Hear that barking in Essex? The history of the Essex Police Dog Unit is a colorful one, and proves a point that I have been making in other articles: you will get greater results with your dog when you use love and kindness than when you are strict and unyielding to their individuality.
The Essex unit started in 1953 with only two dogs: a Doberman named Remoh, and a German Shepherd named Senta. The Essex Dog Unit made their first arrest in 1955, sharing a single van.
Today the Essex Dog Unit is a growing wing of the police service with 42 dogs and a fleet of vehicles to get them around. The Unite rarely performs exhibitions any more. But back in the fifties, when it was just Remoh and Senta, the Essex dog Unit was renowned for their competition skills with both dogs finishing in the top ten in the Associated Sheep, Police and Army Dog Society trials.
Presently, the dogs are enrolled in a highly regimented training program, stay at a kennel, and do not take part in public exhibitions of their talent. When the Unit first started, the dogs lived at the home of their handlers. It was this personal touch that enabled these dogs to be champions.
It's kind of like a study that was done on rats, where they found that the rats who received "tactile physical stimulation" lived longer and more happily than the rats that were merely supplied with nourishment. "Tactile physical stimulation" is a fancy scientific term meaning love, cuddling, playing, tickling, and other forms of physical affection. Love is just as vital of a necessity as nourishment in living a long and happy life.
It is important to teach your dog that you are the master and reinforce the point often. But better to be a loving and compassionate master than a cold task master. That's the lesson we should take from the history of barking in Essex.
No comments:
Post a Comment