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Posted on 06/16/2006 9:18:10 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel
LONDON (Reuters) - Dog handlers in a British police force are having to take language classes -- to communicate with their latest recruits.
Finding it increasingly hard to find suitable German Shepherds in Britain, some British police forces are bringing in dogs from continental Europe.
But there's a problem.
Although the latest arrivals possess all the attributes needed for police work, they only respond to commands in their native language.
Dog handlers at Avon and Somerset police for example, which has recruited three dogs from the Netherlands, have been given a sheet of practical commands in Dutch.
"We have learned a few Dutch phases which the dogs have been trained to respond to," said Sergeant Hardy Hussain, who traveled to Valkenswaard in the Netherlands with PC Paul Nesbit-Bell and PC Andy MacDonald to choose the dogs.
"The handlers who look after the Dutch dogs are now able to fluently speak the commands," he added in a statement.
The Dutch hounds are expected to be fully operational with the force in eight to 10 weeks.
(Please Freep-mail me if you’d like to be on or off the list.)
But there's a problem.
Although the latest arrivals possess all the attributes needed for police work, they only respond to commands in their native language.
So, the Brits actually found dog trainers that bark? Memo to Reuters...the only "native" language for dogs goes something like this:
Woof, woof!
sorry, there is a video link on the page, watch it.
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