The
Continuing Story of Chloe and Chief
The
Next Generation Police Dogs
Senior Constable Rob Burton
Victoria Police Dog Squad
(June 2003)
 A lot has transpired since our last report to members of the German Shepherd Dog Club of Victoria Inc., on the progress of potential future Police Dogs
Chief and Chloe. I would like to apologise to all the readers for the delay in submitting this update report, but as mentioned in the earlier report, the last eighteen months have been very busy for the Victoria Police Dog Squad.
Chief and Chloe as previously reported were issued to civilian puppy walkers at eight weeks of age. One civilian, Jim, was an experienced police puppy walker of some five years experience, while the other, Jan, was an inexperienced sixteen year old girl still living at home with her parents.
Prior to departure from the puppy compound at the Melbourne based Dog Training Centre, both pups were wormed with Drontal Puppy Wormer, bathed, and had collars placed on them.
Puppy walkers for the Victoria Police Dog Squad are issued with the following equipment for the care of their respective dog:
Adjustable collar
Victoria Police Dog Squad name tag
Stainless steel food bowl
Nylon puppy lead
Leather walking lead
Check chain
Metal comb
Grooming brush
Bag of re-hydratable puppy food (about 10 kg’s or enough to last the puppy until it is twelve weeks of age)
Bag “older” puppy food, for supply between twelve weeks to fifteen months of age, when it is fed adult dry food.
Walkers must provide a safe and secure environment for the pup, along with a kennel and run.
All our walkers are given instructions/and or rules they are accountable for implementing and must be aware, of the physical and mental well being of the dog. I think you will agree that if these two areas are embraced fittingly, the walker will have every opportunity of raising the dog successfully. If these areas are not covered correctly, it does not matter how good the dog is it will not succeed. I deem that the welfare of the dog is of the prime importance. It is essential to note here that the walker and his family must get pleasure from the pup. In turn, the pup must be a pleasure to have around.
I consider that it is prudent to issue the puppies when we have a litter of two, one puppy to an experienced walker and the other to a less experienced walker. In this way we can obtain a far greater picture and perspective with regards to our walkers. It is attune to the training of dogs either professionally or as a hobby; we are always endeavouring to find new and better ways to train.
This in turn informs us, at the Victoria Police Dog Squad, areas where we can improve with regards to the careful selection of Police Puppy Walkers and the “correct” training and raising of our dogs. The direction in the way our pups are bought up must be to the exacting benchmark that we so rigorously demand not only of our puppy walkers, but also of ourselves.
After implementing all the preliminaries, both pups were placed in the rear of the Police Car and their journey to hopefully becoming Police Dogs had advanced one step closer.
I attended at the home of our experienced walker, Jim, and issued him with Chief. The excitement shown by both Jim and his wife had to be seen to be believed. Both were ecstatic (rightly so)!
I explained that at this early age Chief has shown a vigorous interest in playing and chewing everything put his way. Jim was to continue this game play with
Chief, without going overboard, and play with the puppy when he wanted to play rather than when Jim and family thought it is time to play. The play sessions were to be short and should always stop before the pup got bored and tired of the game. Jim had to ensure that the pup was enjoying the game, as this is the most important ingredient to the play activity of the pup.
I left Jim after departing with the final words of wisdom, that “keen observation is the key to making a successful puppy walker.”
I then conveyed Chloe to her new carer a sixteen year old female, Jen, again the family were overjoyed, all rules and regulations were given and I then left the family to enjoy her.
One day after the issue of the pups, a phone call was made to both walkers concerned to see how and if the pups had settled during their first night.
Chief seemed to be a pup in a million, he was somewhat different when domiciled in the kennel for the night, and was not heard of until 0600 hours the following morning. A pity this could not be said for
Chloe, who howled all night and did not settle down until the family were ready for school and work, when of course,
Chloe wanted to play.
After anxiously waiting for two weeks, I visited both puppy walkers to resolve any queries that they may have had, and to make certain that both the physical and mental welfare of the respective pups was being looked after. At the completion of the visits both pups were wormed with Drontel and they appeared to be well adjusted.
At twelve weeks of age, I visited both pups, the object of the visit was to worm the pups, with Drontel and commence their respective course of Heartguard. At the Squad, we previously gave the dogs a monthly Heartguard tablet, we now inoculate yearly our dogs, which is easier, cheaper, and we are less likely to forget. Both pups were inoculated with C5.
