JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va –
Canine handlers
from local police departments joined the 3rd Military Police Detachment for military
working dog training at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, July 24-27, 2017.
The
detachment brought in a Florida-based agency that trains police and military
working dogs all over the world. The team taught the detachment along with
their Newport News, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, Virginia, guest different ways
to engage their dogs with potential perpetrators.
U.S. Army
Pvt. Levi Graham, 3rd MPD military working dog handler, said although biting a
human is unnatural to dogs, one of the training’s goals was to teach the
handlers to drive the dogs’ desire to bite a perpetrator, and not just training equipment.
With the
safety of the handlers, trainers, dogs and even the perpetrators in mind, the
working dog handlers donned tactical bite suits while practicing “decoy”
development and canine bite-building techniques. To better simulate real-world possibilities, the
handlers also hid bite guards under different colored shirts to keep the dogs
from associating the equipment with biting a perpetrator.
“We want
the dog to react to the behaviors, not just a visual stimulus,” said Scott
Clark, Florida-based agency head trainer. “We don’t want the dog equipment fixated;
we want the dog focused on the true engagement of a person.”
Hoping to
excite the dogs, the handlers shouted words of encouragement and made high-frequency
sounds. During the dogs’ excited state, the handlers focused on enhancing their
dog’s desire to bite, the strength of their bite and their drive forward
through the bite.
According
to Clark, working dogs give law enforcement officers an advantage when
restraining a criminal, and can eliminate the need for officers to use a
weapon.
“We want
to prepare the dogs professionally and to their full capability to perform in
the jobs that they do,” said Clark. “Teaching these fundamental skills,
encouraging and developing the dog’s bite, is crucial for safety and tactical
issues.”
U.S. Army
Sgt. Richard McNully, 3rd MPD military working dog handler, said providing advanced
training for the local police departments is mutually beneficial for both on- and
off-post communities.
“We work
heavily with the police in Hampton Roads, so the more training we get with
them, the better we will work together to protect our community,” said McNully.
“If we ever need the local police on post, or if they need us out in the
community, we will have the relationship needed to work together.”
The
working dogs are considered an advanced detection resource for both the
military and local law enforcement departments. With their noses to the ground,
the working dogs continue to support the safety and security of the Hampton
Roads community.