How can a puppy become a service dog? Report on the replenishment in the Mogilev nursery of the Department of Protection

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There is a long-awaited replenishment in the kennel of service dogs of the Mogilev Regional Department of the Protection Department. Dad Wolf and mom Nika gave birth to six healthy and strong puppies - three boys and three girls. The kids grow up and gain strength so that in the future they will turn from cute and clumsy butuzes into serious and responsible four-legged employees who, along with people, will serve in the department, help in solving crimes and detaining intruders. On the eve of the Day of Cynological Units of the Internal Affairs Bodies and Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, BelTA correspondents visited the kids and their older comrades in uniform to learn how to raise a worthy replacement for service dogs, win the authority and love of these smart and loyal animals.

In the inner courtyard of the Oktyabrsky Department of the Department of Protection, puppy voices are heard - a special arena has been installed here, where the new replenishment of the kennel receives sunbathing. Babies whine when they hear footsteps, squeal when they step on each other's paws and tails during play, and even growl awkwardly at sisters and brothers, trying to take away a toy. The fuss of four-legged butuzes does not stop for a minute - puppies, like children, have a built-in perpetuum mobile somewhere, which works around the clock. Both employees and service dogs look into the arena with interest - you can endlessly watch these clumsy little fidgets.

With the permission of the HEAD of the kennel, I boldly step over the fence of the arena and find myself in the very epicenter of the puppy fuss. And the kids immediately attack the living toy - one silly kid immediately liked my laces on sneakers. He unceremoniously grabbed them with his sharp teeth and pulled them aside in an attempt to untie them. The second bandit decided to test the strength of the fabric on the jeans and also persistently began to gnaw at it with his teeth. The rest did not lag behind - everyone was in business, it was only necessary to squat down to caress the caudates. Now a plush butuz is holding a strand of my loose hair in its teeth, another one is trying to bite my nose in a jump.

Today, 12 puppies are growing up in the kennel. Six of them just recently celebrated 2 months from the date of birth, the rest are already half a year old, a little more - and they will move from the children's to the adult category. According to Andrei Mazepin, head of the service dog kennel of the Mogilev Regional Department of the Security Department, puppies are born here every year - breeding work is carried out on an ongoing basis. On average, 6-8 babies are born, and this is the optimal number. Only once, about 4 years ago, in the kennel we received a litter of 12 puppies. It was very difficult for my mother to feed such a number of offspring.

By the age of two months, the puppies have already been tested, have had all the vaccinations and have been dewormed. Up to three months, the babies are waiting for another test with grading for professional suitability, and only after that they are handed over to police cynologists in district divisions, so that over the next 8 months they have time to prepare four-legged animals for service as part of a detention group.

“Subsequently, not all puppies from one litter become service dogs,” Andrey Mazepin clarified. “Everything is laid down by nature and depends on the NERVOUS SYSTEM of the dog: even from the same parents, albeit titled, someone will be stronger, and someone will be weaker "For example, simple testing on the street: a car or a train is driving, and the dog is pressed into the ground for fear. Such a mental state in an animal may not even out. Therefore, testing will take place in several stages: 1.5-2 months, 6 and 11 months "Only by the year we will be able to give a full assessment. By the way, the dog's stress resistance is absolutely independent of gender, a lot depends on the nature of the animal. We have one four-legged lady who builds all males. Plays a role, for example, and the order of birth - the first, like usually the strongest.The attention of the mother is also important - someone may get more MILK, therefore, even in similar conditions of detention and with the same care, the weight of the puppies is different.

Andrey Mazepin has been working as the head of the nursery for 12 years. It all started with the army - military service, border troops. There he was indirectly connected with dogs and liked working in tandem with four-legged animals. After he became an inspector in the October department. I worked, noticed and offered the position of senior inspector in the regional administration. Then he became the head of the nursery. During this time he had many dogs, you can't count them all. However, Karat was most remembered - "our Mogilev bear", as he was called by local cynologists. You won't find a slut like this anywhere else. It was with him that, over the past four years, Mogilev specialists made their way to the prize-winners of the republican dog handler competitions.

