THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 8, 1996 TAG: 9605070355
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALISON BOLOGNA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
They bark, they roll over and they can sit on command, but these aren't your typical dogs.
These are part of the Navy's largest canine patrol, 24 Belgian malinaois and German shepherds trained to detect and defer crime.
These busy dogs have also become popular in the community: At schools they're being used to teach kids about drugs, at border patrols they're being used to sniff for narcotics, and on presidential details they're being used to sniff for bombs.
``Their main purpose isn't to bite and attack,'' said Master at Arms First Class Jeff Chamberlin, the base's kennel master. ``They're here like police officers to protect the community.''
One way they do that is by routinely patrolling with their handlers, because their presence alone is often enough to deter crime, Chamberlin said.
``When I have the dog with me, people are extremely attentive,'' said 12-year dog handler Bryan Fischer.
And that's what makes the dogs ideal for teaching community kids to ``just say no to drugs.''
``You can convey the message more fluently with a team of dogs because the kids can touch them and see them,'' Chamberlin said.
Recently at Woodstock Elementary School, dog handlers did that - they let about 30 kids pet the drug detector dogs, and used them to demonstrate how they find drugs.
``Each one of you has a different odor, like pizza and hot dogs have their own smells,'' Fischer said. ``The dogs know what they're looking for, so no matter where you put your drugs, they will find them.''
The dogs are also trained to ``sniff out'' explosives because their sense of smell is so sensitive - about 300 times more sensitive than ours. According to Chamberlin, there's no man-made equipment as effective.
Fischer said his dog helped him two years ago find 30 pounds of marijuana masked with garlic and barbecue sauce at U.S. customs in El Paso, Texas.
Dog handler Rhonda Bryant had a similar experience.
``We got a tip in El Paso about some marijuana that was coming across the border,'' she said. ``When it came, we found four bricks in the trunk wrapped in towels that were soaked in gas - in a stereo speaker.''
To get jobs like these done requires careful training and attention. Each dog is on a special diet, and they're trained for 12 weeks in Texas with their handlers so they ``know each other inside and out,'' Chamberlin said.
After that, they're trained every day in 8-hour shifts.
``They're a lot like people,'' Chamberlin said. ``Without constant exposure they tend to regress a bit, so we try to make obedience training pleasant to shape the animal's behavior.''
Handlers look for ``durable dogs with drive,'' but not too much aggression, Chamberlin said.
``We work closely with kids, so it wouldn't do us any good if we've got dogs snapping at people,'' he said.
The patrol provides 24-hour coverage but does most of its work at night, which is when the dogs are the most alert and when crimes usually happen, Chamberlin said.
Recently, the patrol was called to Lake Taylor Elementary School in Norfolk to respond to a bomb threat. Chamberlin said they were the closest authorities to the scene and were able to help, but usually they're a last resort. Local agencies, such as state troopers, should be called first.
And although these dogs are useful, especially on jobs like these, they're not cheap - they cost about $5,000 each. And don't forget the upkeep: The kennel recently invested $8,000 in heating.
But according to the officers, the dogs are worth it.
``A patrol dog is like another officer,'' Chamberlin said. ``They're our own partners.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos by LAWRENCE JACKSON, The Virginian-Pilot
Above, handler Bryan Fischer demonstrates the nose power of Breston,
a 2-year-old German shepherd...
Bart (dog)
by CNB