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An Examination of the Skills and Characteristics of Successful Royal Canadian Mounted Police Dog Handlers
Insp. Lawrence D. Aimoe B.A. M.A.Ed.
Officer in Charge
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Police Dog Service Training Centre
2009-05-07
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- An Examination of the Skills and Characteristics of Successful RCMP Dog-Handlers
- Interviews Findings from Subject Matter Experts
- Physical Fitness
- Animal Compatibility
- Competencies
- Quarry and Selection
- Reflection, insights, and recommendations
- References
Introduction
Background Information
This study was undertaken to examine the skills and characteristics of successful Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Dog Handlers. The dog handling profession has existed in the RCMP prior to 1935 and is the longest standing and largest program of its kind in Canada. The historical growth of the Police Dog Service section of the RCMP stays constant at approximately 40% every decade. This growth requires that the RCMP make an investment in their employees and select persons for this duty on an annual basis. The economic cost of training a person in this profession is in the tens of thousands of dollars. The problem being examined is relevant to ensuring that the best candidate is selected for this type of training. In order to determine which person is the best candidate, we would have to determine a baseline as to what types of characteristics and skills are necessary. The purpose of this research is to examine what subject matter experts profess to be the imperative assets, skills, and knowledge of successful police dog handlers. A review of the relevant literature reveals that there almost a total absence of any valid research as it relates to the selection of humans for the purpose of police dog handling. The information that did exist provided little or no evidence to support recommendations made as to why we would choose one person over another. The field of selection of personnel for training purposes is not a prominent one in the field of Adult Education and thus provides little or no research in this area of study. The literature that was reviewed for the purpose of this investigative study was found in some text forms (Chapman, 1990; Grewe, 1989) but for the most part it was located in various journals (Personnel Psychology; International Journal of Selection and Assessment; Applied Psychology) and numerous internet sites (for example, www.met.police.uk, www.uspcak9.com, www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca).
Statement of Problem and Research Questions
My role in the study is related to my position as the Officer in Charge of the Police Dog Service Training Centre (PDSTC) in Innisfail, Alberta. PDSTC has four mandates that include:
- Training, re-training, re-teaming of all police dog handlers in Canada for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
- Acquisition/Disposition of all Police Service Dog resources nationally
- Annual Validation of all Police Dog teams in Canada
- Management of the RCMP Police Service Dog Breeding Program
The fundamental problem that is being examined is the selection process that is utilized to choose the human component for training in the police dog services training. The selection of the new handlers for the training program has been fraught with controversy since its inception. There is currently no national policy as to how selection of candidates occurs. The reasoning for this void of policy is relatively simple in that the Police Dog Services is a very small section of the RCMP. A total of approximately 160 Peace Officers comprise the Police Dog Services out of a total Peace Officer compliment of 16,000 sworn members. Thus the risk analysis aspect to the RCMP is only 1% of a liability to the organization as a whole. The selection of members for the section has consistently defaulted from National Staffing and Personnel to the Officer in Charge of the PDSTC. Thus, the problem to be addressed is to provide a defendable method of selecting personnel for the RCMP Police Dog Services. The research questions will include a variety of questions seeking the necessary qualities, traits, skills, and characteristics of persons who have been successful in the section. Success is defined as those who are deemed as subject matter experts by their peers. The subject matter experts (SME) have been deemed as such by a focus group comprised of senior provincial RCMP police dog service coordinators who are police dog service practitioners themselves. The definition provided by this focus group included the following:
- The person was a regular member of the RCMP and a sworn peace officer (a regular member of the RCMP is a federal peace officer that is armed and appointed by the RCMP Act federally as such).
- The person has been an RCMP Dog handler for a minimum of 10 years
- The person has trained and validated with 2 or more police service dogs
- The person has a diversity of experience including provincial policing, municipal policing, explosives training, narcotics training, airport policing, emergency response team duties, tactical troop training, avalanche search and rescue training, or police dog service training centre training as an RCMP dog handler.
The seniority list of the RCMP was examined and it was determined that there were a total of 59 regular members who qualified in terms of 10 years of service as a police dog service handler. Of this list, 10 did not meet the requirements as set out by the focus group and 2 were disqualified due to a reporting bias with the researcher. These considerations provided an available list of SMEs numbering 42. Of this total available group of 42, 35 were chosen for interview as SMEs.
The research questions (see attached Appendix A) were developed by me with input from a number of different sources as they were being created. The questions selected were solicited from credible sources including the members of the focus groups, professors, colleagues, and other subject matter experts in the field of police dog services. Other police dog handlers from other agencies internationally were consulted on the questions before the final set was determined. The primary interest of this research is to determine what type of characteristics, traits, and skills are necessary to be a successful police dog handler in the RCMP.
Purpose of Study
The purpose of the study is to examine what type of person is best suited for the duties of police service dog-handlers. There are skills, characteristics, and traits that attribute to the success of a police dog-handler and are imperative to the type of person selected for this duty. The primary purpose of this study is to examine some of these attributes and provide understanding as to why they are important and relevant to the profession. There are many reasons why this study is important from both a management perspective as well as meeting the expectations of the public of Canada. The financial resources provided by Canadians to train a potential dog-handler are in the tens of thousands of dollars. These resources are scarce and difficult to ascertain in the competitive nature of funding within the federal government of Canada as well as within the economic realities of the RCMP.
The funding aspect pales in comparison to the necessity to have the best person actually handling the police service dog. Failure to have the appropriate person as a police dog service handler could have devastating results which could lead to loss of life, inability to find evidence, lack of success in apprehending a criminal who poses a danger to Canadians. The literature examined prior to the commencement of this study indicates that the persons selected for this duty must be voluntary (Watson, 1963; Grewe, 1989), failure to have someone volunteer could lead to the appointment of people who are incompetent or un-interested in the duty. The literature supports this necessity as will be evident in the research findings. The secondary purpose includes providing data to support a defendable and transparent process for selecting the most suitable person for the police dog service duties.
Methodology for the Study
This qualitative study used a semi-structured interview to collect data based on the interview guide provided in Appendix A. Subject matter experts have provided their perspectives about a number of different issues, questions, and characteristics of RCMP Police Dog Handlers. Data collection methods also include my personal observation of successful Police Dog Handlers. The 35 participants of the study were selected from across Canada. The participants were randomly selected from a seniority list of police dog-handlers who met the subject matter expert criteria as defined by the focus group. I conducted semi-structured interviews in person with the exception of 2, which were done by teleconference. The interviews were done one on one usually at the home detachment area throughout Canada. I traveled from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia to meet with the subject matter experts. It might be noted that of all of the initial SMEs contacted, 100% of those asked agreed to participate voluntarily in the study. No one withdrew their participation or agreement to participate in the study. The SMEs were very interested in participating in a process that may contribute to the selection process as they are very passionate about their profession as will be demonstrated by their responses in the interviews.
The research methods utilized are qualitative in nature. This research used semi-structured interviews of a representative sample of subject matter experts. As noted, they were randomly chosen from the RCMP Police Dog Services. Other methods of data collection included a daily reflective journal and detailed field notes of my personal observations.
This qualitative methodology was believed to be the best way of capturing data from a group of subject matter experts in this field of policing. Personal interviews with this very passionate group of RCMP police dog-handlers enabled the researcher to probe the interviewee’s critical perspective on the issues being studied. The number of participants is quite small due to the small population size of this group but the 35 are more than a representative sample of the available population.
