Things are going to the dogs

[bigdoglover]

By Diane Wilkins, Marion Daily Republican

MARION — It looked like the Wal-Mart and Sam's parking lot had gone to the dogs Wednesday morning.

Actually the Wal-Mart property was being used as a training exercise for urban search and rescue by Extreme K-9 Training Academy.

The training that Extreme K-9 offers is internationally known.


At this particular session there were dogs and handlers from New York, Oregon, Georgia and Missouri, as well as Illinois. Also one individual had come from Switzerland to learn how to set up a training program in his native country.

Brucker Uhls first met Bahesha H. Doan, owner and chief trainer of Extreme K-9, at a seminar Doan held in Germany.

"We do not have any training program established in my country," Uhls said. "We have always had to train outside of Switzerland. I hope to learn enough about the training aspect to start a school."



Doan is a professional trainer in the disciplines of detection dog training, mantrailing training, basic and advanced obedience training, shelter dog assessments, Police K-9 Unit Tactical Operations, and is a trained specialist in the use of the remote collar as it relates to obedience, advanced search techniques, and police patrol dog utilization.

She and her staff of professional instructor/trainers have conducted training seminars all over the United States, Canada and Europe. Doan is one of a small number of trainers to serve on the Senior Advisory Panel of the International Association of Canine Professionals.

The six-day course was geared to work with dogs of varying levels of training to be able to follow scent trail in all types of terrain.



One of the dogs was a Golden Retriever named Robin who already has a long list of accomplishments. He is a Canadian/American Grand Champion, placed fifth at the famous Westminster Dog Show in his group and is a working K-9 with the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office in New York. His owner, trainer and partner is Deputy Mary MacQueen.

"The area that we are located in New York is mainly rural, and I needed to give Robin some training and work in urban search," MacQueen said. "There are a great deal more distractions in scent work in highly populated areas. That is why we are working today in and around the Wal-Mart store."

MacQueen describes Robin as looking like "a great big smile with fur," but is all business when he is working.



MacQueen said she is rightfully proud of her partner.

"Robin will find you, whether you want to be found or not," MacQueen said. "He can find a lost child or trail a suspect. You are not going to lose him."

Doan said that they can train a dog for whatever level a person would want.



"We can work with a person to be able to understand and communicate with the dog, whether it is for basic obedience training or advance trailing," Doan said.

Extreme K-9 has a Web site where an individual can learn more about the services that are offered. The Web site is www.extremek-9.com.

Shortly after the group broke for lunch and to rest the dogs, seventh graders at the Marion Junior High School had a demonstration of police K-9 work by two Department of Correction K-9 units and Quatro, one of the Williamson county Sheriff's Department K-9s handled by Deputy Chuck Broy.



One of the seventh graders, Chad McCurdy, is very acquainted with the use of K-9 units. His father, Mike, is one of the DOC handlers and had his partner, Ozzie, with him. Ozzie is a Black and Tan German Shepherd who is duel trained in police work and narcotics detection.

Lt. Greg Renfroe of the DOC brought his dog, Rocket, for the demonstration.

In addition to the demonstration of subduing a suspect, the dogs also showed their ability to find a planted stash of marijuana.



All three officers spent time answering questions about the dogs and their training.