Hundreds of people are attending the weekly Police Dog Service Training Centre (PDSTC) shows at the facility just outside of Innisfail.
Every Wednesday between Victoria Day and Labour Day, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., the PDSTC pulls out all the stops and brings out the puppies and officer/dog teams for a compelling demonstration of the centre's activities.
Wednesday, July 30 saw a crowd of nearly 300 attend the weekly show. Mothers, fathers and children of all ages watched as the teams-in-training showed off their skills.
“This is our 50th year,” said Andre Lemyre, officer-in-charge of the PDSTC. “The RCMP have had dogs since 1935 and had a training centre since 1937. Initially in Calgary, the centre has been in Nova Scotia, Ottawa, and now since 1964, in Innisfail.”
Lemyre said the training centre operates a training facility for officers and animals, validates operational teams annually, and acquires and breeds German shepherds as potential police dogs.
“At present we have four teams, but have had as many as 12 at a time,” said Lemyre. “A team consists of an officer and an animal which train for four and a half months to develop a close bond. Across Canada there are 157 teams presently.”
Four police officers demonstrated the skills each animal possessed from capturing a fleeing felon by grabbing onto their arm with its teeth, to marijuana and bullet shell tracking.
During the “capture” scenario, the police officer would release the dog and the “victim” would run away. Running up to full speed, the dog would grab the right arm with its teeth, fight with the victim, and release on command. A second option showed that once the arm guard was released, like a shirtsleeve was torn, the dog would go for the other arm.
The puppies were the hit of the show.
Officers brought out four pups, which ran through and over the low level obstacle course while the MC explained that one out of three pups born at the centre qualify for the program.
“Once pups are born, we send them home with officers who are part of the program so they can be imprinted,” he explained. “When they are one year old, we bring them back and give them seven simple tests that take 30 seconds each.”
He said that one test involves him just walking around the room, and seeing which dogs follow him.
“If a dog is not curious enough to follow me, he is likely not police dog material,” said the officer. “If I clang a bell, and the dog does not even turn his head, he might make a great pet. If we reject the dogs, they are adopted out into good families.”
Innisfail resident Penny Gill was part of the audience on the sunny afternoon.
“The display of skill and training was awesome,” said Gill, whose two children were fascinated with the animals.