I conveyed both pups and walkers in the Police Car to the local shopping centres, where I assessed the pups with regard to sights and sounds that they may encounter in their future working life. It was gratifying to say the least, both pups were well socialised at this early stage of their development. They were confident, bold and willing to please during the duration of the walk, which was for some 20 minutes. Both were a hit with all shoppers and a lot of the assessment time was stopping, for the pups to be patted. A fantastic exercise in itself (there is no cuter puppy than a German Shepherd?)
I was telephoned at home by Jim when Chief was fourteen weeks, he was concerned that
Chief's left ear was not as strong as his right, I explained that Chief was teething and that this was usually a normal practice. We would however monitor the ear and Jim was to note this in the puppy assessment booklet issued to him. These assessment sheets are distributed to each walker to note all activities, play behaviour, etc and I then correlate this information with what I see when I visit the pup. This information is made use of when assessing the dog’s propensity to become a Police Dog.
Pups were visited twice and there were no apparent problems, with the mental side to both pups, but both pups ears were of a concern, it was becoming evident to me, that not only was
Chief's ear not coming up, but also Chloe was experiencing a similar disability.
Plan A was then put into action; both pups were now aged twenty-weeks and were loosing most of their deciduous teeth, which in turn were being replaced by their permanent teeth. Breeding history has shown the Victoria Police that teething in the young dog can last for several more months and in some cases dogs have been known not to get their permanent teeth up till nine months of age.
It has been my recollection in past litters bred by me that most if not all dogs have had their ears up at about four to five months of age, although this is an individual feature and as such is not predictable.
Both dogs were transported to our vet, who performed a thorough examination of the ears of both pups internally and externally, he suggested that this was an inherited genetic fault, as there was no physiological problems associated with either dog. I retraced pedigrees, for several generations, to no avail.
Plans B & C was then put into action; for two weeks both walkers would massage the base of the ears of their respective charges. This would in turn increase the blood flow, which would in turn "Get the ear up".
Over time there have been many treatments, remedies some have worked some have not. When I first became a Victoria Police Dog Handler, Kath Chapman from the Kamarn Breeders Foundation, was widely acknowledged as the “ear woman” and had numerous successes with her method. I sought consultation with our veterinary surgeon and he agreed in principle we could attempt this procedure, but he thought the ears would in no way respond.
Kath had previously shown me what to do and using a well-known brand of self-adhesive innersole and some ingenuity, the dogs’ ears were taped. I so desperately hoped that this would be the answer.
During this concentrated period of waiting, life must go on, it can be so disheartening for both the walker and myself when things are not going as you propose. The time and effort in the raising of a young dog wether it is for work or pleasure is immeasurable, both dogs were responding quite nicely.
Chief's retrieve and play behaviour was between good and very good, he was bold, inquisitive, outgoing and had a very strong bond with Jim.
Chief was ready to commence tracking.
Chloe's retrieve and play behaviour was judged to be fair to good, she was attentive and played well at home, but she suffered a lack of concentration and attentiveness when away from her home. People in the street and other animals effortlessly distracted
Chloe. When it became playtime at the local park she was more interested in her surrounds than the task at hand, not a good sign for a Police Dog. I was assured by Jan that she had regularly exercised and socialised
Chloe in all areas and had played with Chloe in these respective areas. Measures were put into place to endeavour to overcome these inadequacies. Inadequacies, that could prevent
Chloe from developing into a working Police Dog.
At the end of the sixth month, upon examination, both pups’ ears had not progressed, even though I thought there might be some hope, I again attended our veterinary surgeon for a consultation and as I already knew, neither dogs’ ear was going to come up. A problem experienced (at least once) by every breeder. I suppose we all live in hope.
Both Jim and Jan were visited by myself and were informed that because of the disability with the dogs’ ears they would not be considered for future work as a police dog.
Loving homes were then found for both Chief and Chloe, as their disability would neither enhance the German Shepherd breed, nor be conducive to a police dog that must look the part. Both dogs were
de-sexed prior to placement in their new homes.
While Jim now has another pup, Jan decided that the work involved in the rearing of a potential Police pup was too great a task and would interfere with both her studies and busy social life, and has since left the program.
Till next time.
Senior Constable Rob Burton
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