Halton police K9 unit welcome Arrow

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Police officers aren’t the only members of the force that go through rigorous schooling before putting on the badge. The Halton police K9 unit has welcomed it’s newest trainee, and today our Phil Perkins joined Arrow’ on one of his first training sessions.

Just two weeks ago, Arrow travelled over 6 500 km from the Czech Republic to Country Heritage Farm in Milton.

But before the 14 month old German Sheppard roams Halton region, he needs to learn a thing or two.

“We are still doing foundational work on him, we’re increasing his motivation to hunt.” says head dog trainer of the Halton Police, Jeff Hopkins.

For now, all Arrow is hunting is this rubber ball on a rope.

“It’s week one and we’re giving him as much information so that he will respond with a behaviour that we’re trying to achieve.”

If Arrow demonstrates the right behaviours, he’ll graduate from playing fetch, to something a little more real world.

“If you start hiding that ball with people or drugs or explosives the dog will hunt for that ball and indicate where that ball is and in doing so will show you the person, drugs or explosives are.”

Halton police train at the Country Heritage Park and it’s great because they can simulate real life situations in the various buildings here. For instance, a tracking drill with tracker the dog.

“If we always use the same building he would get environmentally sound in that building but we wouldn’t know how he’d be able to transfer that behaviour to a new building.”

Every dog has his day, and perhaps in a couple months, Arrow could find himself alongside Halton’s finest.