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Ranger comes out a winner
Published 12:00am Tuesday, September 5, 2006The dogs are tested on skills they use on the job, such as finding a person by scent, article search (finding two articles hidden in tall grass), obedience, agility (obstacle course), aprehension exercise (the bite work area of the training), false start (off leash, shows dog only goes by your command). &8220;You have to show that you don&8217;t have a lion on a leash, you have a well-trained, well-controlled instrument,&8221; he said. Although the event is mandatory for certification, the competition aspect is secondary. First, second and third place is awarded for each event. &8220;It&8217;s taking the dog&8217;s natural drive to achieve the results you want,&8221; said Eldien. &8220;The dogs just love what they do because it&8217;s what they&8217;re born to do. I have to make sure I have control over my dog even when it&8217;s in an excitable state.&8221; Police dogs do not work the way it is portrayed on television, Eldien said, &8220;where you let the dog sniff an article belonging to someone and they find the person. Police dogs are trained to locate the hottest, freshest scent. A lot of the things we get called to, there is no end of the trail. If the dog does not locate a person, it can at least find information, such as where to go.&8221; While the Fergus Falls Police Department will respond to mutual aid, Ranger will not be loaned out. Otter Tail County has two canines.
