Meerut: The Army lost a valuable asset in Jammu and Kashmir last month: Axl, an elite assault dog killed in action. This saddened many people of distant Meerut. This is where his journey started.
Axel was one of hundreds of canine soldiers trained and deployed by the Army at the Remount Veterinary Corps Center (RVC) in Meerut. Every trainee dog that graduates performs an important national duty – against terrorism, narcotics and natural disasters.
At the center of all this is the RVC. The Center does not take its work lightly: Like the National Defense Academy in Pune, the Corps puts its trainees through rigorous, regular instruction. From controlled breeding to puppy eligibility testing, these dogs are groomed from the start to be lethal.
The Indian Army has also gifted dog soldiers to friendly countries. Including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Cambodia and South Africa. They have got so much success that these countries have sent their army personnel to India for training in handling dogs.
Axel, a Belgian Malinois, who was two years old when he passed, had spent most of his life at the center. Like every other dog who graduated, Axl took basic obedience training and then special attack training.
“We were all very emotional to hear about Axl’s death,” said Major SK Barotra, who trains the dogs in obedience and tracking squads at the RVC centre. After Axel’s graduation, he was posted to the 26 Army Dog Unit and was serving with the 29 Rashtriya Rifles. His unit gave him a fitting farewell—including a memorial, during which the other dogs carried out a formation. The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Kilo Force, which looks after North Kashmir, also laid a wreath along with other officers. In recognition of his bravery in battle, Axel also became the first attack dog to be mentioned in army dispatches.
While Axel’s unit will miss him, the RVC center continues to function as usual as the demand for army dog soldiers exceeds the number of their graduates.
Read also: Army dog ’Axl’ killed in tense operation in Kashmir. Even after being shot, fought the terrorist
dog-eat-dog-seeking
The RVC Center is full of dogs, but it is not a happy, therapeutic place for playful dogs and their handlers. This is a 9 to 5 life of a hardworking dog.
The training is considered so exclusive and elite that the demand for working dogs is through the roof. And part of the training is the amount of care given to them: The center prioritizes the health and wellbeing of dogs to meet the high demand.
Ocean, a Labrador, was to be sent to his posting at an external security agency one morning. But her handler noticed that her temperature was higher than normal – the center decided to monitor her and stop her deployment.
“The demand is always high,” said Major Aman Sood, an instructor at the centre, which trains dog squads in detecting mines, explosives and narcotics. “We are meeting the operational demands of the armed forces, and we have received demands from outside agencies as well.”
Agencies like paramilitary forces and institutions like state police departments regularly reach out to the centre.
Major Barotra and Major Sood are part of the Dog Training Faculty at the center, which deals with raising, raising and training dogs, as well as conducting courses to train their handlers and upgrade skills. It is imperative to have more than 500 dogs at any one time.
Detection dogs are the most popular: Both the military and outside agencies value dogs that are trained to detect explosives, mines, and narcotics. Labradors are the breed selected for the task – with a highly developed sense of smell, intelligence and friendly disposition.
Before sending them to their tasks, the operators give them their orders. The main part of the instruction is to recognize two words – smell, find (smell, search). And dogs give accurate feedback right away.
In one demonstration, a tracker dog named Duke sniffed a rag with a scent. The Labrador was taken away when the rag was hidden. His handler issued the command: Smell, dhow. The duke walked right up to the hiding spot of the rag and sat down in front of him. The drill is called man-to-article search and is used to identify people in real operational scenarios.
Assault dogs like Axel are also in great demand. Axl was shot dead while cleaning a room in a building in Kashmir. Belgian Malinois are known for their agility and aggression – so much so that the military stopped training them between 2011 and 2018 to better study their psychology.
In addition to Labrador and Belgian Malinois, the military focuses on training German Shepherds for security tasks such as infantry patrol and guard duties. The RVC center is also currently training some Cocker Spaniels for COVID detection: stationed in transit camps, they were able to detect COVID-positive urine and sweat samples.
Indian breeds have also not been spared. Indigenous dogs including the Mudhol Hound, Chippiparai, Kombai and Rajapalayam made the cut after 2016 – part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative, according to the Army. All the dog names in the center are either ‘Indian’ or ‘Western’ – Kura and Tipsy are two such examples. The only thing to remember is that the names should be easily distinguishable from each other – and each dog is named after their mother in an ode to their breeding heritage.
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all bark, all bite
Dogs run 4-5 kilometers every morning. Their temperature is taken before starting the first training session of the day. After that, it is time and food preparation – it is washed and repeated in the evening.
