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Aboriginal Cadet 003
Update from Maire
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Hello everyone! Recently, I went on a ride along with one of the Dog Squad members, esteemed Constable Sandra Glendinning. I was hesitant at first to meet her fellow canine sidekick, Hondo, fearing my arm would be torn off but Hondo is of the sweetest nature. Although these dogs are trained to literally mutilate human flesh, they are the most obedient dogs due to extreme consistent training and the direction of their owners. Sandra was very welcoming from the beginning of my first and only Dog Squad shift, and I greatly enjoyed those few hours getting to know her and Hondo.
The night began with a theft at a coffee shop in District 2, where the suspect stole bags of coffee then hid in the residential area behind the store. We circled the surrounding blocks several times, and as we did, Hondo became excited. Sandra told me though she wouldn't let him loose because if he did not sense the suspect, Hondo may go after anyone and at the scene there were several neighbours standing by. If it had been the wee hours of the morning, she would let him go since everyone would be sleeping and Hondo would catch the suspect more easily. After a few minutes, we spotted the suspect racing across a street, through the side of a house and enter the alley. Sandra turned so fast around the block into the alley to stop the suspect. An officer chasing on foot caught the suspect and had him in handcuffs fast. Sandra let Hondo out on his leash, and the dog went mad barking, hoping to make the first catch of the day.
The rest of the night was quiet so Sandra taught me about "tracking". Tracking is training a dog to track a suspect or even missing persons based on scent. Dogs follow a trail of scent with their noses close to the ground and pick up the scent of the path the suspect has taken. Human scent can linger in the air for an hour so if the dog gets on the scene quickly, they track faster and efficiently. I was instructed to run a course around a one block radius, scuffing my footsteps into boulevard grass, sidewalk, and front yards. While walking around the block, I wore a wear-and-tear dummy arm that the VPD dogs train with. I hid the arm at the end of the course amongst some bushes. Once Hondo discovered my improvised trail, he went wild. It was a challenge for Sandra and me just to keep up with Hondo as he was on the scent and was wild with excitement. And at the end of this successful track, a treat awaited this smart dog!
I owe many thanks to Sandra for having me ride along with her and Hondo. It was one of my favourite experiences this summer. I will be graduating from the program in a few weeks so I will have one last update in September. Stay tuned!
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