Guard dog handlers - “four-legged replenishment”
Shaggy pets arrived at the canine service of one of the military units of the National Guard in Vinnytsia. Arnie, Hal and Ice have already begun their first training and are preparing for exams to later begin their daily service.
Five-month-old Belgian Shepherd Hel, like her owner, is a newcomer to the canine services. Eugene was a soldier-blacksmith. When the war began, the guard signed a contract and decided to master the dog business. For the service, he chose a talented four-legged assistant.
“Helle is still young, so she's naughty. But he quickly learns and listens. A Belgian Shepherd was picked up by a friend of mine. He has been engaged in purebred dogs for more than five years, so he advised to choose among Belgian Shepherds. They have a beautiful color, are smart, agile and trainable. I believe that Hel will be a great helper,” says national guard Yevhen.
Restless and playful, another Belgian Shepherd is Icy. Soldier Maxim from a young age loves animals. Therefore, I have already studied for a dog trainer. The National Guard is demanding in training. Icy has already shown talent - she loves to play ball. So, most likely, her specialization is the search for weapons, explosives or drugs, most likely a guard.
“It is very important at an early age to correctly determine the character of dogs. We train calm dogs to search for weapons, attract more aggressive ones to search tasks, arrest criminals. It is necessary to choose an approach to each of them,” says dog trainer Maxim.
An indispensable assistant in finding people will be the German Shepherd Arnie, his owner is convinced. The dog already shows a predisposition to certain skills. But the most important thing in the work is cooperation and understanding between the animal and the dog handler, say the specialists of the military unit.
“New dogs have morning and evening training. We feed five times a day. A dog up to six months should receive a lot of vitamins to form normal growth, bones and exterior, so that it can be practiced in the future. We observe how, in accordance with the general course of training, the dog performs commands. We draw conclusions. But for impeccable service, he has to go through a strict education,” says Oleg, the head of the canine service.
Soon, dog breeders with their tailed partners will go to the exams, there they will finally determine their future specialization.
National Guard of Ukraine
