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| The
alpha factor |
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Every canine community has a rank
structure and every dog in the pack has a social
position. The strongest and most aggressive dog
is dubbed the alpha male.
However, it is possible for humans to assume the
position of the alpha male. In fact, dog handlers
must show themselves to be leaders of the pack.
Said Sentosa ranger-cum-dog trainer Jai Shanker:
“Let’s say you’re handling a German
Shepherd. If you fear going into the kennel, the
dog will sense your fear. So eventually, when you
go in, it will try to
overcome you and be the alpha male. You have to
show that you’re the alpha male.”
For those of us with a phobia for dogs, trying to
feign composure is a feat! But for Jai, commanding
the respect of dogs comes naturally.
“It’s just in me,” said the man
who was tasked to set up the Sentosa Canine Ranger
Unit. “When I got the dogs, I treated them
as one of us (rangers).”
While top dogs use aggression to dominate the pack,
Jai wins the affection and loyalty of his charges
by showering them with love
and attention.
“I’ve gone to the extent of sitting
in the same kennel, accompanying them during feeding
time and playing and talking to them in the kennel,”
he said. “It’s a kind of bond that you
must create with that buddy
of yours.”
Jai spends most of his working hours in the company
of dogs — maintaining the kennel and training,
exercising, grooming, feeding and playing with the
dogs. This is why he knows them so well that he
can even anticipate their responses and movements.
Now, after learning so much about Jai and his dogs,
you may be wondering why you do not recall seeing
any canine rangers on Sentosa. That is because the
Canine Ranger Unit is like an elite force that is
kept out of the public eye.
Comprising dogs specially trained to sniff out explosives,
the unit was set up last year to boost security
measures on the island.
The canine team is assigned special tasks such as
vehicle searches
and conducting security sweeps of major event locations
before the arrival of VIPs.
Said Jai, who singlehandedly set up the unit with
support and guidance from his department head: “We
are the first resort in the region to have an inhouse
security canine unit, so I’m very proud of
it.”
However, the former dog handler in the Singapore
Armed Forces said that starting the canine unit
from scratch was a major challenge.
It involved finding a suitable place to erect a
kennel, selecting the dogs, recruiting the handlers,
working out the standard operating procedures, developing
a daily programme for the dogs and training both
the dogs and their handlers.
“To see the unit coming alive today —
that is really memorable, because when I started,
I didn’t know how successful it would be,”
he said.
Today, besides training the dogs and handlers, Jai
also conducts security awareness talks for Sentosa’s
front-liners and rangers, collates reports on accidents
and carries out rectification work to ensure the
safety of visitors on
the island.
Glad to play a vital role on the island resort,
he said he finds the greatest job satisfaction ”when
I make a difference and everyone feels safe on the
island”. |
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