POLICE DOG FILES

STEPH WORKS FOR CHESHIRE AND NORTH WALES DOG HANDLING SECTION. EACH EDITION WE ARE TREATED TO A LOOK AT HER WORKING LIFE AND THAT OF HER THREE BEST FRIENDS, JAX, OTIS AND HONEY.

Since Otis retired and put his paws up, I have been on the look out for a replacement working dog, that I can train to become my next Police dog.

I had spoken to my contacts at the rescue centres to keep their eyes peeled, as I am open to giving an adopted dog a chance at a working career.

I am also at the point in my career where I am wanting to train my own dog from scratch and be a part of the full process. I find this most rewarding.

One morning in June I got a phone call from my contacts at Cheshire dogs home. They said they had just taken in a 6-month-old Labrador handed over as an unwanted pet that was yet to be offered to anyone else.

I visited the dogs home the next day to see if the dog had what it takes. I didn’t want to miss out on a potential new pup. Out came a beautiful Golden Labrador puppy full of energy and fun called Honey.

I tested that she was confident in herself and new surroundings, mad for the tennis ball, and a happy, friendly dog. She was and I was thrilled. I thought she deserved a chance.

A quick phone call to the boss to confirm I could go ahead, and there I was signing paperwork and arranging the adoption fees. A few days later I picked up Trainee

Police Dog Honey. Excitement hit me. A new challenge.

She started her training with me straight away, and gently, she had to learn to be comfortable jumping in the van and driving around all day. I took her to DogFest to meet the public - she was even filmed for Blue Peter.

We call this her environmental training, ensuring she’s confident in every situation and every location. We have her jumping on furniture, going up and down stairs, out in the dark, walking over different surfaces, jumping in and out of cars - all places she would be expected to search.

She has been brilliant; nothing phases her, other than stairs, she didn’t know how to go up the stairs when I got her, but she soon conquered that.

We’ve been playing with her Kong (large rubber ball reward) and tasking her to retrieve it when thrown. This then developed into throwing it into long grass and get her to search for it. Now I can hide the Kong anywhere and send her to find it. She loves this game. This is teaching her to use her nose rather than her eyes.

This week we have been working on reducing the size of the Kong and encouraging her to really use her nose to find it. When she does, she gets her full Kong reward. It’s great fun for Honey, and watching her develop makes me really happy. She’s so driven to play the game.

She is now nearly 10 months old. She will carry on with this kind of training until she is mature enough at 12 months old to start imprinting her on different odours. Then we will look at adding a different odour to the Kong so she learns to associate and recognises the scent, which then develops into no Kong being hidden.

Honey’s job is undecided at the moment. She might be a drugs, cash, firearms detection dog, just like Otis was, or she might be a digital media detection dog. I don’t mind what she does, I just can’t wait to work her on the streets. When she is ready to start training, the force will decide what skill is needed the most.

Honey has slotted into my pack brilliantly. She loves Jax, and adores Otis. She buddies up with Otis in the kennel and they all get along really well, which makes my life easier. I’m hoping that soon enough Honey can drop the Trainee part and will be a successful, licensed police dog.

Otis is enjoying retirement. He enjoys snoozing on the sofa and trotting around the park, but still wants to be out in his kennel with the pack in the evening. Otis has been signed up to the Thin Blue Paw foundation who support retired police dogs in their later life.

Jax is doing just fine. We’ve had lots of operational success and we’ve also had a year anniversary of licensing. We are looking forward to a dedicated relicensing training week next week. Fingers crossed for the training ahead.