The Kandy Police Kennels

The Kandy Police Kennels, are the first and only place in Sri Lanka where dogs are trained to help the police and other security forces to catch criminals, sniff out illegal drugs and explosives as well as to protect important people and dignitaries - basically to do jobs that human beings can’t do during certain investigations.

WHEN WAS IT STARTED?

The first Police Kennels were started in Colombo in 1948. The first dogs to be trained and used in criminal investigations were two German Shepherds called Rex and Sheba and were trained by two officers called Armstrong and Burgess.

Because the climate was too hot for the dogs and there was a chance of them getting sick in that type of weather, the Kennels were moved to Kandy in 1949. Another reason for the move was because the dogs could be closer to the Veterinary Faculty of Peradeniya, the only place at the time the dogs could be brought for treatment if they were sick.

As time passed and responsibilities grew, more dogs were added to the service. Over the last 70 years hundreds of dogs have been trained to assist the Sri Lankan Police, Army and Navy with their work.

WHAT ARE THE DOGS TRAINED FOR?

An official Police dog belongs to a fourpart team in the Police Force, along with the Forensics Science Team and the Fingerprint Team that helps solve a crime.

They also are trained to help the Navy in search and rescue operations, help authorities at the Airport and the Shipping Port, as well as help officers in the Special Task Force (STF).

A dog’s sense of smell is 40 times stronger than a human, and this special gift helps them to: Track criminals

Help to find lost people

Detect illegal drugs (also called narcotics) and alcohol

Detect illegal explosives and weapons Protect VIPS (like the President and the Prime Minister) and vulnerable property among many other things

WHAT TYPES OF DOGS ARE PICKED FOR TRAINING?

Only certain pedigree breeds of dogs, like the German Shepherd, Belgian Malanois and the Labrador Retriever are picked for official Police dog training because, they are far more obedient, intelligent and easier to train than other dogs.

But not every pedigree dog can be trained for official work. The trainers look for certain standards in the dogs before they are chosen. According to the Police out of 20 pedigree dogs that are brought for testing, sometimes only five are chosen for further training.

The dogs also have to be between the ages of nine months to one year to be chosen for training.

WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS THE TRAINERS LOOK FOR IN A DOG?

Every dog belongs to one category or group out of seven identified categories of dogs and is also born with certain characteristics known as Drives.

Out of the seven categories, trainers prefer dogs that belong to the Worker Group like the Rottweiler and the German Shepherd as well as the Alaskan Malamut, along with those who belong to the Herding Group like the Border Collie and the Australian Sheep dog. Dogs of the Toy and Terrier Groups are also picked, but to be used in the Police Dog Shows.

After the dogs are picked from the appropriate categories, the trainers then go onto test to see if the dogs have the correct Drives they are looking for:

The dog’s mentality is checked by how he reacts in a crowd. If the dog is disturbed or afraid he is not a good choice for Police work.

How does he react to noise? Is he quick to respond or is he afraid of the noise? When a challenge is set before him how does he react? Does he use the shortest possible route or way to complete the challenge?

Is he good at retrieving things? Like catching a ball when it’s thrown?

If the dog manages to complete all these tests positively, then he becomes an official police dog and is ready for his training. Now it’s time to find a master or a handler.

WHAT IS THE TRAINING PROCESS LIKE

Each dog has only one handler (the person who will train him) and become familiar with him sometimes, for a lifetime.

Anyone within the Police Department can join the Police Dog Unit to become a handler after going through an interview.

At the Interview, the would-be handler is checked for his voice. It is very important to have a str voice, because the dog is mainly trained through voice commands.

A few tests are also done to see if the would-be handler has a connection with the dog. It is important that a handler builds a bond with the animal, or else the dog will not be keen to obey his master and listen to his commands.

The dog is never hit or abused or scared in any way in order to train them. Care, the right attention, and voice and hand commands are the only ways to get a dog to listen to instructions and follow them, making him able to do his job well till the end of his life.

If the interview is successful, the new hanndler is given 21 days with his dog, and is monitored to see if he is able to keep his animal, happy, fed and clean.

It is after this time that the dog and the handler are sent for training for the next three months, after which they begin work in either or all of the fields of narcotics, explosives and crime.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A TRAINEE DOG

Quite early in the morning, handlers visit the kennels the dogs are kept in and the dog is checked thoroughly to see if he is well and able to handle the day’s demands. If there is any sign of illness, the dog is then taken to the in-house vet for treatment.

The dog has his morning meal and then spends an hour exercising and bonding with his handler. . From morning to afternoon the dogs go onto work on their special training.

In the evening, comes the grooming session, where the dogs are brushed, searched for any wounds and ticks, their nails are trimmed and their ears and teeth are cleaned. This not only ensures that the dog is clean and looked after well, but also increases the bond between its handler and him.

THE DOG SHOWS AT THE KANDY POLICE KENNELS

The Dog Shows were begun by the Kennels to develop a good police-public relationship.

At the Dog Show, you will get to see the dogs jump through fire hurdles, balance water glasses on their heads and navigate through various obstacles.

Any school could arrange a dog show by contacting the Police Department.

The Police Kennels are a good example of how animals are important to humans, and how well they can work together, and also, how important it is to treat animals kindly and look after them well to create a bond.

BREEDS AT THE POLICE KENNELS AND WHAT THEY ARE USED FOR

Alaskan Malamut – Used as a tracker dog Doberman Pinscher – Used as a tracker dog German Sheperd – Used in crime, narcotic and explosives investigations

Belgian Malinois – Used in crime, narcotic and explosives investigations

Golden Retriever – Used in narcotic and explosives investigations

Labrador Retriever – Used in narcotic and explosives investigations

Cocker Spaniel – Used in narcotic and explosives investigations

Bull Mastiff – Used as a guard dog Rottweiler – Used as a guard dog and in explosives investigations

Dalmatian – Used in explosives investigations Australian Sheep dog – Used in explosives investigations

Terriers – Used for Dog Shows

HOW DOES A DOG’S NOSE WORK?

A dog has close to 330 million cells devoted to smelling while humans just have 6 million. While we smell a ‘Fried Rice’ a dog is able to smell all the ingredients in the fried rice. Dogs’ noses are so powerful they can detect one tablespoon of sugar in the amount of water it would take to fill two Olympicsized swimming pools!

So when it comes to doing police work, a dog can easily track down a person or object that they are given a hint of (like a object of clothing the person was wearing etc.)

When it comes to tracking down a specific human being, a dog is capable of doing it because of something a human secretes – a particular scent called Pheromones. A Pheromone is like a fingerprint, not one person’s Pheromone is similar to another. This makes it very easy for the dog to identify the particular person they are asked to look for.