German Shepherds
– The Working German Shepherd Dog
German Shepherd dogs, also known as Alsatians, are one of the breeds of
dogs favored by police forces, search and rescue services (SARs) and
security forces, both for their scenting and tracking abilities as well
as their high levels of intelligence and use as working dogs. German
Shepherds are used for apprehending criminals, tracking lost people or
criminals, as well as locating drugs or other items such as bombs or
weapons. In the military, they're used as bomb sniffing dogs as well as
guard dogs.
German Shepherds that meet the personality
requirements for a SARs dog can begin training upon acceptance into the
training program. The programs look for dogs that are:
- Calm and relaxed
- Alert and responsive to the environment
- Non-aggressive
- Physically strong
- Healthy and sound (no movement problems)
- With a good sense of smell and ability to track
Some German Shepherds will naturally track scents
even prior to any training. SARs programs look for dogs that have a
natural ability to scent and track and then continue to build on the
dog’s natural talents. It's not important for a SARs dog to
be a purebred or even of a particular breed. German Shepherds make
excellent SARs dogs because they combine their above average ability to
track with their natural intelligence. They're also used because
they're physically strong enough to pull and push their way into debris
and even hiding areas where stranded people or criminals may be hiding.
SARs dogs are trained by professional trainers to
enhance their problem solving abilities and their ability to track, as
well as their obedience. German Shepherds used for tracking criminals
must be trained to both attack on command as well as to disengage from
the attack and simply hold or guard the offender until the officers
arrive. The dogs are taught how to bring down running criminals without
causing excessive damage to the person, and then to stand back and
guard until the police or handlers arrive.
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Scent training is completed with the dog
participating in a series of trainings that involve scent trails made
by the trainer. This involves having the dog smell an item of clothing
from the person that made the trail, then finding the trail and
tracking to find the person. The trainer teaches the dog to sniff
around the area in a pattern to locate the trail. Praise and
encouragement is given as the German Shepherd learns to track. Treats
and playing with a toy as well as lots of positive praise and attention
is used to reward the dogs. Even in real emergency situations the dogs
are praised and the handlers constantly talk to and reinforce the good
behavior and efforts of the dogs.
German Shepherds are trained to attack using
verbal and signal commands. The “offender” is
actually a police officer or handler dressed up in a special padded
suit to prevent any injury. As the German Shepherd becomes more
competent and obedient, the padding is gradually minimized to more
closely approximate a fleeing criminal. They're also trained to bark
and make noise when they are chasing or bringing a criminal down so
that the handlers and officers can get to the area and provide human
assistance to the dog.
German Shepherds are just one of the many breeds
used for SARs work. Dogs with tendencies for SARs services are usually
trained from a young age and are increasingly used as they mature and
learn the skills needed. If you have a SARs group in your area, plan to
attend one of the demonstrations that they provide and watch a German
Shepherd in action - you'll be amazed at their intelligence and
abilities.
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