Lest Man Forget

by Barbara Andrews

According to CNN.com./Sci-Tech, thirteen new police officer/dog teams graduated from Lackland Air Force base December 21, 2001.  "When they leave here with an explosive detector dog, they now have the capability to save tens, hundreds, or thousands of lives, depending on how effective they are as a team when they get to the field," says Maj. John Probst, commander of the 341st Training Squadron at Lackland.

Major Probst turns out over 600 dogs for the Armed Services.  The dogs are trained in various specialties or combinations of expertise.  We live with dogs every day but how often do we really stop to think about their incredible capabilities?  Perhaps it is because we don’t want to be reminded of how fragile and ill-equipped we are to survive in today’s world.  Thousands of years ago, we two-legged mammals recognized the incredible instincts and physical abilities of canis lupus.  We may not have the dog’s keen sensory perceptions but we are pretty smart – we invited the wolf to share our campfire.

Today we seem to have forgotten why we invited them.  We coddle them, avoid stressing them, and most pets receive very little mental or physical stimulation.  We have so many electronic marvels that the average human doesn’t ever think about what dogs can do.  Until there is a disaster or a child is lost or we see a Guide Dog leading a blind person through life. 

Go to the inner city and tell teenagers that dogs have 20-40 times more receptor cells in their nasal cavities than humans and they won’t believe you.  Tell them that dogs can smell a hamburger three blocks away through traffic, exhaust, people, perfume, and cigarette smoke and you’ve got them thinking.  If you tell them that a bomb-sniffing dog is hundreds of times more effective than the best machine, they will look puzzled because they don’t watch news programs but they “think they heard it somewhere.”  That is how much mankind has lost touch with his best ally and strongest partner in the animal world.

You know these things because you love dogs.  You probably watch Animal Planet and Discovery.  You come here.  You are informed.  But look around you.  Here’s a challenge.  Go to a local Obedience class and observe.  The dogs are worked in short segments, and are given frequent “breaks.”  Ask yourself why those dogs are so undependable and, okay, brainless and uncooperative.  Then think about this quote from the CNN story.  “Most working dogs can put in about a six-hour day before they get tired or disinterested. During training at Lackland, their working hours are about 6 a.m. to noon. To keep a dog effective, say veteran trainers, it's important that they look at their "assignments" as both challenging and fun.”

Nowadays many trainers use food.  What happens when a hunter is in the field or a herdsman or shepherd is working his dogs from a distance of over a half-mile?  Ask the guys at Lackland Air Force Base.  They said “The rewards are simple: A loud "good boy!" or "good girl!" combined with some rough and tumble petting, and the ever-present hard chew toy known as a Kong.”

And one trainer summed it up when asked who's easier to work with, the two or four-legged students?  "Definitely the dogs," says Svitanek." People all have opinions ... the dogs don't."

Take your dog out for a walk.  Ask him to do something.  Give him a job.  He’ll give you his life.

Copyright © 2001 Barbara J. Andrews.  All rights reserved.  Except for brief reference quotations with source provided, no portions thereof may be stored or reprinted in any  form, electronic or otherwise, without prior express written consent of Barbara J. Andrews.