Eight more canines, all female labradors, inducted into force; security agency now has 60 sniffer dogs to ensure safety of commuters

As the Delhi Metro expands — a section of the Pink Line was thrown open to the public on March 14 — the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is in charge of the Metro rail network’s security, has also expanded the strength of its dog squad.

For phase III of the Metro, eight more sniffer dogs, all female labradors, have been inducted into the force to help personnel protect vital installations.

With this, the number of canines in the CISF dog squad has gone up to 60 — 31 labradors, 17 German shepherds, 10 cocker spaniels and two golden retrievers.

Constable P.V. Shinde, the handler of Jojo, a female labrador, said that all dogs in the squad start their day at 7 a.m. every day.

They are first taken on a walk so they can relieve themselves, then they get an hour-long physical training session with their handlers, and then they come back and start their workday.

“Their meal contains bread, boiled eggs, cod-liver oil, boiled meat and vegetables. Each dog has one handler who has at least two months’ basic training on how to handle dogs. Handlers also get training,” said an official.

The handlers then take the dogs to the Metro stations and trains for their four-hour shifts. “The dogs sniff out explosives and prevent potentially catastrophic attacks in the Metro. While on duty, the handler keeps a water bottle and food for the canine in his back-pack,” said a senior official.

The CISF’s dogs are deployed at eight strategic locations on the Delhi Metro so they can sweep the maximum area.

People-friendly

German shepherds can be aggressive, but labradors are generally friendly dogs and adjust easily to Delhi’s climate. Smaller in size compared to the rest of their squad-mates, cocker spaniels can easily sniff out objects in the area below seats on a Metro train.

“We prefer labradors and cocker spaniels for the job as they are people-friendly. While they are on the job, people try to touch them, but they never react aggressively,” said an official.

In case they find any suspicious bags, the dogs sit quietly near them.

The dog standing still at a spot is a signal to the handlers that there is a suspicious object there. The handlers then inform the CISF officials about the bag for further action. The dogs are trained not to bark, growl, scratch or bite the object as it could trigger a bomb.

“Though both male and female dogs have similar sniffing ability, female dogs are more attentive to their duty as compared to male dogs, who sometimes get disturbed by other smells in the air,” said a handler.

The squad is headed by an inspector-rank officer, while each dog is handled by a personnel of the rank of head constable or constable.

The dogs stay in spacious, modern kennels at Shastri Park dog kennels. Each kennel is equipped with facilities, including a bed, an air-cooler, bowls and a fan. “We take special care of the dogs’ hygiene and their kennels are washed everyday. A veterinarian visits them regularly,” said a handler.

In-field training

The dogs are groomed regularly to prevent them from contracting seasonal skin diseases such as external parasites, ticks and lice.

The new additions to the squad, the eight female labradors, were trained at the Border Security Force’s National Training Centre for Dogs in Madhya Pradesh’s Tekanpur for six months, before being sent to Delhi for field training.

The official said that all the canines are currently nine-months old and arrived in the city in December 2017. The dogs were initially purchased through a tender process.

“These dogs are an additional layer to the existing security system. We especially chose cocker spaniel as this breed is known to be very efficient at sniffing out suspicious items. At the same time, they are very friendly with the public. As airport and Metro stations are crowded, we did not want the passengers to be scared of dogs. Cocker spaniels are smart, quiet, and friendly. With their induction, we have a stronger hand when it comes to maintaining vigil,” an officer said.

On the other hand, German shepherds tend to be ferocious, aggressive and agile. They are mostly used for biting and manning areas, especially in Naxal areas. Labradors are comparatively docile and are used to sniff out arms, explosives and narcotics.

Naming dogs

Stella, Maya, Alle, Ruby, Nikke, Alis, Nema and Heena are the latest additions to the squad.

The names of the dogs are proposed by their handler before sending it for approval to higher authorities.

“The handler suggests name and the file is sent to senior officials for approval. After getting the permission, the dog is named. They [dogs] are part of the force and they are treated as a sepoy,” said an official.

10 years of service

The eight new dogs will serve for around 10 years before retiring. After their tenure in service, they are given up for adoption through NGOs.

“We do not charge from the NGO. The dogs are like any other servicemen in the force. They are adopted by people through the NGO. We keep records of people who adopt the dogs and we keep visiting them to check if the dog is being treated well or not,” said an official.