During a conversation, another employee of the department approaches the arena with puppies, on a leash - an 8-month-old shaggy fidget. "This is Colt, the son of our legendary Karat," they explain to me. The brown-eyed and energetic handsome man faithfully looks at his master, who, even during a conversation, does not stop giving him commands. For their implementation, the tailed one is encouraged with a tasty treat. The four-legged guy turned out to be an excellent student among his fellows - he grasps everything on the fly. For example, in just one lesson I learned to give a paw. The dog immediately understands what the owner wants from him, and this is a good example of the contact of an animal with a person. Despite his restless puppy character, the teenager obeys implicitly.

“A dog needs to be selected according to the owner’s temperament - a four-legged choleric person is definitely not suitable for a melancholic,” says Alexander Aleinikov, inspector-cynologist of the Mogilev Regional Department of the Security Department. “I am also an active person, we suit each other. It is important to understand that a dog is a big responsibility: it I need constant care, training. I loved dogs since childhood: despite the fact that there were three of my own at home, I still picked up homeless people - I felt sorry for everyone. So I decided to connect my profession with the work of a cynologist. The first dog that they gave me was already an adult and trained, that's why I mainly studied with her.It was Karat.We worked with him in the detention group since 2017. And already in 2019 I took my first puppy - the son of my pet, in order to understand for myself what I can teach him myself.Each dog has its own training system and an individual approach, just like a person."

It is important that a service dog is constantly with his partner - ideally, he lives in his family. The bond between man and animal is very strong. The one who feeds, cares for and trains her becomes the leader for the pet. "In the understanding of the dog, the family is a pack, so all family members must train it in the same way, otherwise it will indulge like a child. In this case, good contact and good training are obtained - without negativity, on desire. But if you shout at the dog and quarrel, she will remember this moment and next time she will be pinched. She works on motivation - on toys, treats and encouragement. The task of a specialist is to fix the pet's reflexes with their help, "explained Alexander Aleinikov.

According to the cynologist, many different situations arise during the service. For example, in 2019, together with his four-legged partner Karat, he had to help solve the murder of a girl in the Kruglyansky district. The killer hid in the woods and the help of a dog handler was required for the dog to indicate the direction where the criminal had gone. The tailed officer found the desired smell and began to follow the trail of the entire detention group. The dog pursued the intruder through a field and forest for about 10 km and eventually found a man lying in the snow and exhausted from the chase. This resonant case was remembered by everyone for a long time and brought Alexander Aleinikov gratitude from the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

At the end of the conversation, the cynologist inspector notes that the most difficult thing in the work of a cynologist is to part with his wards, because you get used to them, you become attached emotionally. On average, a dog lives up to about 12 years, the working age of a four-legged law enforcement officer is 8 years. His service in the Department of Conservation can continue further if the pet is in excellent HEALTH. But if the state of the body fails, the furry employee retires. As a rule, these animals live out their lives at home with cynologists - in love and care. When it's time to say goodbye, the dog is buried in the pet cemetery. At the place where the pet found its last resting place, the dog handler leaves her favorite things with which she constantly played.

By the way, an employee who wants to become a cynologist must undergo training for a period of 120 days. After that - exams and the assignment of the position of a policeman-cynologist. And only then will he be able to serve with his service dog. The profession of a cynologist is a state of mind and a call of the heart, because the desire to work with animals is either there or it is not. Therefore, no one is forced to go to a position - an honest profession, purely by vocation.

Sergei Maksimov, a policeman-cynologist of the detention group of the Bobruisk department of the Security Department, also purchased a dog from a service dog kennel. He speaks very warmly about his profession - he says that he chose at the behest of his heart. His Belgian Shepherd is called Mary, the signature number of this serious-looking employee of the department is "bunny". The shaggy beauty, on command, sits on her hind legs, and pulls her front paws to her chest, lays her ears behind the back of her head, makes devoted eyes and depicts a forest bunny. It turns out exactly the same - funny and cute.

“When I first came to the kennel, I was very surprised how obediently and accurately the dogs carry out the commands of the owner - both in voice and gesture,” recalls Sergey Maksimov. “I immediately wanted the same thing, and everything worked out. can be improved constantly.It is important not only to teach a pet something new, but also to maintain these skills.Even a trained dog requires at least 4 hours of training per week.Any skill can not only be taught, but also further complicate it - this is also very interesting work "It is important for an animal to keep fit. In the modern world, one should not rely entirely on technical means. In the same law enforcement area, a dog will often help solve a crime in hot pursuit, which special gadgets do not always allow. Sometimes time is everything,and using the same surveillance cameras, it is not always possible to quickly identify and detain a criminal.

