Happy Memories Of Army Dog B308 Paddy by Roy Oswick

By the late Roy Oswick…….

Hello readers,

MP Guard Dog B308 Paddy here again. Just thought that I would bring you up to speed with the happenings around the kennels.

Remember that when I left you we had finished training our new handlers and were preparing to start patrolling. Well a number of things have happened since then. We have been working for real for about 4 months now and it has been an interesting period to say the least.

You will recall that Mr Universe failed the training course but he came back on the next one and eventually did pass after a struggle. The dog allocated to him was Sprint if you remember and he would have nothing to do with Mr Universe ANYWAY after being reallocated to him, Sprint simply shut up shop and refused to co-operate. Refused to obey his orders, would not even let him groom him, (and for Sprint that was serious stuff as he always likes to look his best) Given that, I am surprised that they did not get on, they after all they have many similarities. However Sprint had made up his mind and gave every indication that he would attack him given the opportunity. Eventually the Veterinary Sgt gave in, and allocated him another dog. This one is called Frisky and he has the kennel next to mine on the opposite side to Marty. Frisky is the senior dog in the kennels and he has got vast experience. He knows the patrol areas backwards and he has had 7 arrests of intruders, more than any of us.

He is a very good dog but has a tendency to be moody, seldom joins in the night time discussions and tends to keep himself to himself. He can be unpredictable and even when he knows his handler, if he does not want to do something, nothing will shift him, but, when he is on duty he is outstanding. Because of his mood changes it is wise to put a muzzle on him for the first few minutes of exercise or grooming, and when we are on the truck going to our place of duty.

I don’t think I mentioned this before but in all of the depots that we patrol there are several huge open air water tanks. They hold several thousand gallons of water and are placed quite near to the massive storage sheds so that if there is a fire, the fire fighters have an instant supply of water to fight the fire.

They are intended to be used by the fire fighters but in Tripoli, which is very hot, and soldiers being soldiers, they quickly became adapted as swimming pools and it was not unusual for the handlers to allow us dogs a little swim to cool off!! I very much enjoy that especially about 4 o’clock in the morning just to freshen up!!

What I also have not mentioned, and this relates to my story, is that sometimes the veterinary Sergeant and the Military Police Duty Officer, enter the patrol areas in order to ensure that we are doing our duty, and to test our responses.

One of them always wears the training suit and when we Pick up on them our handler shouts a Challenge and they were supposed to stop. If they do not then the handler sends his dog in to attack. Always love that part.

Anyway back to the story.

We were on our 3rd night out of four and we had made an arrest the previous night so both my handler and myself were feeling pretty good.

It had been a particularly enjoyable arrest as the intruder tried to run away, (STUPID BOY) I think he had taken about three steps when I was on him, with one arm in my mouth and just enough jaw pressure to cause a bit of bleeding. As soon as he was under control I was told to leave and I could see that he was a young man of about 15/16 years and all skin and bone. He had no chance against me and I felt almost sorry for him, but, duty is duty and he took the chance. I think my handler said that he got 3 months jail. Believe me 3 months in jail in Tripoli is plenty. No in cell TV or table tennis there. You are lucky to get food and water!!!

Anyway I digress. Since we had had a success last night we were both surprised when I picked up the unmistakeable smell of the training suit, which meant that we had an unwelcome visitor and it also meant that we had to do things by the book. As we came around the corner of one of the storage sheds the scent got stronger and I indicated to my handler that there was something here that should not be here. He then saw the suit and shouted a challenge. Alongside the person in the suit was another person and I recognised him to be the Sgt Major who must have been the Duty Officer.

Anyway they did not stop and I was sent in to attack. I had done this many, many, times and I knew that I was expected to go for the person in the suit, and in Water storage tank the past I always had done so. On this occasion however I had a brainwave and headed for the Duty Officer. I had no intention of biting him, but of course he did not know that, and he then tried to run away. He should have known better, but I gave him a bit of a head start and did not run flat out and then I saw that he was running towards one of the static water tanks. I continued to follow and saw him jump into the tank in an effort to get away from me!!!

I decided to go the whole hog, jumped in after him and steadily swam towards him. Those tanks are very deep and the combination of being scared of me, the fear of being attacked, being in the middle of a static water tank at 3 o’clock in the morning and the shock/,surprise that I had jumped into the tank, was just too much for him, and he was screaming at my handler to get that “EFFING DOG” (Shocking language) out of the tank and back under control.

I could see that my handler was finding it difficult to hold back his laughter but decided it would be best to do as he said and quickly obeyed his order to LEAVE, and SIT.

Between them the Veterinary Sgt and my handler managed to get the Duty Officer out of the water tank and back on to dry land.

I was of course back into my professional role and stayed well away from him.

To his credit after a few minutes he saw the funny side of the situation and offered his congratulations to me and my handler and had a chuckle with us about it. They then decided to leave and his parting words were that if he ever heard that this incident had got around the consequences would be dire indeed.

Well my handler may not have told anyone but I could not wait to tell the other dogs and they thought it was hilarious!!!!

“Whoever said that “A POLICEMAN’S LOT IS NOT A HAPPY ONE” should have asked a police dog!!!!!!

Till next time – I DON’T CARE WHERE YOU GO I WILL FIND YOU

Take care.