Dogs and helicopters probably aren’t seen as natural companions. But when the dogs are members of the RCMP canine unit and have to be prepared for rapid movement for rescue or crime fighting, helicopters become their mode of transportation.
Since training the dogs to become comfortable with the aircraft is vital, the RCMP held a week of training sessions at Namao recently, bringing in dogs and their handlers from across Western Canada. The dogs and helicopters training sessions have been held since 2002 but this was the first time one has taken place at Namao.
Staff Sgt. Dave Wood, the E Division Police Dog Supervisor out of Delta, B.C., headed up the training. The dogs, he said, exhibit some stress when the helicopter first arrives but after they’ve gone through the routine of loading and unloading a couple of times, “some of them just jump right up.”
