in that event too.

The Tactical Challenge provided a number of annoying obstacles. From bite suit man adorned in empty Gatorade bottles to a pickup truck and a bed filled with water that some bad guy in a bite suit thought was a mini-swimming pool, it was a crowd pleasing spectacle. Scott Armstrong had to move over for fellow DPS K9 team member Anthony Gerard and K9 Crowe who performed amazingly well and brought home another 1^st place win for the Highway Patrol.

The Building Search was a bit of a tactical challenge or should we call it a nightmare? Imagine having to search a vacant car dealership for an armed felon. That’s bad, but not outside the scope of what happens any day in America for some K9 team somewhere. However, try doing it when there are nasty little tricks to throw your dog off like food hiding under a closed doorway. Or how about the overwhelmingly interesting smell of an odor soaked towel drenched in the beckoning perfume of a young Malinois lady who was feeling rather, shall we say, anxious for a male suitor? “Aha! Not to worry!” said Heather Kennedy and her dog Alice of the Scottsdale Healthcare Canine Unit. Kennedy and Alice braved the distractions and faced the live simmunition targets in order to bring home the top award in that event. This was quite an accomplishment for Heather and Alice but what a source of pride for Scottsdale Healthcare who was this year’s chief funding donator. In fact, without the donations from Scottsdale Healthcare, Ray Allen Professional K9 Equipment and others, there would not have been an 8^th Annual Desert Dog. Budgets are down all across the nation and finding the funds to pull off an event like this one is a monumental feat, but Scottsdale Healthcare came to the rescue and it was great to see them take home a 1^st place trophy.

Sunday morning came bright and early and brought with it the Area Search. This took place out on the baseball field and what a challenge!

Three port-o-john’s, a couple vehicles, some makeshift boxes all overlooking an infield littered with bite sleeves, toys, and food scent made this a challenging event. Scott Tracy and his dog Clint of the Casa Grande, Arizona PD made short work out of it and won the competition looking like it was just another day at the office. Then the exciting break came between the Area Search and the climatic final event - Handler Protection. All eyes and lenses were focused center field as Phoenix PD landed a helicopter and deployed a dog from the chopper. Like a locked-on missile, the dog sliced across center field and flat laid out an agitator with such power and skill that the roar of the stadium crowd drowned out the noisy helicopter blades.

Under the blaze of afternoon sun the Handler Protection event was a bite fest for the dogs; a target rich environment indeed. Handlers had to confront a passive bite suit man, send his dog past him and out to a runaway agitator who tosses a towel toward the inbound dog. Once on the bite, the dog was called off for a re-direct toward the once passive - but now assaultive- bite suit man who is performing an attack on the handler. From there, right around the pitcher’s mound, the handler had to launch his dog on an agitator clear out in center field but the dog must call off with no bite and return. Then, the dog and handler approached yet another bite suit man who feeds the dog a loose bite sleeve and runs away. The dogs that practice this don’t need to be told to spit out the bite sleeve and go get the bad guy. It seems that Arizona DPS was ready for this little festival of activity. Anthony Gerard and Scott Armstrong with their dogs Crowe and Dino both took home trophies in this event. Crowe aced the event and Dino took home 5^th. Fellow team member Aaron Buckmister and K9 Brett finished 6^th solidifying the later need for DPS to call an 18-wheeler to the awards banquet to help haul all their awards home.

At the end of the day as the sun started to set on yet another successful Desert Dog trial, the top ten hardest biting dogs as determined by the agitator’s bruises had one more challenge. Each of the ten teams assembled in a line formation in right field facing home plate. One by one they were launched on “bite” commands and rocketed their way toward Lt. VanLeenen and Sgt. VanBochove. In the end, the two distinguished trial judges met and conferred and nominated the 2010 Tough Dog candidate Bryan Cochran and his K9 Max from the Mesa, Arizona PD K9 Unit as the hardest dog of the year. This esteemed victory earned Bryan and “Max” the traveling trophy that stays with them for a year. That will be a year filled with well deserved bragging rights because when Dick and Wim say you have a Tough Dog, you know you have a Tough Dog!

The awards banquet was complete with a wonderful sit down dinner and honored guests from various police departments. When all the events were tallied, Arizona DPS K9 Officer Scott Armstrong and “Dino” received a standing ovation from their fellow competitors having achieved a landslide victory and winning the 2010 Desert Dog Top Dog award. Arizona DPS won the Top patrol agency award and the top detection agency went to Casa Grande PD. As the night came to a close and a banquet room full of weary but proud canine handlers emptied out, thoughts turn toward 2011 as we all wonder who might be next year’s Top Desert Dog.

If you want to find out more information about the Desert Dog K9 Trial or to view more great photos from the event please visit the website at http://www.desertdogk9trials.com/

Photos and article submitted courtesy of Lt. J.R. Parrow, Scottsdale PD

Writer’s bio:

Lt. J.R. Parrow is a 25-year veteran of the Scottsdale Police Department having served as a canine handler, trainer, and the K9 Unit Sergeant before his promotion and assignment as Patrol Watch Commander in Scottsdale’s popular entertainment district.