By Jacqueline Koch
The Chattanooga Times Free Press
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Moccasin Bend firing range is going to the dogs Tuesday.
Between 30 and 35 police K-9s and their officer handlers will be in Chattanooga for a three-day U.S. Police Canine Association certification hosted by the Chattanooga Police Department.
The event -- required by the department each year to keep K-9s up to date on training -- will test dogs and their handlers on agility, search abilities, evidence location at crime scenes, obedience and criminal apprehension, said Officer Barry Vradenburgh, the head trainer for the Chattanooga Police Department K-9 division.
“Obedience is one of the first things we do in training,” he said. “It’s just to show the handler’s control of the dog.”
Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s patrol events -- held at the firing range and the Girls Preparatory School’s soccer field, respectively -- will be open to the public.
Thursday’s event, which is not open to the public, showcases a dog’s detection abilities for narcotics and bombs, said Sgt. Tommy Meeks with the K-9 division.
“You can’t beat these dogs’ noses,” he said.
The Chattanooga Police Department last hosted a certification in 2005.
Most dogs will compete in both detection and patrol events. Chattanooga’s K-9 division has four dual-purpose dogs and one detection dog trying for certification. Their breeds include Belgian Malinoises, Dutch shepherds and golden retrievers.
Dogs and handlers from Atlanta, Savannah, Ga., and Huntsville, Ala., among others, will be at the Chattanooga event, trying to make sure their dogs meet requirements. A major canine association competition is held each spring, and Chattanooga’s event also allows those who either didn’t meet requirements or weren’t prepared for the spring event to be certified.
Such events are important because actions of the K-9s are questioned in court and officers and handlers need to prove their training and certification, Sgt. Meeks said.
While dogs get vicious when biting “criminals” -- fellow officers dressed in bite suits -- they are approachable when not engaged, Officer Vradenburgh said.
“We take them into schools,” he said. “They’re not growling and snapping.”
Each dog deals with just one handler to develop camaraderie and trust, Officer Vradenburgh said.
“The key is to have a relationship where the dog understands who he takes orders from,” he said.]
Copyright 2008 The Chattanooga Times Free Press