Scope of the Study
This research study adds to the limited literature in adult education on the actual selection process of candidates for training programs and their implementation. It is common sense that for any project or training program to be successful, you have to carefully select the candidates to be trained or the program is likely destined for failure. There is a necessity to facilitate the correct methodology for teaching any group of adults but it is imperative to ensure that you have the best group to train. This principle can be related to the way the selection board of St. Francis Xavier University makes its choices of persons who apply to the M.Ad.Ed program. I am sure when adult educators are called upon to assist industry, government, or non-governmental agencies in creating a training program; they have to consider the candidates as part of the overall needs assessment. The interesting aspect of this particular profession is that the candidates basically fit into the category that Houle (1961) defines as the goal oriented learners. This description speaks to those who continue their education to reach a particular goal. The reasons for individuals to pursue this goal will be evident as the research findings are discussed. The selection of candidates is imperative to the proper utilization of limited training dollars.
Limitations and Biases of the Research of the Project
The RCMP is unique in the world of police dog handling in that they permit their handlers to remain in the police dog services for most of their careers as long as they meet the minimal requirements necessary to work an active police service dog. As the investigator of this research, I do not believe that I would have received 100 per cent cooperation during this study had I not been involved directly in the police dog service world for some time. The professional dog-handlers are a very private group of people who exhibit a great passion for their work. They openly love their animals and have very strong loyalties to the police dog services and the silent pride that is very evident in their testimonials. Police officers in general are very guarded about their passions, concerns, and deep thoughts. Many police officer intellects have been shunned by regular members as they are quite often considered to be outsiders.
Had I attempted this type of investigation at the commencement of my tenure at PDSTC, I believe the participation rate would have been far less, if non-existent altogether. As the Officer in Charge of PDSTC, I hold a higher rank within the organization than any of the police members that I interviewed. I had many conversations with my learned colleagues about this concern in my research. It was clearly outlined in my Research Ethics Board application that none of the participants reported directly to me nor did I have any influence or impact on their careers. The participants in this study are a very proud group of individuals and their work is of great importance to them. As noted in earlier dialogue, there are only 150 police dog handlers in the RCMP, with only approximately 135 of them in active duty service working a police service dog. The remainder of the police dog handlers are administrative or in a training capacity. The second consideration that had to be taken into account is that I am a commissioned officer within the RCMP and there is a requirement for all non-commissioned ranks to refer to the rank formally on or off duty. This was another reason why I modified my approach in this research to ensure that I was not interviewing the participants while I was in uniform. It was also a reason why I attended the candidate’s home territory and why I asked the candidates to meet me at a location away from the RCMP formal setting. Thus, most of the interviews occurred in a restaurant setting or coffee house and I was in plain clothes rather than in uniform. It is also worth noting that most of the members being interviewed were close to the end of their service (m=28 years) as RCMP members can retire without penalty at 25 years of service. Most of the members would probably have less concern as to rank or stature of the investigator in the later part of their service and it is my opinion that they would not have participated if they had not wanted to. It is also a note that I made that the participants were very open and forthright with their comments and conveyed to the investigator that they were happy to have any say in who will follow in their footsteps in the RCMP police dog services.
On an additional note, a team of individuals led by myself has brought many positive changes to PDSTC and the police dog services over the last five years. This has led to the establishment of my credibility within this professional group. I believe that the members of the police dog services that were interviewed by me were somewhat honored by the fact that they were deemed as subject matter experts by their peers and also that they really wanted to participate to add to their own footprint being left on the police dog services. I have never been a professional dog-handler myself.
Assumptions and Expectations
I had planned on carrying out the research over the course of the summer of 2008 and completing it within a two month period. My original plan had called for me to have the research completed in 2007 but timelines kept being extended due to other life’s commitments. Once I had completed all tasks necessary to commence the research, I found that the time conducting the interviews was very pleasurable as I enjoy the contact with our dog-handlers. They are a very quiet group of men and women who are fiercely proud of their work but do so with little need for recognition or reward. It has come to my attention that this group of men and women should be celebrated much more than they are because they do not have a tendency to speak of their work outside their circle of closest friends and are even reserved with others within their chosen profession. I often refer to dog-handlers suffering from a syndrome that I affectionately labeled the “Lone Ranger Syndrome”. This “Syndrome” occurs when they ride into town, do their job, and then ride out without so much as a word to anyone. One example of such an occurrence happened in 2006, when a dog handler was involved in a criminal tracking event whereupon the dog-handler not only tracked a suspected drug dealer from the Canada/USA border but also saved his life in the process. The dog handler recovered in excess of one million dollars in cocaine, stopped an international drug smuggler after tracking him over 28 kilometers and then saved the man from hypothermia. The Commissioner of the RCMP was in a near-by major city and called for the dog handler to attend a media event to be an example of Canada’s commitment to border integrity. The dog handler refused the call of our Commissioner because he was called to another criminal event in his detachment area and it was more important to him to support his fellow RCMP members than to attend an event that he perceived to be of less importance. The Commissioner understood and carried on the media event without the dog-handler.
I assumed that the dog-handlers might be somewhat reluctant towards me for many of the same reasons listed above. I made careful plans to try and work my way into their schedules and I expected that the interviews would take a long time to plan and facilitate. I was very wrong on this assumption and found that the dog-handlers were more than accommodating to my request for interview. They were all very punctual at replying and their enthusiasm to participate was quite refreshing and very definite.
Definition of terms
- RCMP
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- PDSTC
- Police Dog Service Training Centre
- Canada’s national training centre for the RCMP Police Dog Service, established since 1935.
- RCMP PSD Breeding Program
- Police Service Dog Breeding Program that was established in 1999 and is currently supplying puppies to support the PDS program.
- Post
- A post is a place where a regular member has been stationed to perform their duties.
- Dog-handler
- A term referring to members of the RCMP who perform the duties of a police dog handler.
- Regular member
- A term referring to a sworn peace officer employed by the RCMP. A regular member is armed and is considered a peace officer anywhere in Canada.
- Commissioned Officer
- A regular member of the RCMP that has received a commission as an officer by Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
- OIC
- Officer in Charge
- PSD
- Police Service Dog
- Quarry
- This refers to a regular member of the RCMP that is working to become an RCMP police dog-handler.
- Imprinter
- A regular member of the RCMP who has been a quarry and has been trained in the imprinting course to raise puppies as potential police service dogs.
- PPSD
- Potential Police Service Dog
- PARE
- Physical Abilities Requirement Exam which is a four-minute 100 percent maximum physical testing designed for regular members of the RCMP.
- DOG PARE
- Physical Abilities Requirements Exam which is a nine-minute test specifically designed to test the physical capabilities of a potential dog-handler.
- Potential dog-handler
- Is either a quarry or imprinter.
Plan of Presentation
I will expand on this presentation by laying out how this project came to be beyond what has been explained thus far. The basic thoughts behind this study were to try and establish a consistent and transparent methodology as to how the RCMP selects its dog-handlers. I have been the Officer in Charge (OIC) of PDSTC since August of 2003 and have seen the process change several times during my tenure. The difficulty with the selection process is that no group within the RCMP has claimed ownership of this process and as indicated earlier in this report the requirement seems to fall back on the office of the OIC PDSTC. I will explain how I came to choose the interview process and defend the reasons for this manner of data collection. I will discuss my expectations as to responses and compare it to the existing literature, however limited this may be.
