Apr 07, 2014 08:38 PM
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Puppy Pyar- ITBP Istyle!
Author: Dr Sudhakar Natarajan
There is no greater pleasure in life than to see a pup grow. No amounts money, power or fame can compensate for the palpable warm glow in the heart of the veterinary doctor to see his pup grow into a sturdy, healthy and professionally sound working dog. This pleasure has been multiplied forty times for all K-9 professionals like us, since ITBP has seen a, never before experienced, expansion in the number of dogs. In the last 2 months NTCD has 40 pups and the euphoria quotient has crossed all limits for this centre.
We at NTCD believe that the entire human civilization can be experienced by gazing deeply into the soulful eyes of a pup. The beautiful chocolate coloured Lab named Choco-Bar is a beauty. The all knowing deep gaze of Chocobar is enough to lift any soul from the depths of despair. Her nose appears to be more attractive than Lady Godiva chocolates. The face shows great character and poise. How lucky we are to get paid for doing a job that we love. It is said that when one starts loving his job, it remains a job no more and becomes a joy. The greatest happiness for us is to see pups lap up their meal and the second greatest pleasure is to see the weekly growth in their height and weight.
Each of the pup has a dedicated handler who acts as a guardian, mentor and trainer. One cursory glance at the handler’s face can indicate the health of the pup. One episode of diarrhea brings on a frown on the handler’s face and if it is followed by vomition, then his features become as droopy as a weeping willow on the banks of icy brook. One of the best international feeds, that is the costliest available in the market, has been approved for all the pups. The beauty of this new feed is that it is breed specific. Labrador pups have a specially shaped kibble for their dental requirements and German Shepherd pups get a feed specifically tailor made for their metabolism. Special care is taken about the deworming and vaccination schedule so their growth remains on track and the crucial milestones are not delayed. At NTCDA we believe in the philosophy of positive reinforcement training(PRT) and have done away with the archaic “reward and punishment” form of obsolete methodology. In the PRT, only the desirable actions are rewarded with a pat or praise and slowly but surely the message is sent home to the dog as to what is expected of him. ITBP is the first training centre in India to adhere to this modern and path breaking “ reward and no reward” form of benign training, that has shown to have paid rich dividends in the recent past. The dog training has been continuously refined to produce a highly sophisticated and versatile extension of the soldier’s own senses. Even the most complex machines remain unable to duplicate the operational effectiveness of a properly trained dog. The dog’s unique capabilities are used by ITBP to very broadly encompass the following areas:
a. Secure human life, installation and property.
b. Help enforce laws.
c. Increase the effectiveness of the combat support.
Keep in mind that tough and rigorous training, though immensely enjoyable, is ahead for these pups. In a few months these seemingly dainty babies will undergo their basic training and advanced training in explosive detection. These babies will be at the cutting-edge of our national security apparatus. This transformation would be our crowning glory. During the POP, these forty dogs that grew up before our very eyes, would march down the portals and be deployed for anti-sabotage duties. There would be tears in the eyes of the trainers but their chests would swell with pride in being instrumental for the largest Explosive Dog deployment in the history of this elite force.
This is the stuff what legends are made of. It would be an apt bedtime story for our grandchildren when we hang up our boots.
Our “puppy pyar” will not last for long, because these brats will grow up in a jiffy. All good things in life have to come to an end. Enjoy it as long as it lasts. Our Pups bask in the winter sun on carper grass- What a life!
About the author:
He has been involved in K9 training and operations for nearly two decades at training establishments/counter insurgency grid/border areas and foreign peacekeeping missions. The author is an avid dog worshiper who has a master degree in veterinary surgery and radiology from Pantnagar.
