Wray is top dog
Super sniffer has made 10 finds since year
“Wray is very hard-working, so once he goes on the job he gives a
150 per cent.”
Wray has been making loud barks across Jamaica, after aiding security forces in multiple drug busts. The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) super sniffer dog has made 10 drug detections since the start of the year.
The black Labrador is currently the longest-serving dog in the force, having joined in November 2009.
“Wray is an extremely old dog. He is 11 years old so he is in the prime of his career. He should have been retired years ago. We normally retire them at eight years old, but he doesn’t age and he is not hopping or showing signs that he is feeling pain,” chief canine trainer in the JCF, Gregory Ottar, told THE WEEKEND STAR. “He is still active so we don’t stop him from working because he will deteriorate quickly if he sees the other dogs going out and he is not.”
Ottar said that Wray is goal-oriented and is always focused on pleasing his teammate or handler. “Wray is very hard-working, so once he goes on the job he gives a 150 per cent.” This insatiable desire for Wray to do his best on the job is a representation of the sacred relationship built between man and dog in the force. “It is a friendship plus a partnership in the JCF, meaning man and dog have to be very good friends in order for them to grow. When the dog and handler are working, it is a 50-50 partnership,” Ottar said.
“The friendship is like they are best friends. From day one there is a part of the training call familiarisation, and that is how the partnership starts and the foundation is built,” he added.