An examination of the skills and characteristics of successful Royal Canadian Mounted Police dog handlers
The Planning and Implementation of the Research Project and Design Decisions
The planning and design of this research project has been contemplated since 2005 and I have had many conversations with colleagues, academic advisors, subject matter experts in the field of police dog services, and fellow members of the RCMP police dog services. It was felt that the research would have to be carefully considered in order to obtain the maximum benefit. The design considerations consisted of a number of different ways of extracting data from members of the police dog services. I had considered conducting interviews with new handlers that had just joined the police dog services to solicit their opinions as to what is necessary to undertake these duties. In discussion with my advisory council of subject matter experts, it was felt that new handlers would not have the insight and experience to be qualified to address these questions in a manner or depth that was necessary to provide pertinent information as to the selection process. In consultation with the Provincial police dog service coordinators from across Canada, it was determined that the best course of action would be to take a representative sample of members of the police dog services and utilize a questionnaire or survey soliciting their ideas and concerns. I felt that the utilization of a survey or mailed out questionnaire would be for the most part ignored and that my return rate would be minimal.
My insight into the sub-culture of dog handlers over the last number of years provided me with the observation that this group of men and women are very passionate about their profession but they also go to great lengths to avoid paperwork. As a matter of fact, several of the responses in the interviews proved my theory to be correct as they professed that one of the reasons they joined PDS in the first place was to avoid the paperwork that was often associated with being a police officer in the field. It was therefore, suggested by me that a one-on-one interview would be the most appropriate way to collect information from this group. With this in mind, it was now time to develop an instrument that would be utilized to acquire the information from the SMEs. I began crafting an interview tool and it went through many drafts after obtaining counsel from many experts in the field of surveys. Within the RCMP I was able to tap into the professionals in our human resources department and their research unit in Ottawa. I was also able to extract some very valuable information from our learning skills specialists and industrial psychological staff that work at the RCMP Training Academy in Regina, Saskatchewan. I also had outside help from professionals who had done some research in the dog-handling world and their particular insights into the profession. Once I had worked through several drafts of questions for the interview, I consulted with the Senior Trainer of police dog services and the Program Manager of the PDSTC. They provided me with guidance and direction as to how the questions might be interpreted and received. The final draft of questions was discussed with my academic advisor and the final test was to meet once again with the provincial police dog service coordinators at a national conference held in Chilliwack, British Columbia. This group was to be my focus group that provided their insight and guidance. The general reception of the questions was positive and led to a final decision to utilize this group’s input as to what determined the qualifications of a subject matter expert.
Ethical Considerations
It was important to ensure anonymity of the participants so that they could not be identified by their peers and that their responses could be open and forthright. My feeling was that the anonymity portion of this research was much more important to me and the research ethics board than it actually was to the 35 participants. The participants found the invitation to participate in the study almost comical but realized that it was something that was probably necessary for the university so they agreed to all considerations with some amusement. I created a list of the regular members being interviewed and assigned each of them a code letter and all of the interviews were coded and the only identifiable marking was the letter that is only known to me. I found that the participants seemed to enjoy talking about their opinions as they relate to the police dog profession. They were very open, honest, and quite forthright in answering all questions within the interview. They were thoughtful and gave some questions more consideration than others and it was interesting to observe them really giving a great deal of thought to some of the more thought provoking questions. My greatest enthusiasm came with some of the very interesting quotes that were received from the interviewees throughout my travels in Canada. As shown later on, I had two of the participants quoting the late author, Ernest Hemingway in full detail in relation to how they hunted armed men. Any other ethical concerns have been previously discussed and discounted or the necessary adjustments made.
Selection of Participants
The selection of participants was done randomly utilizing the seniority list of all police dog handlers employed by the RCMP in Canada. As indicated previously the total number of handlers for consideration was a total of 59 regular members who qualified in terms of 10 years of service as a police dog service handler. Of this list 10 did not meet the requirements as set out by the focus group and 2 were disqualified due to a reporting bias with the researcher. These considerations provided an available list of SMEs numbering 42. Of this total available group of 42, 35 were chosen for interview as an SME by randomly selecting the names from a police cap. As indicated, all of the participants agreed to be interviewed. A total of 1725 minutes or 28.75 hours of interviewing took place interviewing these 35 members of the police dog services, with an average interview time of 49 minutes. The longest interview was 85 minutes and the shortest was 25 minutes.
I traveled approximately 20,000 kilometers to acquire the information from across Canada in a period of 3 months in total.
The following were the criteria for selection as a subject matter expert within the police dog services of the RCMP as approved by the focus group of provincial coordinators and advisors to the project:
- The person is a regular member of the RCMP and a sworn peace officer
- The person has been an RCMP Dog handler for a minimum of 10 years
- The person has trained and validated with 2 or more police service dogs
- The person has a diversity of experience including provincial policing, municipal policing, explosives training, narcotics training, airport policing, emergency response team duties, tactical troop training, avalanche search and rescue training, or police dog service training centre training as an RCMP dog handler.
Data Collection and Analysis Processes
Prior to the commencement of the data collection, I felt it necessary to address each of the questions in the interview myself and formulate a hypothesis on how the questions were likely to be responded to. This method would allow me to get my own biases out in the open so that I would be cognizant of them and then just let the information flow. The interview method was carefully considered by me based on my own extensive experience as an investigator and interviewer. I was cognizant that the group that I was interviewing was very knowledgeable of interviewing techniques and investigative procedures and I did not want them to feel like I was after anything other than exactly what I had described to them in the invitation to participate. This group of RCMP members as indicated, had an average of 28 years of policing experience and they have the ability to detect a lack of sincerity or integrity issues very quickly and thus it would have ended my ability to obtain the best possible information.
Interview findings from subject matter experts
What is a subject matter expert in the police dog services?
In order to ensure that I was compliant with the focus group on what constituted a subject matter expert in the RCMP police dog services, I focused the first number of questions of the interview to demonstrate compliance and ensure that the person being interviewed met the basic qualifications. I asked the candidates how much service they had as a police officer in the RCMP or any other law enforcement agency. As indicated in earlier comments, the average number of years of experience of the subjects was 28 years. The longest service recorded was 41 years of policing experience and the least was 18.5 of the 35 subjects. This provided a total combined service of the 35 participants of 974 years of policing experience. In my own opinion this is a breath-taking number of years of experience in any profession. My second question focused on the number of years that the interviewee had as a police dog-handler in the RCMP. The question was asked very specifically as to when they graduated and were validated as an RCMP dog-handler. The longest serving dog-handler that was interviewed had 37 years of experience in the profession and the least experience was 10 years. The average amount of police dog service of the interviewees was 17.3 years. A total combined experience of all participants was 607 years of police dog-handler experience. The focus group indicated that the interviewees should have worked at least 2 dogs as a dog-handler. The third question found that the highest number of dogs handled by the subjects was 7 and the least was 2 thus far in their careers. The average number of dogs in service with the members was 4. The total number of dogs worked by this group was 140.
The focus group provided the additional guideline that the persons interviewed or qualified as subject matter experts should have a diversity of experience within the RCMP police dog services. One of the ways I measured for this was to ask the candidates how many posts they had worked at as a dog-handler. A post is a place where a regular member is transferred to perform policing duties. The question asked in relation to this question specifically asked the question how many posts had the member been posted to as a dog-handler. It is worthy of note that the member would have probably experienced several other posts as a regular member before he/she became a member of the police dog services. The candidates who were interviewed had an average number of 4 postings as a dog-handler. The most posts occupied by any dog-handler was 6 and the least number of postings was 1. The total number of postings of the 35 candidates was 134 postings across Canada. The 35 candidates had performed a multitude of duties within police dog services including; explosive detection, narcotic detection, tactical (riot) troop duties, emergency response team (SWAT) duties, avalanche search and rescue, international airport duties, municipal (urban) policing, provincial (rural) policing, and First Nations policing. The diversity of these 35 members easily met the spirit of the intention of diversity insisted upon by the focus group and advisors to this study.
