Drumheller has a new four-legged recruit at the RCMP Detachment.
Henny, the 10-week-old German Shepherd, is in training to become a member of the RCMP’s Canine Unit. Constable Craig Nelson also wants to join the unit and part of his training is acting as an imprinter.
“Right now, we are getting to know each other and getting comfortable with teaching each other,” he said. Later we’ll start more of the other type of training. As she progresses we’ll go on to more detailed things.”
Henny is not the first canine through the detachment training. Constable Rachel Pergunas raised Derby and Constable Jeremy Willis, who is now in Cold Lake, raised Fura who has graduated.
The training for Henny begins right away. While most puppies are trained to be obedient pets, training to be a police dog is a little different. It’s instinctive behavior is fostered and encouraged.
“I imprint in her in the skills she needs and try to develop the natural traits she has,” said Nelson. “Some things, like curiosity, I want her to be curious, I want her to check things out, meet new people and walk into dark alleys and walk down sidewalks. If there is a dark tunnel, I want her to go see what is inside.”
Other instincts include aggression and prey drive.
“I want my dog to be interested in chasing because later on I am going to tap into that, so if there is a bad guy running away, I will want her to chase him,” said Nelson.
His job is also to familiarize Henny with a variety of settings. Every time she comes out of her kennel, she is learning. She has been to the school to become comfortable with children and big groups, play is used to develop skills.
In the end, she will be trained as a multipurpose dog. She will be trained for tracking, apprehension and searching for lost items.
“(When) she is fully trained, she will be able to find something as small as a button,” he said.
She will learn to detect for scent and will be trained for either a drug or an explosive profile, he explained.
Along Henny’s journey, she will be evaluated for her progress.
“If she does well, I could have her for a year and a half. If she doesn’t do well, when they decide she is not going to be a police dog, they will take her away and give me a different one,” said Nelson.
Henny could then be sold as a pet, or to another agency to perform other services. Nelson explains the RCMP has its own breeding program and this has contributed to more dogs being successful in their training.
