Cst. Dan Phillips trains with a dog as part of the RCMP Police Dog Service, Feb. 4.

(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)

Kelowna RCMP dog handlers say the best part of their job is finding missing people.

There are four handlers and dogs in the Central Okanagan, Penticton has two, Vernon has two and Kamloops has three, said Cpl. Garfield Henderson, head of the Kelowna Police Dog Services. His current dog, Maya, recently graduated from the training program and has joined the Kelowna fleet.

The purpose of the dogs and their handlers is to support police officers by locating missing people, assisting with arrests, tracking suspects and searching for narcotics and explosives.

In the last few years, they’ve also implemented a Human Remains Detection program, Henderson said.

“Our dogs have been trained to locate human remains that have been buried in the ground that can be up to… 10 feet deep.”

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police started the RCMP Dog Section in 1935. Today, there’s roughly 160 teams across Canada, Henderson said. 

German Shepherds are the dogs of choice, since the dogs are most adaptable to Canada’s climate, he said.

To become a handler, RCMP officers must first complete their training through the RCMP training academy in Regina and then must go through an apprentice program by connecting with senior handlers.

The trainees work with young dogs of about seven to eight weeks of age, teaching them what the dogs will encounter in the real world while also learning from their mentors how to become handlers. Dogs are trained daily, and weekly group exercises are held to keep their skills sharp.

Cst. Kent Wagner rewards his dog Mysan after a training exercise to find illicit drugs, Feb. 4, 2022.

(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)

After four to eight years, trainees are sent to a national dog handler training facility in Innisfail, Alta, where handlers spend six months with a dog before being stationed at a detachment. Puppies are named as part of a national RCMP campaign that allows elementary school students to choose names as part of a national contest.

Henderson's most rewarding experience was when he was stationed in Manitoba and was able to find a missing three-year-old girl.

“If we wouldn’t have found her, heaven only knows what would have happened to her but it was extremely rewarding to be able to find a little girl and reunite her with her family,” Henderson said.

A member of the Police Dog Service, reporting for duty Feb. 4, 2022.

(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)

As a second generation dog handler, Henderson said he grew up with the lifestyle of the RCMP and being a handler.

A shepherd's service will typically be between two to nine years old before they retire and will either stay with the handler or are rehomed.

Const. Simon Courtoreille has been with the Kelowna dog service since 2021 with his dog Jango.

A common misconception is where the dogs stay when the work day ends but Jango is treated as one of the family at his home, he said.

When trained to take down suspects, dogs are trained to bite specific target zones like forearms and arms, in areas that minimize the risk of severe damage.

The most challenging part of the service is how difficult it is to get into the position as it took about 10 to 12 years for Courtoreille to finish the program, he said.

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