What is a successful dog-handler?
Question 6 asked, of all the successful dog handlers that you have known, what characteristics, skills, or abilities did they possess that most attributed to their success?
Of these which is most important? (Rank order above). This question posed to the interviewees was asked specifically in this way to elicit a response from them as to what characteristics, skills or abilities were attributed to the people they thought were the best of the best in the profession. When I asked this question, I really wanted them to stop and think about who they thought was the best dog-handler they had ever worked with, who was their idol? Who was their mentor? What was it about them that made them the best at what they did? The answers to this question had quite a range as the question was asked in an open ended format and then a follow-up question challenged them to prioritize their answers.
Most of the participants struggled with this answer as they felt that most of their answers were only a fraction away from one another. Some of their answers were very immediate. The number one response centered on the words tenacity, drive, not giving up, strong work ethic, and dedicated. Most of the respondents focused their primary response utilizing these words. Twenty-three of the 35 respondents utilized one of these words and placed it as their number one priority. Some of the other participants listed self motivated, ability to read dogs, patience, and intelligence as their number one priority.
The second response to this question were not as focused and included answers such as work ethic, ability to work independently, requiring little supervision, good police officer, dedication, animal compatibility, continuous learners, high communication skills, and physically fit.
The third priority included dedication, work ethic, level headed, patient, physical fitness, animal compatibility, policing experience, and communication skills. The fourth priority included words and comments such as work ethic, intelligence, patience/self control, passion for the job, good police officer, physically fit, leadership, and communication skills.
The fifth mentioned priority included work ethic, physically fit, good decision making, leadership, animal compatibility, patience, and support from family. The most important characteristics, traits, skills as referred to by the 35 candidates were work ethic or drive. This is described by the interviewees as that drive that is necessary for a dog-handler never to quit or give up. There were many references in this description as being hunters of men when it came to criminal tracking. The answers to this question were completely softened when the members began talking about finding a lost child. Some described this as the highlights of their careers. Some of them had done this many times. They would then talk about the necessity to never give up and how important this was to a dog-handler.
The second most mentioned attribute was the ability to work independently or with little or no supervision. This was followed closely by the following:
- Animal compatibility
- Patience/level headed/self control
- Intelligence
- Above average police officer/investigator/police experience
- Physically fit
- Leadership
- Communication skills
- Continuous learners
I will go into more detail about these answers when I offer my reflections in the following chapters. There was a noticeable absence of some answers that were anticipated.
Are they Continuous Learners?
The question was answered utilizing a lickert scale as to how important is continuous learning to either a current serving dog-handler or a potential dog-handler whose ambitions were to join the police dog services. The scale was laid out one through five, five being the most important. The candidates generally answered this question with little hesitation and for the most part felt that this is why the RCMP has one of the best police dog services in the world. It was also explained that this is why many agencies from around the world come to the RCMP to learn from us as they do from them. The answers included 26 (74%) of participants describing the need for continuous learning as a category 5 (very important), 8 (22%) as a four out of 5, and one placing their mark on the middle category of three. None of the participants scored this below three.
It was important to me to probe as to what did they really mean by the term continuing education, what was it that was important to them? What constituted this degree of importance to them, what type of learning was it that RCMP dog-handlers or potential dog-handlers needed to pursue? Thus the next question specifically asked them this question, what should this continuous learning include? The responses included the following, listed in priority:
- Open-mindedness to new techniques in police service dog training, seminars on tracking, and criminal apprehension (aggression), etc.
- Interpretation/communication with animal behavior professionals.
- Problem solving/debriefings on criminal tracking cases/ lost person cases/best practices in the police dog profession.
- Tactical Police Dog Service Safety courses.
- Learning from peers from other agencies.
- Training for the real world, pushing the envelope with your dog .
- Seminars for quarries (potential dog-handlers).
- Imprinting course (how to raise puppies from the RCMP PSD Breeding Program).
During the responses being provided by the interviewees they provide a number of interesting and telling quotes which really emphasized their points. These included,
“Handling an animal is fraught with peril”
“Learn what the dog is trying to tell you!”
“Continually learn more about why the dog is doing what they are doing!”
“Every book has one good page in it, always be striving to improve yourself somehow!”
“We have to maintain our credibility in the dog world”
The last quote was told in a number of different ways but was a comment that was prevalent from most of the candidates in one form or another. It is imperative to learn constantly to maintain their place in the police dog universe was a common sentiment expressed by the participants.
Physical fitness
As I reviewed the limited literature available on the human selection of police dog services I noted that physical fitness was mentioned quite often. In relation to this research, physical fitness was listed as one of the more important traits of any potential or current police dog handler. The literature reviewed quite often referred to this as a necessity in order to keep up with the dog during a track or search. The question in the interview was asked as follows;
How important is physical fitness to a potential or current dog-handler?
The majority of the candidates 22 (63%) indicated a 5 (very important) that physical fitness is crucial to either a current or potential dog-handler. Ten (29%) indicated it to be a four and 3(9%) indicated it to be a 3. In most cases the SMEs offered explanations with their choice in this category. The following quotes were offered in conjunction with their answers,
“Being fit lessens injury.”
“Your life depends on it, I’ ve been there!”
“The better shape you are in the better you can handle the mental stresses.”
“If you can’t keep up with your dog, you can’t do the job.”
“Stamina is important.”
“Why? Because you are fighting for your life….doing long tracks over various terrain for hours.”
There were also cautionary comments from members not to focus too much emphasis on physical fitness being the only measurement of selecting potential handlers with a quote such as, “our worst dog-handlers do the PARE the fastest.”
The next question remained in the physical fitness category but I was interested in what their opinions were of the current Dog Pare Test and anything else they thought might be pertinent. This question was asked as an open-ended probe:
What would you consider the best tests of physical fitness abilities in a potential dog-handler?
The majority of 26 (74%) stated that they felt the RCMP Dog Pare test was a fair test that measured the physical fitness level of current and potential dog-handlers. It might be noted that 18 (51%) also indicated that the Dog Pare test should be combined with a timed four mile run in order to truly test the fitness level of potential members. One of the more seasoned members being interviewed on this question offered the following humorous quote,
“The dog pare is a pain in the arse for a 50 year old!”
Question 11 of the interview was asked specifically as to whether leading an active and in fact a physically active lifestyle was something that these SMEs held in common. It turned out in fact that 100% of the SMEs responded yes to the following question;
Do you have a physically active lifestyle?
The above question can be interpreted in many different ways by many different people, thus I wanted to qualify or expand on what was meant in reference to a physically active lifestyle. I followed question 11 with a series of probing questions as to what activities specifically were they participating in and how often. The first of these questions asked whether they were hikers or backpackers. Twenty-five (71%) responded yes and 10 (29%) responded no. Most of the sample responded that they did this activity bi-weekly or monthly.
