Dan Y Rheolaeth Newydd wrote (see)

Yes but I do wear my hair a little shorter these days though!

On the sides as well?

Sorry couldn't resist.

I like the police van stripes. I really used to like the old police cars as I reckon the strips were better then. Of course now it is all about visibility not style, but I do think they used to have more style in the livery back then.

BTW what other breeds of dog were used for the GSD type of police dog? I always wondered if the police got a better deal off the breeders if they stuck to the one breed. There must be other breeds that could perform as well or better than the GSDs which if there was a shortage then the other breeds could help with that. I know they use other breeds such as the springer spaniels and even labradors for sniffer dog duties but for the general crowd control other breeds have the presence and guarding tendancies needed.

They did experiment in some forces with Bouviers and other large dogs, but generally, you cannot beat the GSD as the best all round dog for GPD (General Police Duties)

As you say, there are other specialised disciplines such as drugs sniffers, body locators etc, and these are catered for with breeds better suited to scenting and less of a guarding instinct such as spaniels, BCs Labs and the like.

Brave of you to go tash, what style is it now? Visions of a handlebar tash suiting you sir.

What about the belgian shepherd dogs? The ones that look a little GSDish but are separate breeds popular rouund that part of Europa and gaining over here. Most just call them GSDs anyway.

Rhodesian Ridgebacks - superb dogs. Thats what we had.

Good man Rocky!

I now live in a flat and work all day, so i wouldn't have a dog. I miss walking with a dog on the hills.

One of the problems with some of the larger breeds were that GSDs are VERY good at a "controlled" bite, that is enough pressure for a firm "hold" of a fleeing suspect but not too much pressure and then the GSDs were VERY good at the "hold" and then an instant release on command.

It was very difficult to train some of the other larger breeds to do this as some have an instinct to "rip and tear" rather than release a bite and are not so clever at the "hold."

In some countries, dogs are used as a form of oppression, and therefore the "controlled" bite is less of a worry.

In fact, the use of RRBs by South African Police was traditional from the days of aparthied when quite frankly, they didn't care if they ripped the asses off suspects!

Belgian shepherds have a slightly more "placid" nature and can be more easily intimidated.

German Police still use dobermans by tradition, but again, they can be a breed subject of intimidation.

GSDs are still the "kings" of the police world!

Are RRBs the punks of the dog world? I dig that thing down the back that gives its name, what it it? Oh yes, the ridge. Weren't they originally used for hunting lions where the bite and tear is not necessarily an issue?

Dobermans are the brown and tan dogs which are quite slim, but Rottweilers are the brown and tan dogs which are big and beefy. Is that right? I keep mixing them up.

It was the bigger one of those that one of the plumbers I used had. I came home tofind the van outside with this huge slobbering hulk of the dog barking and snarling at the window to get at me. I went indoors and spoke to the plumber who promptly said he was a big softy and was only about 7 months old. It was just about the biggest Rotty I had seen and indeed ever seen so the prospect that it was still growing kind of freaked me a bit. Of course the owner then went on to tell me it was as mad as a hatter but a real softy who never harmed anyone. But, and this was a big but to me, he had to share his lithium with it to calm it down at times. So now I had a big man who was on drugs for his mental health who owned an almost as big puppy who was also taking these drugs. At which point he went around to the other side of the van to let it out to say hello.

Man I was by the door ready to slam it shut quicker than you could say yellow mellow! Any way,first thing it did was to run in the opposite direction to the one I had take a sniff then turn back and trot around the van to see what was the other side... ME!

Anyway it took no interest in me shivering in fear but went along the road a bit to see what was around. Then it came back to me and was the softest thing you could ever meet. It was so nice.

I have found that before with this breed and do think some of the most fearsome lookin breeds are often rather friendly if they are introduced to you. Never approach an unknown dog BTW as you won't know its history or personality.

I also met a bitch great dane recently. Whils I was sitting on a pub picnic table bench it was looking eye to eye with me. When it put its front paws onto the bench next to me it looked down to me and let me make a bit of a fuss of it. It particularly like a tickle behind the ears.

It was tied to the next table's bench leg with the two owners sat on it. When a staffie came along and all the other dogs took offence at it by barking aggressively (which the staffie returned) this dog gave a few deep barks and took steps forward. This was one dog who would finish pretty much anything started by another dog. It would also take the picnic bench, the bench between its bench and the dogs and pretty much anyone sat at those benches too. It was all muscle, really was well toned for any dog. I reckon their owners had a reall show dog that was well looked after and excercised as it really looked good.

Needless to say it had good guarding instincts and was looking around all the time for potential threats at which sign it would let out an almost inperceptible growl that would result in a bark if the threat didn't walk away. This happened to a few people for no apparent reason and one dog (a small terrier not of staffie heritaage neither).

No good for police as too big, to expensive to keep and too short lived to get their money's worth.

