71 canines join the police force

HYDERABAD:  IT was an unusual day for 71 dogs that were paraded at the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station, sniffing suitcases placed by the Intelligence Security Wing to identify any presence of explosives. After close to seven months of rigorous training, the dogs were brought for ‘practical examination.’ It is the final stage before the canines are inducted into the police force. The 92 dog handlers are from four different police departments: Arunachal Pradesh, Central Industrial Security Force, Telangana and Tripura, facilitated the practical tests for the canines.

Of them, 58 dogs are from the Telangana police. The canines are trained at Intelligence Integrated Training Academy (IITA), located at Moinabad before a passing out parade is held. The dogs are trained in two major tests: obedience test and professional test, after which they are allocated to five different wings based on their skills. “The dogs are mostly trained for tracking of criminals and to detect explosives as those are the common needs that the force requires,” said Prabhakar, ISW head constable who is also a dog trainer. He went on to add that the canines are also trained in tracking narcotics, red sandal and even assault in hostile situations. In total there are six breeds of dogs that are in the training: Belgian Malinois, Beagle, Cocker Spaniel, Dobermann and German Shepherd.

“Their service span can range from 1-8 years after which they retire from the services and are mostly looked after by its handlers. “We provide them with special kennels and sweater to beat the winter chill. There are two handlers for every three dogs at IITA,” said Dr Madhu, Veterinary doctor. The Thursday’s skill demonstration is a result of a sevenmonth long rigorous training regime. The training starts when the dog is about 4-5 months and goes on for close to a year at the special facility operated at Intelligence Integrated Training Academy (IITA) in Moinabad.

Mostly male, the canines, based on obedience, are then chosen for training. After an initial four-month of obedience training, they are categorised into five different wings which the state police usually deal with. Tracking presence of narcotics, red sandalwood, explosives, tracing and assaulting criminals in hostile situations are the five broad areas in which the dogs continue their professional life. “Ganja, brown sugar and other hard drugs are the most common samples which we source from NCB to train the dogs,” said Ravindra, Reserve Inspector, Intelligence Security Wing (ISW).

Gunpowder, TNT, ammonia, nitrogen, and safety fuse are few explosive samples included, he added. Rewards, in the form of biscuits, are given to the canines on successful detections. The choice of dog to be deputed in the specific professional wing is made by the department based on the breed of the dog. “German Shepherds are mostly for tracing and sniffing while Belgian Malinois would be a common pick for assault training,” informed Prabhakar, Head Constable, ISW.