Next weekend, April 12th & 13th, 2014 is the Desert Dog K9 Police Trials. Spectators are allowed to watch the protection work held at Scottsdale Civic Stadium. Starting at 9am, watch dogs from the military, police, hospital and private security firms, show off their skills. My favorite part is a drill called the ‘recall’ (First Image) because it gives a glimpse into the dog’s personality. During this exercise, the dog is signaled to apprehend a bad guy (agitator) in a bite suite. When the dog is almost there, the trainer will call them off. Most dogs instantly return to their handler, but I have seen a few dogs have a little fun with the agitator. One dog jumped up and barked in the agitator’s face while another gave the agitator a hip check from behind. Who says dogs don’t have a sense of humor! More information at www.desertdogk9trials.com.
Here are some images from the 2012 trials. Enjoy!
