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WAG THE DOGS A LOOK INSIDE THE TRAINING GROUND FOR OUR NATION’S FOUR-LEGGED SOLDIERS
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PAYA L KHANDELWAL IMAGES
SHARBENDU D E
We’re sitting atop a rocky outcrop, overlooking a forest clearing. It is a cloudy evening in Gwalior as we watch Flame, a German Shepherd, walk cautiously and attentively alongside his handler, Sitaram Meena. Flame approaches the edge of the thick jungle, where two men are concealed underneath the natural cover. Five minutes later, after diligent sniffing and intense observation, Flame breaks his silence, having located the two men. He knows he’s cracked it, looking eagerly to Sitaram for acknowledgement of his triumph. Flame is in training at the National Training Centre for Dogs (NTCD), a Government of India institute under the Border Security Force (BSF). As Sitaram pats him, the unit’s
Assistant Commandant, Dr Shankar, challenges Sitaram to push Flame harder in these mock drills. Today, Flame and Sitaram’s test is just a harmless simulation. Soon, they actually might face a lethal encounter in the areas affected by the armed proponents of Maoist struggle in India. The first recorded use of dogs as part of a war campaign dates back to the Babylonian Hammurabi, who died more than 2,000 years ago. Horses, camels, dogs, pigeons, dolphins, rats, and other animals have been part of many war histories as official soldiers. Dogs are now also required to maintain a huge number of local vigils. In India, the fierce and sharp force works incessantly for our protection from
a vast array of threats. Armed with canine superpowers including a wide angle of vision, heightened hearing, and astounding olfactory acuity, they are a force to be reckoned with. While earlier, outside of combat, they were mainly deployed at significant public monuments, the presence of canines in service of the law is now near-ubiquitous. The frightening regularity of local bomb blasts have given law enforcement all the justification they require to rapidly expand this seemingly omnipresent canine force. With an increase in state canine surveilance, demand for NTCD training has skyrocketed. Since 1979, the Centre has been responsible for the training of the dogs and handlers of the BSF, various arms of the central police,
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37 state police forces, and other law enforcement agencies both in India and abroad. Life at the centre stubbornly begins at 5 am, with an intensive regime of feeding, grooming, exercise, and, of course, training. Typically, one instructor works with five dogand-handler pairs at a time.
emerged victorious from an explosive tracking case. What are the challenges of the job? Juggling too many priorities and putting out occasional fires, like the spread of viral diseases amongst the dogs.
if his family gets to interact with Sanju, he says that the families are allowed to come during the demo shows. His officerly restraint back in place, he says that getting involved with family can be a source of distraction for the dog. He won’t allow it. Just a few days back, though, when his two daughters insisted that he put Sanju on the phone, he had to oblige. Sanju barked his hello and the girls were content.
He points towards a dog and handler outside the designated training ground, who seem to be on a disheartened stroll, a sharp The pairing or “marrying up” process, contrast to the vigorous activities going on in through which dogs bond with their handlers, their surroundings. The PRANOY AND PENNY takes place during a 15-day handler has injured his stay in a quarantine facility Outside the NTCD campus – in a move lower back, Dr Shankar near the NTCD campus. entirely appropriate to Delhi – female dogs in IN INDIA, THIS FIERCE says, and thus the dog can’t During this time, the heat are kept in a purdah of sorts so they don’t AND SHARP FORCE be trained either, unless handler and the canine “distract” the male dogs at work. Here we meet WORKS INCESSANTLY they get a reliever. The will spend nearly the entire Pranoy Roy from the Kolkata Police. Pranoy FOR OUR PROTECTION. secret to success lies in day together, acclimating has spent eight months in training with his ARMED WITH CANINE strong bonds between dogs to one another’s routines, German Shepherd, Athena. Athena’s pet name SUPERPOWERS INCLUDand handlers and in how actions, and foibles. It also is Penny; training names need to be shorter so ING A WIDE ANGLE OF the handler makes use of provides a period to train instructions can be quickly tossed off. VISION, HEIGHTENED the dog as his “weapon” in the dog on basic commands In the first few months of training, Pranoy HEARING, AND OUTthe field of combat. and etiquette. Any puppy was worried sick, as Penny wasn’t responding STANDING OLFACTORY At this stage, things that is too aggressive or to his instructions. One day he broke down ACUITY, THEY ARE seem technical and not sufficiently healthy and cried in front of the dog. Miraculously, he A FORCE TO BE RECKperfunctory, with a trail is eliminated from the says, Penny started improving dramatically ever ONED WITH. of instructions, punishprogramme at this stage. since. Now, Penny is the only one in the world ments, and rewards from Each dog is trained who can find out in an instant if he is in a bad the handlers, and their for a different and specific mood. “She can face read me,” insists Pranoy. compliant