OKDIARIO was able to access the Canine Training Center of the Civil Guard in El Pardo to see up close what the elite dogs that solve big problems look like. police investigations and also see small demonstrations. Most dogs are trained in the following specialties: Security and rescue, detection of explosives, drugs, search for living persons and human biological remains. Peter, Maggie and Dylan were the protagonists of this report. Specifically, this newspaper was able to meet Dylan, the dog who found biological remains on a knife in the Mocejón crime; Previously, it was already a fundamental piece in cases such as that of Marta Calvo in Valencia.
Sergeant Javier Grandioso He was in charge of guiding us through the Training Center: “The first thing is to generate a good bond with the animal,” he comments at the beginning of the report. From puppyhood, dogs learn to adapt to any type of environment so as not to be afraid. “They walk around airports, shopping malls, train stations, streets…”comments the sergeant, emphasizing that achieving good sociability in the animal is the priority.
The first canine demonstration that OKDIARIO was able to enjoy was the detection of weapons by a white Labrador dog named Peter Parker. The agent who gave the demonstration was civil guard José Alfonso Jiménez. “We usually do this type of testing in a warehouse that simulates a real home so that the dog becomes familiar with the environment,” Jiménez explains. And he adds: “It is also essential to do tests in different environments and on the street so that the dog gets used to any scenario.” In this case, the farmer freezes every time he finds what his owner tells him to do. “For Peter, it’s a game. He loves to play with the ball, that’s why he encourages him to look for weapons,” the trainer explains as he throws the ball to the farmer.
The second test is a simulation of searching for human subjects in very large environments and under debris. In this case, the protagonist was Maggie. “When the dog finds people bark“It’s his way of saying that there is someone,” explains Sergeant Grandioso. “In these types of cases, we need the dog to be faster and stronger and this is due to the importance of the precision of the search, since we are dealing with living people,” explains the agent.
Finally, the third piece of evidence presented by the Civil Guard officers was the search for biological human remains by a spaniel named Dylan – also known for being the dog that indicated that there were human remains on a knife during the murder of Mocejon–, a dog who, at just 5 years old, has contributed to very important research. “When you search, you hear your breathing a lot because with it you can moisten any type of remains and discover what we are looking for,” explains the agent José Manuel Sanchez.
Furthermore, within the Dog training center, located in El PardoThere is a fully equipped veterinary area where dogs can even undergo surgery. “For me, my job is a hobby. There are days when I party and I come here. It’s a luxury“, also comments José Alfonso Jiménez. The Center currently has around 80 civil guards (400 in Spain dedicated to this specialty) and has 500 dogs.