The next probe was if they were runners or joggers. I thought that this question was going to be very evident and I was correct with 100% answering positively and most were on a daily or bi-weekly basis. The next probe had a number of interesting responses. The question asked if they were hunters or trappers. The response was close to an even split between yes (51%) and no (49%). The interesting responses appeared when I asked the question as to how often did this type of activity occur. The anticipated responses included weekly, monthly, and yearly. Two of the interviewees stated that they hunted daily. When I asked the question how was it possible to hunt daily? The reply that came was one that could only come from someone in this profession, “I hunted humans for 41 years and humans are the most difficult prey”.
The other member provided a direct verbatim quote from Ernest Hemingway (1936),
“As Ernest Hemingway wrote certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else.”
I asked a question relative to any other physical fitness routine and 34 (97%) responded yes and 1 (3%) answered negatively. The respondents included the following activities as other physical fitness routines, cross country skiing, roller-blading, walking, weights, swimming, and biking. They also participated in these activities on either a daily or bi-weekly basis. The last probe on this question was a general question on any other type of physical fitness activity and 32 (91%) responded yes and on mostly bi-weekly basis. These activities included going to the gym, elliptical machine, treadmill, and various others.
Animal compatibility
As indicated in question 6, animal compatibility was considered to be one of the important attributes of successful people in the police dog services. I wanted to ask some questions relative to this important aspect of police dog-handling but I was uncertain as to how to go about doing it. During the first draft of developing this question, I had provided a definition of animal compatibility as part of the question. I shared the questions with Dr. Gary Bell who is a psychologist that worked with the RCMP Training Academy and he suggested that I ask the respondents to provide their own definition of what animal compatibility is to them. Thus I chose to ask the following open-ended question,
What is your definition of animal compatibility?
The responses to this question were varied but had a number of comparable answers. The consistent answer was that a person had to have love, patience, and respect for the animal that was genuine. The answers provided by the interviewees included answers such as you should not be afraid of the dog, an ability to read the animal, having a special way with animals. Some of the quotes included,
“You can’t fool kids or puppies, you have to be genuine”.
“You have to get into the dogs mind”.
“You can’t be mechanical; you have to be genuine and try to understand at the dog’s level”.
“My ability to adjust my emotions to that dog’s personality”.
“Patience, genuine, know how to read the dog, you have to work at the dog’s speed”.
“You have to be genuine with the animal in praise, reward, corrections or you will not get the respect of those around you or the animal you are working with”.
“The ability to communicate with the animal in a genuine and respectful manner, be consistent, patient and fair. This can be learned”.
The interesting part of this particular question was that out of the 35 members interviewed, 28 (80%) of them utilized the word “love” in the description of animal compatibility. Now that the candidates have identified what animal compatibility is, I wanted to know how important it was for a potential dog-handler to have this type of animal compatibility skills. I also asked the following question: “How important is a potential dog-handler’s animal compatibility skills?” It was 63% (22) answered this question with a 5 indicating that it was very important. Twenty-five per cent (9) answered with a 4 and the remainder answered with a three. One of the common comments made by most of the SMEs was that this skill can be learned to a great degree. This corresponds with the literature.
To test this answer, I asked the participants what type of animal interaction they had as they were growing up. The numbers were not surprising in that 31 (88%) had a high degree of impact with dogs as they grew up. Most of these contacts were reported to be on a daily basis. There was a limited amount of contact by the group of 35 with cats (51%), horses (56%), cattle (48%) but a higher degree of contact with the category of other. The other category included fish, turtles, birds, and wildlife. This was approximately a 57% reporting of this category on a regular basis.
What Skills Do You Need To Be a Successful Dog-Handler?
This section examines various skills that were indicated to be important by the interviewees. These questions were varied as closed questions and a complete the sentence type question. The first question was posed for a number of reasons, the first being that most of the literature of handler qualification supported the fact that the person should be a peace officer but rarely explained why. Question 13 was put to the interviewees to determine why it was important to be a peace officer. This question requested them to assess whether the potential dog-handler should be an above average investigator. The only way to obtain the skills as an investigator is to be a peace officer. The nature of the question helps support the point that a person should be a peace officer before becoming a police dog handler.
How important is it to a potential dog-handler to demonstrate above average skills as an investigator?
The candidates answered this question in mid to very important category with 6 (17%) scoring a 3, 19 (54%) scoring it a 4, and 13 (37%) scoring it as very important in the five category. Most of the candidates replied to this question with little or no hesitation. An interesting aspect of this question was that one of the attractive features of becoming a dog-handler is that paperwork is not very prominent. In fact, in some of their responses the candidates specifically stated one of the reasons they chose this profession was to avoid the volumes of paperwork that come with the policing profession.
The next question invited the participants to provide their opinion as to how important they thought independent workings skills were to the profession.
How important are independent working skills to a dog-handler?
This question was also answered very quickly and with little hesitation by the candidates. Six or (16 %) indicated a level 4 of importance and 26 (74%) stated that this skill was very important as a five. The following question was also solicited as a “complete-the-sentence” type and the responses were similar to that of the above question: “As a dog-handler, I have experienced compared to other operational positions in the RCMP what degree of independence…” One hundred percent or all 35 of the participants answered this question as “a great deal”. This question was answered with little or no hesitation. My own personal experience in discussions with dog-handlers within the RCMP and other agencies is that they love the independence of the profession and value the fact that they do not have a boss breathing down their necks all the time. They also enjoy the freedom of working with a dog and the freedom of basically working with very few restrictions. I will expand on this independence in the summary.
The next series of questions specifically requested the participants to assess a number of skills that were found in the literature as necessary to become a dog-handler. The first skill related to the potential dog-handler possessing map/compass/global positioning satellite (GPS) knowledge. The answers ranged throughout the Lickert scale and were indicated as follows,
| Not important | Very important | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 1 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 9 |
| 3% | 8% | 43% | 20% | 26% |
According to the candidates, this table indicates that this skill is of moderate importance for a new handler.
The map/compass/GPS skill seemed to have support but was not considered to be critical for those coming into the section. In discussion with the participants, it was generally felt that this was a skill that could be learned and did have value.
The next question inquired as to how important the skill of first aid was to the potential handler. This first aid question specifically called for both animal and human first aid when I explained the question to the candidates. It was interesting to note that when I verbally requested that the first aid include human and dog first aid, I believe the question gained importance because of the inclusion of the dog.
| Not important | Very important | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 0 | 2 | 10 | 13 | 10 |
| 0% | 5% | 29% | 37% | 29% |
Most of the interviewees found that first aid was of moderate to very important.
Public speaking is a skill that is requested in most of the RCMP specialty positions which PDS is one of. The general consensus of the members was that public speaking was in moderately important to the profession. It is common that dog-handlers do public demonstrations with their dogs in the RCMP. The dog-handlers will conduct school talks and will often interact with the public, especially children. Thus the results for this skill were as follows;
| Not important | Very important | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 1 | 6 | 12 | 15 | 1 |
| 3% | 17% | 34% | 43% | 3% |
The candidates reported that public speaking was of moderate importance.
The skill of puppy imprinting requires some explanation to the readers of this research as it relates to the RCMP Police Service Dog Breeding Program that supplies the RCMP with potential police service dogs for the PDS program. The puppies from the Breeding Program are whelped at the Police Dog Service Training Centre. When the puppies reach the age of approximately 8 weeks they are tested and assessed to determine whether they will be put into the imprinting program. The imprinting program is undertaken by the potential dog-handlers in the RCMP and they are provided a 5 day course as to how to imprint the puppies or teach them what they need to know from 8 weeks until they are approximately 12 to 16 months old. The imprinting program is currently mandatory for 24 months before a potential RCMP member is considered for PDS training. The imprinting program teaches the potential member how to interact with a dog and provides them with hands on training opportunities.
| Not important | Very important | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 24 |
| 0% | 0% | 8% | 23% | 69% |
The response to this skill was considered to be very important by the participants.