I once went to an Irish Wolfhound shelter, (on business) and sat on a seat waiting for the owner....when in trotted the biggest wolfhound I have ever sen.  He didnt break step...just trotted up to me, till we were nose to nose...then he started to drool....

I'm good with dogs, but that one really spooked me out...

Love that breed. In fact if I ever had the lifestyle, money and house to own a dog I would get one of those lurchers that look like a smaller version of thee Irish wolfhound. I once saw a golden Irish Wolfhound. Same colouring as a golden retriever. Just twice as tall and more beautiful IMO. Loverly temperment I believe.

They remind me of the lighthouse keepers dog in Fraggle Rock. (Fraggles used to scaree me when I was very, very little and that dog always chased them so probably explains why I like them).

Still  my personal preferences for dogs are of the true working type. The ones that might not make a breed standard but are fit for the purpose they were bred for. Lurchers IMO meet this as do some of the JRTs you see. The longer legged JRTs which can still go to ground after a fox if need be as opposed to those shorter legges one now being used for ratting. A true and original JRT was a dog able to run with horse and hound yet still able to flush out a fox when it went to ground. Brave and tenaceous of temperament as it would have to take the fox on underground to flush it out. If anyone owns a JRT you will know just what I mean, it has its own mind and won't back down. Needs good training too otherwise it will run you.

Time to go wrote (see)

...............................................No good for police as too big, to expensive to keep and too short lived to get their money's worth.

Too dull too.

That is the problem with most of the larger breeds, they just are not intelligent enough to be fully trained with the full range of skills required of them.

Rotties are totally unsuitable due to their jaws, once they have bitten, their jaws almost lock requiring  tearing action for release, absolutey useless for "stopping" a fleeing suspect without inflicting major injuries!

The GSD is not the most popular Police dog in the world by accident!

Returning to the origins of this thread, and one or two musings whether we (the public) would hear any more about action being taken over this.....

Thanks for that Matt, I seriously doubted it would get any media coverage.

Saw a dog in a car at the weekend near the Osprey viewpoint near Skiddaw at the weekend. It had two windows partly open but was in the back so the air probably didn't circulate as well back there. People still don't listen. I hope the RSPB or Osprey watch person whose dog and car it was cares as much about their dog as the wild Osprey and ceases to do that. At least that day wasn't hot but still it could have reached over 2o odd degrees Celsius even on that day in the car.

GSDs are guarding/shepherding dogs so it is in their nature to watch and warn about threats. Hence the barking and sniffing crotches. Its how they tell if you are a threat or if you have wet yourself at their barking. Still, could be worse as you could have a Rottie with its hard biting, jaw locking muzzle in your crotch. Think on the scheme of things I'd rather the police have GSDs, or even better cavalier king charles spaniels as they wouldn't be able to really harm you plus they are a pretty sickly breed anyway so less of a threat if the police lets them loose on you.

Is it true you can get a certain well known product or chemical that if left on your trail will render the nose of a tracking or drugs dog ineffective? I remember seeing an NCIS episode where the navy/marine sniffer dogs couldn't find the AWOL marine as he had sprayed this thing around rendering the dogs useless for a few hours.

Anyway! Back on track. Don't leave our dogs in the car in hot weather.

When we did our 2 day drugs awareness course when I was in the Police, we went to Rumney Police Station in Cardiff and were introduced to the drug squad dog handler.

We were given a minute piece of "moroccan gold" and half a sliced onion. We were told to hide the piece of cannabis in the room and to smear the scent of the onion around the room, (Dogs don't like sniffing onion) We were also told to move around the room individually (6 of us) touching as much of the room as we could.

My colleague tried to be clever and attempted to hide the cannabis behind a hanging picture. It kept falling out so he eventually hid it in the crease of the couch.

The drugs dog, a "rescued" Welsh Springer was introduced into the room and started by sniffing each of us in turn and began getting VERY exited sniffing the Officer who had handled the cannabis. The handler said "good girl, carry on."

She then went straight to the picture and "indicated" to the handler that there was something hidden under the picture and you could see the surprise and disappointment in his face when he found nothing. He again said "Good girl, carry on."

She went straight to the hiding place and found it!

It was VERY impressive and the handler was relieved when we told him that the dog had been ABSOLUTELY right!

I understand that the only sure way to fool a dog's nose is to make yourself smell like the background, which is why the "Hereford pilgrims" smear themselves in sheepshit when on "evasion" exercises in the Beacons!

Good news about the prosecution too!

Trouble is if a drug dealer tried to smell like his surroundings the drugs dogs would find him quicker than if he had just carried a stash!

Yeah good news, second only to if the dogs hadn't been left there in the first place (will they get a greater or lesser sentence than a civilian would get because they were police and the dogs were police assets/dogs?)? Assuming they are found guilty after full consideration of the evidence of course.