A Day in the Life of a Police Dog
The Beginning
 The
GSDCV Website is beginning a series of articles tracking the
progress of a police dog; from mating to (hopefully) graduation. This is
the first article of the series. We hope that you find the journey both
enjoyable and educational.
Introduction
The year 2002 ensures the Victorian Police Dog Squad persists with its enthusiastic and expanding breeding program. It has been an intensely hectic first six months of the year with the inauguration at the squad of the Belgium Sheepdog Malinois [also known as the Groenendael in Belgium].
Five male Malinois were donated to the squad for evaluation, and have now been issued to existing Police Dog Handler’s, to assess their propensity to advance to becoming Police Dogs.
Currently we have one litter of German Shepherd Pups on the ground, and have procedures in plan for another three litters this year, one of these litters being Rottweilers.
We have not forgotten, nor will we ever disregard the German Shepherd Dog, and the vast inroads it has made to Police Dog work in general over the preceding twenty-seven years the Victorian Police Dog Squad has been in operation.
The Beginning
A consulting committee between the Officer in Charge of the Victorian Police Dog Squad, and affiliates of the training staff decided in an express mating linking, two of our operational German Shepherd Police Dogs.
They are Police Dog Oscar, who was whelped at the Victorian Police Dog Squad, Attwood on 30.1.1997, and Police bitch Tia, whelped at Attwood on 24.3. 2000 [Oscar and Tia have come from our breeding program].
Oscar was whelped and domiciled at Attwood for eight weeks, then issued to civilian puppy walkers for twelve months. This is not a fixed period of time, and can vary quite significantly, but as was the case with both Oscar and Tia, the period was twelve months.
Oscar was then allocated to Senior Constable Steve Evans, an experienced and accomplished Police Dog Handler. Consequently, following an intensive bonding phase, Steve and Oscar attended a General Purpose Police Dog Training Course, and Oscar qualified in July 1998. Oscar is not only a General-Purpose Police Dog used at scenes of crime, violence, and disorder, but is also once of five Siege Dog Teams in Victoria, who frequently attend violent confrontations with armed offenders. He has been exceedingly successful in this and all other facets of police dog work.
Tia was whelped at Attwood, where she was domiciled for eight weeks, and then walked by a civilian puppy walker. Tia was issued to Senior Constable Phil Collishaw, an experienced and veteran dog handler and member of the training staff. Phil and Tia underwent a course in explosive detection. Tis is used to detect explosives and explosive devices.
Both Oscar and Tia excel in their respective vocations. It was decided to utilise them for the object of breeding litter number DD, and with anticipation, their respective puppies to go on to progress into successful police dogs.
Oscar and Tia are what we adjudicate to be select “true to type” German Shepherds. Both have the compulsory attributes that we necessitate in an operational police dog. Both possess exceptional hip scores 00, elbows graded 1, and haemophilia free.
Matings were undertaken at the Police Dog Squad Training Centre on 23/5/02, and 25.5.02, and resulted in successful ties. It is anticipated Tia will whelp on 25.7.02. Five days prior to whelping, Tia is brought to the Police Dog Training Centre to facilitate her adjustment to her new environment, and in general relax and be indulged. During the time she is in residence in the whelping room, Tia is constantly monitored and exercised by members of the training staff. One member sleeps in the whelping room prior to and during whelping. Our veterinary surgeon is on call throughout this phase to afford support and treatment if and when required.
The GSDCV.Inc. Website will be following the progress of one of the pups throughout its career in the Police Dog Squad. A further article will follow once the pups are whelped.
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