Tactical experience was a skill that was defined for the purposes of this question as “experience in highly volatile situations”. The primary reasons for asking this question was to either support or negate the commonly held belief that it is necessary to be a Peace Officer in order to be a dog-handler. The responses to this question were a little varied but they were indicative that it was moderately important to very important to have this skill. For the most part the only way to obtain this skill is to be a peace officer. Thus if the skill is felt to be important then it provides evidence that a person must be a police/peace officer prior to becoming a dog-handler. A number of the dog-handler participants were very clear that most of the calls that an operational dog-handler attends are usually of this type of incident. They spoke of “dump stolens”, meaning called to a scene after criminals fled from a stolen vehicle. The participants also spoke of armed robbery suspects that fled on foot were often a call as was impaired drivers that fled after being pulled over by police. All of these types of calls have a high probability of violence as you are dealing with a fleeing suspected criminal who is going to great lengths not to be caught.
| Not important | Very important | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 0 | 3 | 11 | 15 | 6 |
| 0% | 9% | 31% | 43% | 17% |
The candidates reported that possessing tactical experience prior to becoming a dog-handler was important.
Competencies
The RCMP has moved towards competencies as a measuring tool for purposes of promotion and selection of candidates for specialized duties. The competencies have been created for many of the four hundred different jobs or career streams in the RCMP. Competencies have been created specifically for the dog-handler profession but they deal with the training and handling of the dogs but do not particularly relate to what human competencies that should be considered to become a member of the police dog services. In discussion with many members of the RCMP PDS and other police dog services, I gave a great deal of thought as to which of the current competencies best fit the profession. I selected four competencies from the RCMP Competency Dictionary (2005) that I felt were applicable for probing the candidates to see how they felt about them. I posed the following question to them: “What competencies from the RCMP Competency Dictionary should be considered in a person’s annual assessment that might indicate a high probability of success as a dog-handler?” The responses were what I had anticipated: sixteen (46%) indicating a 4, and the remaining 19 (54%) stating a 5 leading me to believe that they collectively felt that this competency was very important for potential dog-handlers to exhibit in their annual assessments.
The next competency was felt to be an important as it relates to what is being sought after in relation to the dog-handling profession. The candidates were canvassed as to their thoughts and for the most part answered this question positively. When participants were asked to comment on the courage of convictions, the majority of 21 (60%) of them answered this question as a 4 of matter of importance. There were 6 or (17%) of the interviewees scored this a 3 with the remaining 8 (23%) scoring this as a 5.
Regarding the next competency was explained in a manner that was somewhat outside the original parameters of the question. I specifically asked this question of teamwork in terms of working with human teams as well as working with their dog. This brought a whole new dimension to this competency. It may be noted that in discussions with the members of this study that it was very important to them to work as a team with RCMP field members. A great deal of satisfaction was obtained by the candidates when they worked closely in support of field members during an investigation. The idea of teamwork with the animal was also very appealing to the members of this study. The other competency that was defined was teamwork. The response by the interviewees to this question was considered to be quite important as a competency sought by the RCMP in finding potential dog-handlers. 21 (60%) responded as a category 5, 11 (31%) indicated a 4, and the remaining 3 (9%) scored this as a 3 in terms of level of importance.
The last competency that was examined by the interviewees was asked specifically because the literature indicated that it was important to recruit dog-handlers that did not have any use of force complaints against them. It was felt in some of the literature that managers should select candidates that had little or no use of force complaints as it was felt that people who were abusive without the dog would become more of a concern with the dog. This competency was also felt important in lieu of the responses indicating that it took a great deal of patience in the care and training of a dog. The other aspect is that dog-handlers are often called into very stressful incidents in progress that have probably been the result of some act of violence. The stamina aspect of this question also poses a number of relative issues as it relates to the dog-handling profession. This would relate to physical stamina as well as emotional stamina. I would ask you to try to imagine the pressure associated to finding a lost 4 year old child in the woods and the expectations of dog-handlers at that scene, especially if other rescue resources have been unsuccessful. I believe that this explains why the candidates scored this competency in the very high category.
Of the total candidates, 34 of the 35 scored self-control and composure’s importance in the 4 (14/40%) and 5 (20/57%) categories. Only 1 candidate scored this competency as 3 in terms of importance.
Policing, and Puppy Imprinting
This next section deals with experience and experiences that have molded these candidates into what they are today. This section utilizes the Lickert scale to examine thoughts relative to amount of policing experience necessary to become a PDS member and follows this with a number of very revealing open-ended questions about the choice of profession.
One of the more provocative questions that was debated extensively by the interviewees related to the amount of years that regular members should have in street policing before they are considered for PDS duties. What is interesting is that the average length of time that the subject matter experts waited was approximately 10 years before they got into PDS themselves. The primary argument provided by the interviewees was not so much the length of years on the street but the quality of the policing that the potential dog-handlers had experienced. Diversity seemed to be a key issue as it related to amount of experience.
The categories were broken down as follows,
What should be the minimum amount of time as a peace officer before a person is considered for training as a police dog handler?
| 1–3 years | 3–5 years | 5–7 years | More than 7 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 11 | 21 | 3 |
| 0% | 31% | 60% | 9% |
Based on the table, it may be noted that the literature review disclosed that on average most police services internationally look for their dog-handlers to have between 3 to 7 years of street policing before coming into PDS. As indicated earlier in this report, the exposure to highly volatile situations is expected of the members entering into PDS by the reporting SMEs in this study. The only way to be exposed to such situations is to have experience as a police officer on the street. As noted earlier as well, being an above average investigator also supports the above finding in that the potential members need to have street experience.
The above question pertains to whether or not the interviewees actually raised a puppy or young dog prior to entering the police dog services. This question is followed immediately by a complete-this-question type probe, which requests the participants to identify to what degree, if any, did raising a puppy assist them in becoming the handler that they are.
Did you raise or imprint a puppy/young dog?
| Yes | No |
|---|---|
| 34 | 1 |
| 97% | 3% |
This table indicates that almost all of the candidates either raised or imprinted a puppy.
| Very little | Some | Quite a bit | Greatly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 24 |
| 10% | 10% | 11% | 69% |
This table demonstrates that the handlers found that raising or imprinting a puppy was very advantageous to them in becoming the dog-handler that they are.
I believe this information supports the necessity of potential dog-handlers to participate in the puppy raising process or imprinting program prior to entering the police dog services. According to the interviewees the process was important to their development as a handler. The candidates indicated that they had generally raised several puppies before being considered for entry in the section.
I personally found the next question as to why the candidates became police dog handlers to be fascinating in the answers, especially the quotes provided by them.
The answers to the next question were solicited to be open-ended in nature. I was looking for key answers which I will discuss after the results below:
Why did you want to become dog-handler?
