The applicants obeyed commands with happily wagging tails. Theyjumped over mock fences and walls, and crawled under an obstacle andhunted out 'suspects.'
Their handlers took things pretty seriously, however, at theUnited States Police Canine Association certification trials forRegion 14, hosted by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office atWidefield High School.
Twelve teams sought certification at the event Saturday, comingfrom several cities along the Front Range, and Wyoming and Kansas.The dogs were a mix of German shepherds, Dutch shepherds and BelgianShepherd Malinois.
'We don't go looking for a particular breed,' said Mark Miller,an El Paso County sheriff's deputy who participated with his dog,Axel. Miller is the Region 14 president of the United States PoliceCanine Association. 'We just look for the best dog.'
Typically, law enforcement officers travel overseas to find thebest dogs, since dogs in the U.S. are often bred for size, whichsometimes mean slightly shorter lives because of health problems,Miller said.
The law enforcement dogs and handlers go through an eight-weektraining academy, and spend time working with an experienced pairbefore working on their own. Certification is a voluntary step.
Most handlers use positive praise training, and not treats,during training that never really stops.
'Humans are expected to retain their training,' Miller said. 'Youcan always train a dog.'
A dog stays with his or her handler every hour of every day, evenvacations if it is something like a camping trip to the Coloradohigh country.
'That bond is the most important thing,' Miller said.
El Paso County K-9 units receive free care from veterinarian BillPuryear at Faithful Friends Animal Hospital.
A lot more dog-handler teams attended the certification trials inthe past, Miller said. Budget cuts have taken a toll on lawenforcement K-9 units, in part because there are extra costs, hesaid.
However, a handler and dog can do the work of four officers,Miller said, saving time during searches.
'Canines are an essential tool in modern police work,' said JoeClingan, Nunn police chief and head judge for the trial. Simplyhaving a dog and a handler at a scene tends to improve thesituation, he said, since suspects are less sure about what a dogwill do.
Although some of the spectators had ties to law enforcement,others came just to watch the dogs with their handlers.
'It's interesting,' said Tonja Rayan of Colorado Springs. Shedropped by the trials because the company she works for makespecialized equipment for K-9 units around the world.
'When you're out and about, you don't think about how much the K-9s do for your community,' she said, adding that she planned toattend the second day of trials Sunday to see the bite work.
Dogs attached to law enforcement officers help with searchingbuildings for suspects, and finding evidence and drugs.
'They are hunters,' said Miller. 'They're just better at it thanwe are. We rely on our eyes too much.'
Many aspects of the work were on display as part of the trials.
Nancy Dement of Colorado Springs and her husband have raisedGerman shepherds and appreciate how well the dogs can be trained.
'This is one aspect of the breed we really like,' she said.
Although they have seen police dog demonstrations before, Dementsaid, the sessions were not as elaborate as the trials on Saturday.
She said she also enjoyed seeing the camaraderie between thehandlers and their dogs, and among the handlers.
Dave Galaway of Colorado Springs brought his four kids to watchthe trials, and the antics kept the kids smiling, giggling andcommenting.
'I love German shepherds,' said the his 6-year-old daughter.
Details
The United States Police Canine Association certification trialscontinue Sunday, Aug. 12, starting at 8 a.m. Bite work and otherchallenges are on the agenda. The trials are on the sports fieldsbehind Widefield High School, 615 Widefield Drive.
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