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European
Breeds Prove Best
While
many of us associate large German Shepherds with K-9 units, the dogs
trained by Farley can take on a different look.
He
imports his dogs from all over Europe, noting European breeds are more
working-class than most of the American breeds.
"The
European dogs just have the drive needed to work as hard as these dogs
have to work," said Farley. "Most American dogs are bred for
pets and the drive to work just isn’t there."
Most
of his dogs are Belgium Malinois, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever
and Dutch Shepherd breeds. All but the Labradors can be used as dual
purpose dogs.
Farley
gets his Labradors from local field trials.
Asked
why he doesn’t raise his own dogs instead of importing each one,
Farley said it all boils down to economics.
"It’s
not economically feasible for me to raise my own dogs," said
Farley. "The companies I deal with in Europe test each dog before
it’s sent here. They know what I’m looking for. Out of 200 dogs,
they may find only one meeting the standards for police work."
Training
Once
a dog arrives in the U.S., it spends four weeks in intensive training
with Farley before its handler arrives for their training together.
Depending on what the dog will be used for, its training with its
handler will last from four to eight weeks.
Handlers
and dogs work together 12 hours a day, five days a week. The handlers
must pass written tests as well as field tests with their dog.
The
dogs are taught commands in Dutch to eliminate confusion. Farley
explained the dogs are from one to three-years-old when they are
purchased and shipped. During that time, the dogs have been subjected to
Dutch commands, which is common for their training in Europe.
Farley
said he uses the primary reward system to train his dogs.
"With
the primary reward system, the dog thinks his reward comes from the
source," said Farley. "The source is whatever the dog is
searching for—drugs or explosives."
The
reward is usually a pipe, sometimes copper sometimes PVC, or a chew toy.
The handler uses the same reward each time.
Once
the dog has indicated where he thinks the contraband is located, he sits
and waits for his reward. It is usually thrown near the source without
the dog seeing where it comes from. He needs to think it comes from the
source.
"Many
people think detector dogs are addicted to drugs," said Farley.
"They are not. What they want is their reward, their toy."
Farley
said one of the traits they look for in police dogs is the desire to
please themselves.
"That
dog has to want its reward more than anything," said Farley.
"If the dog is working to please its handler, that is not a strong
enough drive. The dog has to want it for itself."
If
the dog doesn’t have that kind of drive, Farley said it can easily be
distracted while working.
"These
dogs work in water, fields, schools, homes and prisons and have to deal
with all kinds of distractions," said Farley. "They could
easily be distracted by sights, sounds, smells or their situation. They
have to stay focused."
That’s
where genetics and the proper training give the dogs an edge.
Proper
Nutrition
In
order to keep his active dogs in peak condition, Farley feeds Sportmix
Adult High Energy 26/18 dog food he purchases at Tuscaloosa Farmers
Co-op in Northport.
Jimmy
Hughes, animal nutritionist with AFC, said Sportmix 26/18 is an
excellent nutrition source for active dogs.
"The
high level of protein in Sportmix 26/18 is good for active dogs because
they need to repair muscles," explained Hughes. "As they work,
they are tearing and breaking down muscles and cells and the high
protein level helps them repair those muscles quickly.
"The
higher fat content in the feed helps from an energy standpoint,"
continued Hughes. "It helps the dogs maintain their body condition
and energy level when they are working hard all day. It gives them
stamina."
Contact
Information
Persons
interested in contacting Farley may call him at (205) 339-7794 or visit
his website at alcanine.com.
His email address is alcanine@dbtech.net.
Susie
Sims is a freelance writer from Haleyville. |