I will begin with some of the capsulated answers to this question utilizing key and frequently used words and describe to what degree they were utilized followed by quotes of significance. Some of the quotes obtained in this section are enthralling on many levels.
| Reason | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Exciting | 16 (46%) |
| Exposure to a competent dog-handler | 9 (26%) |
| Love of the animal | 25 (71%) |
| Catching criminals | 13 (37%) |
| Job satisfaction | 13 (37%) |
| Independence | 13 (37%) |
| Outdoors | 11 (31%) |
| Teamwork | 10 (29%) |
The answers above were answered multiple times and repetitively in the responses from the candidates. This particular question really captures the pure passion of the dog-handlers in relation to their responses. I bring specific attention to the excitement sought by the members as they undertake their duties. The love of the animal is interesting as they use this word very infrequently in my day to day experience with dog-handlers across Canada and internationally. This group of men and women are not typical of the type to utilize “warm and fuzzy” phrases or expressions especially considering the type of lives and types of negative experiences that they are frequently exposed to. The dog and animals in general bring out very emotional responses from the members of this study. Some of the other comments are based described in many of the following quotes that were obtained in response to this question,
- “As a little kid, I saw a picture of a policeman and a police dog and the image stuck with me!”
- “the thrill of the chase, catching the bad guys, you are always in the centre of the action. What attracted me to it was I am a hunter, my favorite way to describe it is a quote from Ernest Hemingway when he said “Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and like it, never really care for anything else thereafter”.
- “I love dogs, that’s why I joined the Force. I already picked my job before I joined”.
- “I enjoyed being around dogs. The dogs seem to gravitate to me!”.
- “I was 12 years old when I was found by the RCMP dog-handler”.
- “I like to see the look on the GD [general duty] members faces when I walk out of the woods with the bad guy”.
- I always want to since I was a kid, independence, exciting, and its physical and I just love the dogs. It can be instantly gratifying, catching a bad guy or find a person that is lost”.
- “I told my Dad at age 14 that I was going to be an RCMP dog-handler”.
These statements are powerful human testimonials of the passions that these members have for this profession. In examination of these comments, I can see why most of the agencies in the literature review profess that interviews are imperative to their selection process as I am not sure how you would find these types of deep thoughts in a selection process where interviews were absent.
The following question probed the interviewees as to what type of police officer they were prior to joining PDS. The answers were open-ended and I reviewed all the answers looking for key words or expressions that were common. I have also included some quotes to demonstrate the drive associated to these individuals and their strong sense of commitment to their profession. The common expressions included,
- Hard working, dedicated, high work ethic, driven
- Good police officer, thorough, problem solver
- Good Communicator
- Good Leadership
- Did not like paperwork
Theses answers correlate with the answers that were provided in question 6 where the candidates were asked about the characteristics, traits, and skills of the successful dog-handlers that have influenced them during their tenure. The quotations ascertained from the subject matter experts clearly define the work ethic that is spoken of,
- “I was like a pitbull, others would describe me as someone they did not want after them.”
- “I despised not being able to catch the bad guy.”
- “I would be reaching for the radio when the call came in….”
- “I liked the calls in progress.”
- “First one to grab the radio when a call came in.”
Quarry and Selection
The next number of questions deal specifically with what is a quarry and what do they do in terms of working with a dog-handler. The first question asks the SMEs to define what a quarry is and what the quarry does. The following questions deal with how many quarries worked with them and how many of them became dog-handlers. Question 23 probes the members as to how much did quarrying for a dog-handler when they were younger assist them in becoming the dog-handlers that they are today.
How would you define what a quarry is and does?
This question was asked as an open-ended question and the interviewees answered the first part of this question as follows, a quarry is,
- An apprentice/understudy
- A person who has expressed an interest in PDS and volunteers their time
- A person who follows directions flawlessly
- A person who teaches the animal
- A person who is self-motivated and helps you bring out the best in your dog
- A dog-handler in progress
As to what a quarry does, the subject matter experts offer the following as an explanation,
- Lays tracks and hides articles
- Helps us train
- Imprints puppies
- Does aggression (bite work)
- Takes a trained dog on a track
- Runs with dog-handlers when they are on an operational call
- Listens and follows directions
The most succinct definition of a quarry was offered as:
a regular member of the RCMP who assist dog-handlers in improving/refining the skills of a team. They are apprentices/under studies who listen and follow directions and are self-motivated demonstrating a genuine interest in PDS.” The following was offered as a description of what a quarry does: “they lay tracks, set out search articles, role play, attends regular training, provides cover on criminal tracks, criminal apprehension training, assist the dog-handlers in problem solving, imprints puppies, works the trained PSD under the direction of the dog-handler.
The interviewees offered the following answer to this question,
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 33 |
| 0% | 0% | 0% | 3% | 3% | 94% |
Almost all of the interviewees had more than 5 persons who acted as quarry for them.
The dog-handler subject matter experts were very involved in utilizing quarries to assist them in their duties. The dog-handler relies to some degree on the quarry to assist him/her in training their dog but as indicated by the 94% response, the members are very active in working with quarries to assist them in achieving their goals.
The SMEs offered the following in relation to question 22,
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 15 |
| 11% | 17% | 23% | 6% | 0% | 43% |
Many of the interviewees had their quarries go on to become dog-handlers. As indicated in the introduction, this particular question was asked specifically as to how acting as a quarry assisted them in becoming the dog-handler that they are today.
| Very little | Some | Quite a bit | A great deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 6 | 25 |
| 3% | 9% | 17% | 71% |
The responses for this question indicate that the SMEs found that acting as a quarry as they aspired to become a dog-handler was very helpful in their quest to join PDS.
The following question was asked as an open-ended probe as to what should be examined if a quarry/selection course was created to determine or measure the abilities, skills, or characteristics of potential police dog-handlers. I asked the interviewees specifically about what should be assessed if such a course were to be created.
What would you like to see as part of a future quarry/selection course if one were to be implemented?
The interviewees had a tendency to answer this question based on a quarry course that most of them had taken when they entered the police dog services as a potential dog-handler. I asked them to consider what we should be assessing if we were to create a whole new type of course that was defendable, fair, and accurate.
The following were offered as suggestions as to what skills and characteristics that should be assessed in a quarry/selection course,
- Ability to accept direction and guidance (listening skills) follow instructions; this could be done on tracking scenarios where the quarry is given specific directions as to how and where to lay a track and then measure the outcome
- Tactical Sense/Problem solving: put them in unfamiliar situations under stress and measure and observe their reaction under pressure
- Handling skills: Expose them to all 3 levels of training, let them track and observe how they handle and read the dog.
- Tenacity/Drive/Self motivation: How do they take to the tasks given, this could be caring for the dog, how they interact with others, do they quit when the going gets tough mentally and physically?
- Are they open-minded and are they open to constructive criticism, are they there to learn?
- Measure their degree and level of physical fitness with the Dog Pare and timed run.
- What are their dog compatibility skills, how do they relate to the dog, do they demonstrate patience, respect, fairness, and are they genuine?
- Scenario training, wake them up in the middle of the night and put them off in the bush to see how they do in finding their way back!
There was a general consensus from the majority of the participants that a quarry selection course was necessary to assess the potential handler’s skills and characteristics. The following question invites the interviewees to express their thoughts as to when a quarry/selection should occur in the potential dog-handler process.
If a quarry/selection course were to be created and implemented, when should it occur in the dog-handler process?
The majority (28 of 35 or 80%) of the respondents to this question placed the timeline to be in the middle of the process. The SMEs felt that the supervising dog-handler should work with the potential handler for a period of approximately 1 year before recommending that person for the quarry/selection course. The remaining two questions in the interview were asked as open-ended questions to probe the SMEs as to what would have benefited them on their quest to become a dog-handler followed by a question relating to if there is anything else that can be done to find the “right” people.
