Update
PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Plettenberg Bay's newest crime fighter-in-training, Blackie the German shepherd, is doing very well in Johannesburg, where Tactical K9 Africa is preparing him to become the canine support for the Plettenberg Bay Crime Prevention Association (PBCPA).
Blackie has already crept into the hearts of many with his back story as a stray, before being adopted by the PBCPA from the Plettenberg Bay Animal Welfare Service.
Read a previous article: 4-legged member joins Plett crime fighters
His soon-to-be handler Otto Olivier says Blackie's trainers are reporting that he has shown good character traits since his arrival at the beginning of October.
“He is already able to track. He was tested several times on the discipline of tracking human scent during the first 20 days of training, and he found the person every time,” Olivier said.
Blackie is also not afraid to work in different or changing circumstances, has proved very intelligent and shows aggression towards threats.
There are, however, some areas that need more work, Olivier says, especially on discipline and obedience.
“He has a mind of his own and sometimes it takes a while for him to execute a discipline perfectly.
"Blackie also tends to get distracted by other dogs and wild animals while tracking human scent. He often lifts his head during tracking.”
Otto Olivier with Blackie. Otto will be his handler when he returns to Plett.
Next on the programme is the discipline of “apprehending a suspect”.
“Trainers are on track with his training and very confident in Blackie’s skills and abilities," Olivier says.
"They said Blackie have all the characteristics of a good patrol and tracking dog.”
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