Inside CISF's dog training school with Brajesh Kr Jha

CISF commandant Dr Brajesh Kumar Jha has been pioneering the art of preparing canines for larger responsibilities while heading the dog training school — the one of its kind in the country. He spoke to TOI's Jaideep Deogharia about various aspects of training and deployment of the canines. Excerpts:

How many dogs have been trained at the DTS and where have they been deployed?

The DTS started training dogs in 2017, and since then, at least 550 of them were trained here and deployed at various vital installations and govt buildings across the country. Wherever the CISF is tasked to take care of the security of premises, our dogs are deployed to assist the force. Also, dogs trained at Ranchi DTS are visible at airports all over the country, as airport security is the mandate of CISF. Other vital installations include railways, Delhi Metro, govt buildings in the national capital, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, among others.

Is it only the foreign breeds that are trained here?

We are a training school, and as per the norms, it is the responsibility of the CISF units to procure the dogs as per their choice and send them for training. Sometimes, the PSUs or govt buildings of a particular department, where there is requirement for a dog squad, procure the canines from breeding centres and send them to us with a handler. Our job is to train the dogs and their handlers as per various course modules available. It is true that the majority of the dogs being sent here are of known foreign breeds, but recently we trained an indigenous breed — Mudhol Hound, which is deployed at Satish Dhavan Space Centre at Sriharikota. We have decided to identify more indigenous varieties and train them.

Can dogs once trained at DTS be handled by anyone?

We have a course module in which both the dog and the handler gets trained. Since the dogs are not procured by the CISF and instead by the agency where CISF is deployed, there often comes a tricky situation when the handler, who is a CISF recruit, is transferred, but the dog remains with the agency that procured it. We are trying to find a solution so that the handler remains with the dog during its eight-year service term.

What kind of training is imparted and for how long?

Dogs can be used as trackers after undergoing nine months of training. They are also used in detection of various items like explosives, narcotics, and valuables after undergoing six months of training. After deployment, when the dogs do not get the opportunity to participate in the drills they were originally trained for, they might require a six-month refresher training. During the various training modules for dogs, the handlers undergo three weeks of training. There is yet another training available for handlers for a supervisory position, known as the Kennel Management Course.

Can technology replace the dog squad from policing operations?

Dogs are gifted animals which have Jacobson's organ, making them incredible sniffers. No technology has been able to replicate this, and at many places, dogs work better than scanners. Sometimes their presence makes those with criminal intents jittery and helps security apparatus to identify and corner them.