What kind of information would have been useful for you before your journey to become a dog-handler?
Information that would have been useful to the interviewees that would have been useful to them included;
- Police Dog-handler mentors
- A realistic full overview of what their life would entail, on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, family suffering, I don’t think they understand the life impact of the section [PDS].
- More hands on with an actual police service dog
- Contact with dog-handlers is the key
The most common comment on this point was having exposure or an opportunity to work with a dog-handler. The other most common point was that being exposed to and actually working a dog was considered crucial.
What would be useful to you to assist you in finding the right people to become our future dog-handlers?
I found the general answer to this question was almost unanimous amongst the subject matter experts. The basic statement was that they did not want to go looking for these potential dog-handlers as they should be looking for them. Other answers included being introduced to the profession at the training academy and the development of an accurate and reliable quarry/selection course. They felt that the person who self-identified as desire to be a dog-handler and worked diligently to accomplish this goal demonstrated the drive and commitment necessary to be in the profession of handling a police service dog.
Reflection, insights, and recommendations
This research was fun and a pleasure to do as the quality of the men and women involved is truly admirable on multiple levels. They are dedicated, driven, and have a connection with an animal that most humans will not achieve. As indicated throughout the study, there are a number of noteworthy results and a few areas which I believe require significant improvement for a number of reasons. The sheer number of years of experience that the subject matter experts have been policing is something that will probably not be found in very many places in the world. The one hundred percent of participation in the study is another issue that is quite remarkable. The 607 years of police dog handling experience amongst the 35 members that were interviewed clearly provides an insight from a professional group that I do not believe can be found anywhere else in the world. My literature review did not reveal any other police service or department internationally that encourage their members to practice this profession throughout their careers.
The question relating to what skills and characteristics did the SMEs observe in the people they admired or emulated in the profession offered some interesting insight into their thoughts. If you compare the answers between question 6 and question 19 relating to what type of police officers were they and the answers are similar. In comparison to the literature review the answers to question 6 were similar. The literature review offered the following as key requirements for police dog handling selection;
- Highly motivated requiring low supervision
- Must volunteer for the duty
- Physically fit
- Demonstrated animal compatibility skills
- Must be a police officer with 3-7 years of service
- Must have family support in pursuing this duty
It was obvious from the answers throughout this study that RCMP dog-handlers held common thoughts which support what the literature recommends on the selection process. The one key issue that is missing from the RCMP dog-handlers perspective was the aspect or consideration for family support. Out of all the candidates that were interviewed, only one made any kind of mention as to this being an important characteristic or trait necessary to excel at the profession. I find that this is a remarkable absence in their comments and I have given much thought and discussion to this after the research was finished. I made a point of de-briefing each candidate at the conclusion of the interview in order to discuss some of the findings or to expand on any item that may have been spoken about or mentioned in the process. The de-briefing also included the above noted 6 points that were evident in the literature review. When I asked specifically about why they did not mention the family support aspect or give it consideration, most replied that they assumed that everyone had this or they did not think of it. I find this interesting about the noticeable lack of comment on this aspect of selection and I believe that it is a crucial foundation to being able to function in this profession.
There is something very evident in the existing literature that pertains to handler selection for police dog services and that is that it does not explain why certain characteristics or skills are important. The existing literature is mostly anecdotal and lacks any substantive explanations as to why certain skills, traits, and characteristics are necessary. The purpose of this research paper was to try to provide evidence as to why certain skills and characteristics are needed. The necessity to be driven or have a high degree of work ethic is evident in their answers as to why they joined PDS in the first place. The fact that they were driven is evident in their comments as to how much voluntary work they did to join the section or that they were the first to the microphone or first to answer a complaint. Even today, RCMP members work their regular shift on duty and then come home and take care of a puppy and imprint it to become a potential police service dog. This is all done without monetary recognition and really no form of compensation of time, energy, or effort. These are regular members of the RCMP that work, have family commitments, and need time off to replenish their strength. The puppy imprinting and quarrying process currently takes approximately 4 years before they would be considered for the police dog service training. This commitment is all voluntary which coincides with the literature review findings.
The physical fitness levels of the potential members are something that they take a great deal of pride in and they know from working with their dog-handler mentors that it is imperative and a building block of being a good dog-handler. It is evident from the data collected in this study that physical fitness is not just a momentary requirement but a life time commitment. The SMEs caution that the weight given to this characteristic is not at the highest end but more to the middle of the road in terms of necessity.
The necessity to be a police officer with some extensive experience in the field or street policing is very evident in the information provided by the subject matter experts. It is generally felt that this policing experience will attribute to the success of the team. The SMEs expressed that often the dog-handlers showing up at a crime scene are quite often the most experienced member there. Their guidance is sought by the junior members in helping them successfully resolve any critical situation that they may happen upon.
Conclusions
The Police Dog-Handlers that provided their insight into this study have been able to provide a very credible insight into this profession and why certain characteristics and skills are important. This evidence provides the ground work to creating a substantive and defendable selection process that demonstrates value for investment. It is very evident from the evidence that the dog-handlers are continuous learners that have a thirst for knowledge as to their craft. They want to learn and are highly motivated to do so in order to be the best at what they do and can provide Canadians with the best service possible. The research supports most of what is found in the sparse literature on the human selection process as to how to choose police dog service handlers. It is hoped that this insight into the opinions of 900 years of police service and over 600 years of police dog services that it will help those choose the best people for this job. It is also my hope that those who aspire to become dog-handlers are fully aware of what the profession has to offer and the pitfalls of same. I am also hopeful that this research will draw attention to the significant voluntary work that is done by the potential handlers and bring them some type of recognition for their incredible work. RCMP dog-handlers have saved thousands of lives in Canada since 1935, their work is exemplary, their recognition is minimal which is exactly what they strive to achieve.
Recommendations
It is recommended that the information in this study should be shared within the dog handling profession to add to the data that exists. To my knowledge there has not be any volume of work in this area that provides a defendable result that could contribute to the selection process as it relates to the human component in a dog-handling team.
It is recommended that the RCMP focus on the issue relating to the family support aspect of the profession. The health of members who are dog-handlers depends on strong family support and recognition by the RCMP that these men and women are making great sacrifices of their families and their own health to be a part of this profession. Further study of this aspect is necessary before any set conclusion can be made but it certainly needs to be recognized as a potential risk factor to the dog-handler profession.
The next recommendation would be to give serious consideration of a selection course to be designed and implemented so as to address the issue of selection. There is evidence to support that certain characteristics, skills, and traits contribute to the success of any handler. To join this profession deficient of any of the major requirements could be detrimental to the police service and their ability to adequately serve their clients.
It is recommended that police services should create a template to be utilized by their dog-handler professionals to carefully screen those who wish to join the sections. It would be of great benefit to screen out people who do not meet the profile for success in this profession so that the police service reduces liabilities and the person does not waste their time if they do not possess the skills for success.
It is also recommended that police dog services utilize interviewing techniques in their screening process in order to ascertain if the candidates possess some of the masked attributes that contribute to the formula of a successful dog-handler.
References
Chapman, S. G. (1990). Police Dogs in North America. Springfield Illinois: Charles C Thomas Publisher.
Grewe, J. (1989). The police service dog to protet and serve. Quality Press.
Hemingway, Ernest (1936). On the blue water in Esquire magazine. April
Houle, C. (1972). The design of education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Watson, S. (1963). Dogs for police service. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas Publisher.
