Well he certainly has created a following. Our Police-Dog-in-Training Axel has a fan club extending from Brisbane to the Far Northern Cape and even overseas! We receive multiple requests each week for the next ‘Axel Update’, so here it is…
This week our puppy hits the beach.
Ahhh the beach. Well that was a bit different. I’ll do anything to get my beloved toy but it was hard work getting to it through those waves! Even though it was noisy and the sand was hard to run on, it was still lots of fun. What wasn’t fun was the bath that I had to have afterwards!!!
Learning to sit and stay but itching to run.
Gee, Dave is getting bossy. I’m doing lots of work sitting down next to him, coming back to him, stopping, heeling and lying down… It is hard work doing all of that listening. If I’m a good boy though, I get lots of pats and a play with my toy.
I still really love just running around but I see the other Police Dogs listening to what their handlers say. I think that’s what I need to start doing if I want to be a Police Dog one day.
I’m off! I’d better go find Dave. I’m sure he’ll want me to sit, stay, lie down or something.
Axel
Handler’s note:
- Police dogs are taught to track on all sorts of surfaces. It is important to get Axel used to the sounds of the waves and tracking on soft sand so it doesn’t become a distraction later on.
- Obedience training is the building block and core to all police dog training.
- For operational and safety reasons, it is important that Axel acts on the commands of his handler at all times
- As smart as they are, it is easy for the dogs to put themselves in danger without even knowing. For example, when tracking offenders it might be necessary to stop the dog from running in front of a car or going over a cliff face.
- The dog and handler work together. The dog has their excellent sense of smell to follow the track but it is up to the handler to ensure that they both stay out of danger, especially when it comes to tracking armed offenders.
- Humans receive accolades and awards for a job well done. The reward for dogs is a play with a toy and lots of pats and praise. It might not sound like much but the dogs live for it.
Sergeant Dave Raymond, Officer in Charge Cairns Dog Squad
