16/07/2025
Photo of my dog Rauk arresting the criminal as the gun smoke blew around him.
I thought you might like to know what was involved in the British Police and services canine association dog of the year competition.
I know the people attending or have attended my classes will enjoy reading this as they know how much work goes into achieving this standard.
Obedience
right turns
left turns
about turns
slow pace
fast pace
leave dog in a stay
walk off about 10 meters
Command dog from that distance
sit
Down
stand
Bark on command
Stop barking on command.
You are marked down for anything that has more than one command.
No voice and hand signals it had to be one or the other or they would mark you down as using two commands.
Retrieve
Adjudicator throws dogs article generally a ball or dumbbell.
Tells you when to send your dog , when he returns into a present in front of you, dog must hold article until adjudicator tells you to take it off him, dog must release immediately he is told.
Criminal arrest.
1. Criminal runs off, warning given twice , dog is released. Dog must run and hold the criminal with no hesitation, come off on command dog is put into a down to watch the criminal while the handler searches the criminal for any weapons, dog called back to heel and es**rt criminal back at the handlers side.
2 Two criminals run off, warning given twice,
Once the dog is released one criminal stops the dog must go past the criminal that has stopped and go on to detain the second criminal.
Handler goes on and arrest the first criminal and es**rt him back and then go to attend to the second criminal who the dog is still detaining, dog must come off on command and es**rt criminal back at handlers side.
3 Criminal runs off with a bag, warning given twice then as the dog is in pursuit he throws bag away, dog must ignore bag and go on to arrest running man then when handler arrives dog comes off on command and es**rts criminal at handlers side.
4 Criminal runs off, he has a gun, he starts shooting dog is released immediately.
Dog must pursue and detain with no hesitation.
While the dog is biting the sleeve the gun is fired again dog must keep hold of the criminal until the handler arrives and tells the criminal to throw down the weapon and move away from it , once this is done dog is commanded to come off and he comes back to the handler who is some distance from the criminal. Dog is left in a down position while handler picks up the weapon never breaking the dog’s line of sight to the criminal in case he attacks the handler.
Dog is commanded back to handlers side and criminal is es**rted back.
My heart is beating faster just writing this.
Agility.
I chose to run with Rauk my fabulous German Shepherd as he did this and he was great and got a stranding ovation.
What a blast remembering all this as if I was back on that field at Newbold Revel HMPPS training college.
