#sp4years

Rocket is here and in a month I head off to Surrey Police Headquarters to commence our Pro-Active Specialist Search dog course. I am looking forward to it and as I have mentioned on many occasions, I hold high hopes for Rocket. She has bags of enthusiasm and won’t stop running for a ball!

These attributes will hold her in good stead for a successful course but I don’t want to get my hopes up too much. We have to remember that these animals, as clever as they are, are not robots. They have characteristics as you and I so we will have to see how we go. That doesn’t stop me having aspirations with her.

The course itself is six weeks which can be extended if the needs must. It’s a fun course where we attend numerous different training venues and as the course progresses we make the hiding places more and more complex! These dog’s, once they recognise the scent, are very difficult to deceive! The drugs world believe they can but its not easy, I assure you!

My time as a search dog handler has been a roller coaster of a journey really. My first dog Jess was a black Labrador. A beauty of a dog and couple with a smashing nature. She passed the initial course that I’m about to go on with Rocket. However, out in the real world, she didn’t take to the work quite so well. The dirtier of the addresses we attended to search were not Jess’s cuppa! She became very subdued and very difficult to motivate. This was something we worked on in terms of improving her confidence but with very little obvious success. In the end we re-homed Jess to a couple who have taken her in and given her a wonderful home away from the police. She is often seen flying around th beaches in the far west of the county. Good Luck Jess!

Then came Neo. I won’t go too in depth regarding PD Neo as I’ve rattled on a lot about how good he is! He’ll not be able to walk out of my house if I carry on! Haha! He is coming to the end of his service with Sussex Police and it his time to chillax! Thanks Neo - You and have been an absolute Legend :-)

So, Rocket, we have got lots of work ahead… You’ve seriously got some big old pads to fill! No pressure girl! As I mentioned in the last blog, I’ll keep you posted with our progress along the way, no,doubt with the odd photo or 10 along the way!

I will close this blog with a Huge Thank you to everyone who nominated me for the Award at the Sussex Police Social Media 4 year Anniversary hosted by our very own Deputy Chief Constable Giles York. I was sadly unable to attend the event held at Sussex Police HQ, Lewes. I am very humbled by the award. Without the experiences with my canine colleagues, I’d be proper boring!! I am relatively new to the whole social media in the work place so am really pleased with the award. Thanks Tweepers and catch up soon. You know what’s coming. #followthepaw :-)