COLORADO SPRINGS – Fort Carson hosted a training course on Friday for military and law enforcement working-dogs. The training is preparing the teams for deployments and other real-world scenarios.
The working-dog teams run through high-risk scenarios they typically encounter on the job. Dogs and their handlers are running through scenarios searching for hidden decoys.
The working-dog teams are trying to find, bite and hold the suspect they’re looking for.
“There’s different variables that we don’t often get in the normal day to day training for the dogs,” said Captain Andrew Blasczyk.
The course is as realistic as possible for the dogs. Decoys help the teams react quickly and effectively in real-time.
“We would essentially be playing the bad guy in the scenario. In some instances, we might have something in our hands that might almost act as a weapon. Certainly not hitting the dogs or anything like that, just to impose a threat essentially. We might tap on the dog, just to get them used to though they might feel something happening to them, they are okay and they need to maintain the bite that they have on the bad guy or the decoy.” Said Sgt. Seth Cunningham.
The training also helps the working-dogs know how much aggression to use during certain real-life scenarios.
“In law enforcement or maybe some combat operations if we send a dog in to go get that bite, get that suspect, just training them the proper ways in controlled aggression to keep going after the subject, to get them neutralized so our police officers can make the apprehension,” said Capt. Andrew Blasczyk. “And the teams are getting a lot of good feedback from the personnel that are training the decoys to give that positive reinforcement.”
The three-day training is designed for domestic law enforcement and military dog handlers who regularly conduct or support street deployments and high-risk operations. During the training dog handlers and their canine partners are being exposed to different types of stress and specific decoy techniques and practices.
“We’re doing advanced training with our dogs, just putting them in different scenarios that they might find in the real-world. Scenarios we might encounter as law enforcement. As well as pushing their limits so hopefully anything that gets thrown their way, they can react and adapt to,” said Sgt. Seth Cunningham.
Around 15 teams are part of the training hosted by The 69th Military Police Detachment and 759th Military Police Battalion.
Teams from Idaho, Montana, and Fort Bliss, Texas, came to Fort Carson to participate along with some 69th MP Det. teams.
