CAR dog squad in Bengaluru gets a Belgian upgrade

A file photo of Belgian Malinois being trained in Bhopal.

Those buying and selling contraband should watch out for a new addition to the dog squad of the City Armed Reserve (South). A week ago, the CAR inducted two Belgian Malinois into the dog squad — a first for the State.

The breed is used by the police in other countries, including the United States, and by bigger agencies such as the Boarder Security Force, and they often help crack a lot of cases, said senior officials.

“We wanted to see if they can give similar results here. So, we have got two dogs on a pilot basis. After undergoing training for six to nine months, they will be assigned to various jobs by the narcotics and criminal investigation teams,” said Ningareddy Patil, inspector, who oversees the dog squad in Bengaluru.

The dogs, which are three and a half months old, will undergo rigorous training for specialised functions such as bomb detection, contraband detection, and crime scene investigation. The first lesson will be basic obedience. By age one, they will learn to obey the commands of the handler and will be assigned to a squad.

The squad already has other breeds such as Labrador, Doberman and German Shepherd, but the addition of Belgian Malinois, which is similar to the German Shepherd in appearance, is expected to help the narcotics and bomb squads especially.

What makes the Belgian Malinois a preferred police dog is its great sniffing power. It is also alert to its surroundings and quick to react. When trained, the dog, which has a perfect sense of scent, can detect drugs and bombs better than the German Shepherd, said Deputy Commissioner of Police of CAR (South) Siddaraju, who is in charge of the 60-member canine squad in Bengaluru.

The Belgian Malinois is also leaner than the German Shepherd, making it more agile. “This breed is easier to control and train. It is also very loyal to its owner. Once it bonds with the handler, it always protects him,” Mr. Siddaraju said.

CAR (South) will invest in more Belgian Malinois once the abilities of the two dogs are proven, officials said.