No dog’s life this: canines gear up to join police force

A bunch of puppies are currently undergoing training at the Kerala Police Academy in Thrissur. In a few months’ time, the dogs will be part of a force of expert sniffers and trackers of the dog squads stationed across Kerala.

Kochi police too has two of its Labrador Retriever pups – Milla and Bella – training at the academy. After nine months of training the two puppies, about five months old now, will become expert sniffers and trackers capable of assisting the police in the toughest of missions.

“Sniffers are mostly used to check for explosives before VIP visits. Trackers assist the police in cases of theft. Both types of dogs have specialized training for each,” said sub-inspector Babu Roy. The training period is also a time for the dogs to get close to the police officers who handle them.

The Kochi city police’s dog squad, based at Tripunithura, currently has a Labrador Retriever, a sniffer, and a Doberman Pinscher, which is a tracker. Milla and Bella will the join the squad with these experienced hands once their training is complete.

“The Labrador Retriever and the Doberman Pinscher are breeds that have been developed specifically for police work. The Labrador is preferred over the Doberman for routine police work as it is a more sustainable breed. It’s very intelligent and responds well to training,” said Francis Xavier, professor at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University.

Dobermans are preferred for combing operations in forest areas as they are long-limbed and their dark fur camouflage them well in the forest, unlike the Labrador, which most often has light fur. Dr. Xavier, who is a consultant for the police, said Indian breeds such as Rajapalayam dogs could also be perfect for police work here. “The tribal people here all use local dogs as trackers. The police could also think of using them in the force,” he said.

The dogs are picked for the police force after carefully evaluating their intelligence, behaviour, and physical attributes. “They are just like human beings. Some are timid, while some are aggressive. They mirror the behaviour of people handling them and also experience trauma just like police officers,” Dr. Xavier said.