obeisance by purpose such as tracking, search and rescue, He admits that sometimes Penny seems the dogs. But the at-times brusque sequences guarding, and detection of narcotics and overdependent. She only responds to his of command and action belie the unique explosives. command and lets no one but Pranoy feed her. personal relationship of each dog with her This can lead to complications. When Penny At the demo show, we observe the handler. The stories about these relationships was hospitalised for tick fever, she refused to techniques being deployed for different types are scattered all over the NTCD campus. There sleep on her bed in the vet hospital, where of training. In a detection demonstration, is a deep paternal instinct for the dogs, which both the handler and dog have to stay together. Meera, a resolute brown labrador, is waiting is common amongst handlers, but is rarely Pranoy had no choice but to allow the sick dog patiently with her eyes fixated onto the five displayed outside the NTCD grounds. When to sleep right next to him. uniformed men standing in a row. One of these displayed, it is a gorgeous contrast to the ultra men is hiding a sample of RDX explosive macho avatars that are more emblematic of Pranoy has a wife and a ten-month-old child in his pocket. individuals in the police and armed forces. at home. But for him, Penny is a second child. He doesn’t mind being away from his first one Reacting to the voice instruction of her Here are three of those stories, about for some time. handler, Meera starts walking up to each one relationships, about love, about duty, and work: of them, stretching herself like an elastic band PRADEEP AND BEGAM SANJU AND GAJENDRA to sniff them with precision. She stops on the Pradeep Kumar Pandey openly professes Labrador Retriever Sanju and his handler fourth man in the line for slightly longer than his maternal love for Begam, a female Alsatian Gajendra Singh have been together for two usual and then, without making any noise, sits who has been paired with him for five years. years now. Sanju is a demo dog, which means next to him for about 15-20 seconds. Then, Begam was barely two months old when he performs mock drills and showcases his she gets up and sniffs the last man. She repeats Pradeep first met her. She now stands devotedly talent in front of an audience. Gajendra’s the whole process and sits next to the fourth next to Pradeep as he mentions how she can fascination for being a handler started when he man again, quietly, with a more pronounced recognise the sound of his bike not only from was in the UP Police and, watching his fellow confidence this time. The acuity is mindfar away but also amongst the cacaphonous officers who worked with canines, was curious blowing. She is greeted with the applause multitude of different to see if he could make a she deserves. motorcycle engines. dog obey him. Unlike the explosives search, where silence Pradeep proudly Gajendra was earlier THE SECRET TO SUCis a safety technique, the dogs are allowed to be states that while his own paired with a female dog CESS LIES IN STRONG as noisy as possible (barking and mouthing, to children have become named Mala, who died in BONDS BETWEEN DOGS be eventually controlled via command) when it rebellious with age, his arms, the victim of a AND HANDLERS AND comes to narcotics tracking. Begam’s devotion, loyalty, heart attack. The moment IN HOW THE HANDLER and obedience only get he mentions Mala, his MAKES USE OF THE DOG stronger with time. Does Only fully trained dogs are used for the show. official self-restraint AS HIS “WEAPON” IN THE he ever think about being This demonstration squad includes seven-yearcrumbles. There is an FIELD OF COMBAT. THE transferred or Begam being old gold medallist Labrador Basanti, who has equal amount of fondness BRUSQUE SEQUENCES out of work after about about three years of employment left. She is and pain in his memories, OF COMMAND BELIE THE five years? He tries hard the oldest member of this family and has been and he recalls the day UNIQUE PERSONAL RELAto answer nonchalantly, instrumental in many narcotics cases. Basanti’s when there was a snake TIONSHIP OF EACH DOG admitting that “she will be old trainer Poolchand is now part of a battalion right in front of Mala and WITH HER HANDLER. very unhappy if we are not and Bhagat Singh, the in-charge of the demo he sprang forth to rescue together”. squad, doubles up as her handler. her. He feels that Mala became more obedient and And thankfully, Back at the training ground, Dr Shankar, loving towards him from that day on. It was her about a few minutes before the end of this with his hawk-like vision, monitors all unspoken gratitude. conversation, Pradeep half-jokingly mentions activities simultaneously. We ask him what it how Begam threatens to chomp off the hand of With Sanju, he feels they are still growing is that keeps him on the job. It is thrilling, he anyone trying to shake Pradeep’s hand if – as together. He says that if he has to go for a tells us, to prepare the dogs and handlers for she often does – she perceives it as a threat. couple of months’ leave, then it takes some competition and work assignments. He pulls We stick to a verbal thank you and goodbye. effort and a few days to get back to the old out his phone from his pocket to show us a Begam, her ears still erect, wags her tail. chemistry when they are reunited. When asked news clipping of a dog and handler duo that