And the military’s attention to dogs is there even before they are born.
Parents go through a careful selection process – their genetics are carefully examined, semen analysis is performed, and a software is used to look at the dog’s pedigree. Various factors such as litter size, potential hereditary issues and previous offspring performance are evaluated.
The RVC Center has many dogs that are just born and carefully cared for. Treadmills are positioned outside their quarters for them to exercise, and they have ample space outside their kennels to roam around and play when they have free time. The dams – female breeding dogs – are constantly monitored and given all necessary medical assistance.
When the puppies are born, an elaborate weeping process begins. Under the leadership of Major Mittu Kurien, the army looks after each newborn, monitoring its symptoms and temperament.
Puppies can be born in the care, but as soon as they are six years old, they are introduced into the life of the military. Young soldiers are microchipped and their unit numbers tattooed on their left ear before starting their basic training. But a major change is that the military now uses ‘positive reinforcement’ to train them as opposed to the earlier ‘domination’ methods.
Positive reinforcement includes both verbal rewards and treats: after a dog does a good deed, the handler rewards them. “Well done” (well done) or “good dog”. Edible treats range from dog biscuits to more “high-value treats,” which usually include cheese and meat.
At six months, the puppies are given basic obedience training. They then take an aptitude test – they are tested on their ability to retrieve things, follow orders, and exercise restraint. They are also tested on their sensitivity to touch, sight and sound, and their social attractiveness and dominance. Handlers evaluate them on a scale, after which they are sorted into special units.
“The aptitude test is important before a dog is included in a specialty,” said Major Sood. “Based on their performance in testing, we have a fair idea about a dog’s working obedience and whether it will do well in a certain trait.” A dog’s working obedience depends on their temperament and aptitude for certain skills. “We’re basically reclassifying dogs based on their specialty,” he said.
An Army dog can specialize in any of the following depending on their skills: Tracker, Guard, Mine Detection, Explosive Detection, Infantry Patrol, Avalanche Rescue Operations, Search and Rescue, Assault and Drug Detection, And now, the detection of covid. They are then trained in groups – mine detection and tracking takes about 36 weeks to train, while guard dogs and infantry patrol dogs graduate in 12 weeks.
The fully trained soldier is then posted to his dog unit, where he becomes accustomed to the terrain and undergoes refresher training. The dog remains permanently stationed in his unit until he is nine years old, after which he can retire.
The old age dogs then return to their retirement home at the RVC centre. They are pampered and played here – and made available for adoption. Otherwise, they lie down on the grass under the sun, enjoying a rest after an active military life.
As of 2015, the dogs were euthanized. but the army Changed rules after the uproar
Read also: Army’s sniffer dog, jawan found explosives on Srinagar-Baramulla highway, saved ‘dozens of lives’
a dog’s best friend
Each unit has 24 dogs and 35 handlers, a unit commander and support staff. The demand for army dogs is high, but the number of capable handlers is still small.
The Army has a mandatory dog training course that trains soldiers on how to deal with dogs. It is an emotional, mental and physical challenge. Handlers are routinely posted to separate dog units to reduce dogs’ dependence on a specific individual – and handler’s attachment to the same dog.
But Major Barotra still remembers the first dogs he trained – that was about seven years ago, and he has trained hundreds of dogs since then, but the first ones are always special.
“I will never forget them. They were a female and a male dog, and I still remember trying to understand their personalities while I was training them,” said Major Barotra. Trick to Crack Identifying dog drive: This includes a ‘food drive,’ ‘play drive’ and a ‘pre drive’.
Of course, there is emotional attachment. But the army tries not to anthropomorphize them, according to Major Sood. “Training a dog means opening it up to all its abilities, not restricting it,” he said.
He remembers the moment he first trained a dog to do a trick – something clicked. “From that one moment, you are able to understand the psychology of the dog, what it wants from you, and the methodology behind training it. Getting something out of a dog is not that easy, but now you know it is possible – And as a dog trainer you understand how it works,” he said. He commanded the dog unit for three years before moving on to the RVC center two years ago. Ironically, his family was dogged by dogs. Have allergies.
Dogs, the RVC center is certain, could not ask for a better life in preparation for their service. Everything is catered for them – from diet to leisure time. Amidst all this, do dogs feel the stress and pressure of carrying out such national responsibilities?
“Stressed?” asked Major Sood. “Not at all. Dogs don’t have time to be stressed.”
(Edited by Likes)