Since many years, members of the SWAT of the State Police of Vaud tried to involve dogs into exercises to know up to what point could they be engaged in certain of their missions to assist the Team. The effectiveness use of a police dog in well targeted SWAT missions is not any more to be proven.
However, in almost every try, recurring problems due to the standard training of our police dogs appeared. Often, our dogs did not learn to remain absolutely silent and quiet, this on long time, in statics position or on approaching a target (with or without entering in action). This is an incompatibility with the missions assumed by the SWAT. For example, the current training of our canines implies that the dog has to bark the suspect he discovered as far as he does not move. This attitude offers an opportunity to the suspect to use various weapons (fire arms, knives). This behavior is conditioned since the youngest age our dogs. So, it's very difficult to modify it later without risking to destabilizing the dog and his performance. That's the reason why the K-9 Unit of the State Police of Vaud decided to react and to train a dog especially to assist the SWAT. A SWAT enforcement dog.
End 2005, the concept was accepted eather by the hierarchy and the SWAT. This concept was to train a new young dog to be able as well to support the SWAT and his missions and also to do his work as a regular police dog (tracking, searching for evidences, ...)
|
Early 2006, after strict and rigorous selections, Cedric found the right breeding in France, the breeding of "Les Loups Mutins". Breeding owners had been informed of the special conditions we expected from the dog and to what kind of missions he was destinated. K-9 Bud was born July 1st 2006. |
This job needs also a special instruction for the K-9 handler. That's the reason why, before starting to work wiht his young dog, the K-9 officer is sent to the SWAT recruitment course (2 weeks). If he makes a success of the examination, he will be allowed to go forward into the SWAT enforcement dog training.
This is a very important step to be accepted by the other members of the team.
The training of the young dog begins traditionally, as any police dog, from the age of 2 and a half months with tracking, socialization, obedience and defense (see "Basic K9"). Twice a month, the K-9 tandem participates gradually to the SWAT trainings, according to his progress (socialization to the group - bitting - discovery - shooting - explosive - etc.). What it very important is to always and in any situations work into the calm and the quiet.
The essential conditions required for a SWAT enforcement dog are to remain quiet in all the situations, to be powerful in defense and to have a good intuition. It is also imperative that the tandem knows how to become integrated and be accepted within the group of intervention. Bud, today 20-month-old, should be operational before some months.