A colleague of a policeman-cynologist from the Mstislavsky district, Denis Samoilov, with his Bucher, is also a winner of numerous competitions. The dog is already 5 years old, it is a Belgian Shepherd - compared to the Germans, they win, for example, in speed and trainability. According to the specialist, their connection with the pet is very strong - the four-legged literally reads its internal state. “It’s not in vain that they say that the dog is a continuation of the owner,” the police dog handler shares. “I went out to Bucher without a mood, he immediately feels it and starts to pinch. If the owner is full of energy, this is transmitted to the dog. Even during training, sometimes something "It didn't work out, and you start to get upset. In this case, the dog will also scan the emotion and may begin to withdraw. How quickly it will get back to work depends, among other things, on its temperament."

Denis Samoilov is sure that the dog is the same child, so it is much easier for employees who already have children to train a pet. The main thing is to understand how to outsmart the dog so that she obeys and begins to follow commands. As with a baby, you can achieve the desired result through a game or goodies, however, each specialist has his own little tricks in communicating with the ward. "Working with dogs is very interesting, there is no specific training program, like at school. In turn, the four-legged one also changes its owner throughout the entire period of communication. Butcher is a full member of my family who is constantly with you. For example, recently after training he left his dog in the nursery, and when I came home, I could not get used to the fact that he was not around. All the time you follow him, what he does, and control him like a child, "

Today, there are more than 20 dogs in the Mogilev kennel, of which 8 are general search dogs, 2 are pedigree, 2 are reserve and 12 puppies. The nursery is equipped with enclosures, a viewing room, a puppy house, training classes for the training of police dog handlers, and a feed kitchen. For example, babies are fed 3 times a day. "They eat like piranhas. How is it? 15 seconds - nothing but clean bowls is left," the employees laugh.

Speaking of caring for the babies, they now need three meals a day, veterinary supervision and cleaning. The kennel even has specially trained people who are entrusted with all these duties - service dog handlers. Among them is Ekaterina Kyba. The girl has been working with animals for over 10 years. After graduating from the veterinary college, she worked for two years in the organization of agriculture, then she was an instructor of a search dog in the zootechnical group of military unit 6713 in Mogilev. Responsibilities included giving birth to dogs and raising babies up to 6 months of age. After the commission for health reasons, Ekaterina ended up in the nursery of the Department of Protection.

“As soon as people find out who I work for, they immediately ask the question: what do you mean? Who is a service dog handler and what does he do?” Ekaterina Kyba smiles. surrounding areas, feeding adult pets and puppies, combing, walking, monitoring health status. We also provide assistance such as vaccination, deworming, disinfection and decontamination of enclosures. And most importantly, we love, cherish and cherish our wards."

The girl has been connected with animals all her conscious life and simply cannot imagine other work for herself. “Dogs give a lot of emotions, smiles and energy,” the counselor shares. “Therefore, in my free time, I help charitable foundations that help our smaller brothers, give advice on veterinary medicine, take animals for overexposure. With the advent of puppies in the nursery, work "Of course, it has increased, but it's a pleasant chore. I distinguish all the kids and know by name, but there are no favorites among them - I pay equal attention to everyone. Now the most difficult thing in caring for them is cleaning. After all, from birth to the age of one month, they clean up after them mother, however, as soon as the baby is transferred from her milk to complementary foods, the dog stops doing it.

Ekaterina perceives each new replenishment in the kennel with excitement, especially if the dog gives offspring for the first time. On the account of the specialist is already the fifth litter. Over the past few years, all the puppies have passed through her hands. The girl especially remembers the moment when the first puppies were handed out, which she helped to be born. “Raised, raised, and once they put on collars, issued diplomas and sent them to the service. It was very pitiful. But now I take it more calmly. The main thing is that the offspring be healthy,” she concluded.

By the time we left, the puppies, full, satisfied and having played enough, propped each other up with plump barrels and fell asleep peacefully. Black noses sniffed sweetly, and small paws occasionally twitched in their sleep. With great regret I had to say goodbye to this cheerful and restless, but very positive company. We hope that very soon these plush guys will grow up and become real service dogs, and we, journalists, will write more than once about their merits and achievements in the service field.

Julia Evmenkova,

photo by Oleg FOYNITSKY,

BELTA.