Special friendship between police officer and police dog

"Each service dog has its own personality. The process of approaching, training, and using a dog must be methodical, creating closeness, trust, and viewing the dog as a close friend to be successful in training," shared Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Hoang Quan.

Officers and soldiers training service dogs on the training ground - Photo: DANH TRONG

On a winter morning, the northeast monsoon and drizzle made the air at the Center for Training and Use of Service Animals (under the Mobile Police Command, Ministry of Public Security ) even colder.

At 5am, Lieutenant Nguyen Hoang Quan (31 years old, from Vinh Phuc ) wakes up, does his personal hygiene, puts on his uniform, and quickly brings food to the kennel for Max - the service dog he is taking care of and training. He and his "four-legged friend" prepare together for a long day of training.

From fear to love of police dogs

Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Hoang Quan is an officer of the Service Animal Team, specializing in explosive detection. He started training and using service dogs at the beginning of 2021.

The 27-year-old police officer had never been exposed to a police dog before. He remembered being bitten by a dog as a child, which left him "haunted and very scared."

The first service dog he was assigned was a black and yellow German Shepherd, weighing 40kg, named Tom. According to regulations, the center assigned each soldier to take care of a dog, train it and perform tasks until the dog "ended its life".

On the first day he received the dog, Tom was aggressive, often growling and barking loudly when his owner approached. Tom's aggressive appearance and foul smell made the young officer "frown with fear". But the mission required that when the soldier received the dog, he had to get used to it within two days, regardless of whether the dog was fierce or gentle.

With the experience he learned, on the first day Quan let Tom starve. He then bought meat and pig liver, boiled them, brought them to the cage, stood close, and softly called "Tom, Tom..." to make friends. He gradually fed the dog small pieces of meat.

On the second day, Tom felt the sincere affection from his owner. The animal got used to his scent and voice, wagged its tail, and lay down to show friendliness. In the following days, every time he saw Quan, Tom happily "jumped up, hugged his shoulder, and stuck out his tongue to lick his cheek for a long time".

In addition to feeding and bathing, in his free time Quan often takes Tom for a walk around the training center to "cultivate friendship".

"It is not easy to get along with a service dog. It is a long process. The more impatient the owner is to get close, the more aggressive and defensive the dog becomes, leading to times when the dog bites without warning," said Senior Lieutenant Quan.

Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Hoang Quan with two police dogs Tom (left) and Max - Photo: NVCC

Caring for service dogs like family

At the beginning of training, Tom was sometimes "slow to understand". Many movements were taught over and over again for months without being able to do them, making him "tired" and stressed. Quan lost 3kg after many "sleepless nights" of worry.

Lieutenant Quan remembers that during this time, his wife gave birth to their first child in their hometown. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and his duty as a dog trainer, he was unable to return home to visit his wife and child.

During his days at the center, he often woke up early to take Tom to the training ground, using many methods and approaches to train him. It seemed that Tom understood his master's feelings, so he focused on completing the training exercises better.

After 6 months of hard work, Tom became a "soldier" with enough qualities and fighting skills. Tom followed his owner on missions as a matter of course.

"Each service dog has its own personality, so the process of approaching, training, and using them requires method, creativity, perseverance, and patience. The soldier must create closeness, trust, and consider the dog as a close friend to successfully train them," said Senior Lieutenant Quan.

In the fall of 2023, the weather turned humid. Shrimp showed signs of not eating and losing enthusiasm when practicing and doing tasks.

Shrimp sick.

Officer Quan worried day and night, taking care of Tom like a family member. He was always at the kennel to monitor the situation, buy more milk, and cook porridge for the dog. The unit was several dozen kilometers away from home, but on his days off he still stayed to take care of the dog.

To this day, Lieutenant Quan still remembers clearly the moment Tom looked up at him with wet eyes for the last time. Gently stroking the dog's head, he sobbed and said goodbye to his "four-legged friend". Tom had "completed his life" as a "special soldier".

Basic daily exercises of a service dog - Photo: DANH TRONG

"If you don't love animals, it's hard to stick with dogs or this job."

After the shock of losing Tom, now, Lieutenant Quan is accompanied by Max - a Belgian Malinois dog, weighing more than 30kg. He assessed Max as "playful, loves to explore but is very careful and responsible when working".

He increasingly "liked" his new friend, because "he was smart, agile, and always got good grades when doing difficult exercises". Max was always ready to rush into ruins, dangerous areas... to do his duty.

On the training ground in mid-December, Lieutenant Quan practiced hiding explosive samples in cars, and only searched for them every few days. However, when he was about 30-40 meters away, he gave the command to point in the direction of the car, and in a split second Max found the explosive sample.

Max joined him and successfully completed tasks such as ensuring event safety: General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping visited Vietnam; Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Vietnam...

According to Lieutenant Quan, to train a good police dog, in addition to professional skills, a soldier must also love animals, be patient, and be responsible. When training a dog, clothes and hair always have the characteristic odor of dogs. "If a police officer does not love animals, it will be difficult for him to stick with his police dog and his job."

After 4 years of training and using service dogs, now Lieutenant Quan is not only not afraid but also loves dogs like "close friends".

On December 15, 1959, the first training class for dog trainers and operators in Vietnam opened with 44 students.

After 65 years of construction, fighting and growing (December 15, 1959 - December 15, 2024), the Center for Training and Use of Service Animals has always been a specialized professional unit that contributes significantly to the fight against crime and ensuring national security.

The Center has been awarded many noble awards and medals by the Party, the State and the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security.

The main dog breeds used for training are German Shepherds, Belgian Shepherds, Spanish Cocker Spaniels, British Rottweilers and Labradors - Photo: DANH TRONG

Police training police dogs - Photo: DANH TRONG

A service dog broke its leg during training - Photo: DANH TRONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tinh-ban-dac-biet-giua-si-quan-canh-sat-va-chu-cho-nghiep-vu-2024121423245849.htm