JOURNEY: FROM PUPPY TO BECOMING A WILDLIFE SNIFFER DOG
These well trained and highly disciplined wildlife sniffer and detector dogs deployed across India have a story to reveal. A story of their carefree past, their journey from being playful puppies to well-honed and trained wildlife sniffer and detector dogs with a mission, all in span of less than a year.
First Phase: Young dogs between the age group of 6-9 months join TRAFFIC’s wildlife sniffer dog training programme and step into the first phase of their scrupulous journey to becoming wildlife sniffer dogs.
During this period, the dogs are allotted to their handlers and their primary exercise is to bond and build a trusting relationship with each other. While a few dogs end up becoming the stars of this training stage, some struggle to trust their handlers. With strategic exercises that teach the dogs to accept food only from their handlers and to be aware of their instructions in the most intense situations, these dogs soon become the ally of their handlers. As these young dogs near the end of the first stage of training, they have mastered the discipline that would become the root of their career as a wildlife sniffer and detector dogs.
Second Phase: The most important part of training is initiated in the second phase of the training programme when the dogs begin to learn and develop skills for detecting wildlife articles, conducting seizures and nabbing poachers. They are meticulously trained for scent detection, tracking, searching and sniffing wildlife products.
Final Phase: In the third and the final phase of the training, the dogs continue to perform the skill building exercises while they are given field exposure. A set up is made for the dog squads to detect and seize illegal wildlife trade products from simulations of real time situations. These dogs are trained to nab poachers and search the crime scene for evidence. The training is strictly follow reward and appreciation- based arrangement with their handlers.
At the end of nine months of training, a graduating ceremony is organised where the dogs demonstrate their skills before they step into their role as India’s wildlife sniffer and tracker dogs- SUPER SNIFFERS.
First Phase: Young dogs between the age group of 6-9 months join TRAFFIC’s wildlife sniffer dog training programme and step into the first phase of their scrupulous journey to becoming wildlife sniffer dogs.
During this period, the dogs are allotted to their handlers and their primary exercise is to bond and build a trusting relationship with each other. While a few dogs end up becoming the stars of this training stage, some struggle to trust their handlers. With strategic exercises that teach the dogs to accept food only from their handlers and to be aware of their instructions in the most intense situations, these dogs soon become the ally of their handlers. As these young dogs near the end of the first stage of training, they have mastered the discipline that would become the root of their career as a wildlife sniffer and detector dogs.
Second Phase: The most important part of training is initiated in the second phase of the training programme when the dogs begin to learn and develop skills for detecting wildlife articles, conducting seizures and nabbing poachers. They are meticulously trained for scent detection, tracking, searching and sniffing wildlife products.
Final Phase: In the third and the final phase of the training, the dogs continue to perform the skill building exercises while they are given field exposure. A set up is made for the dog squads to detect and seize illegal wildlife trade products from simulations of real time situations. These dogs are trained to nab poachers and search the crime scene for evidence. The training is strictly follow reward and appreciation- based arrangement with their handlers.
At the end of nine months of training, a graduating ceremony is organised where the dogs demonstrate their skills before they step into their role as India’s wildlife sniffer and tracker dogs- SUPER SNIFFERS.
Super Sniffers
