Crime Course Ends with a Bark, Not a Whimper

Officer Pagane and Angel
The talents of the Baldwin Borough Police Department’s K-9 team, Officer Bob Pagane and Angel, were on display at the final “Close Look at Crime” class, co-taught by ex-Police Officers Dave Shifren and Ron Freeman.
Shifren and Freeman
Pagane, a friend of Shifren’s, described and demonstrated for the class the well-honed skills of his K-9 police dog, Angel*. Angel is a Belgian Malinois (Mal-in-wha), bred in Holland specifically for police work. The Mal is basically a smaller version of the German Shepherd, though with advantages over the breed which has been synonymous with the term, “police dog.” Because of its compact size, the Mal performs better in tight spaces, such as automobile trunks (where they may sniff for hidden drugs); its reduced size translates into longer service life because it is less prone to Hip Displasia, a disease common in larger dogs. And, importantly, a Mal’s “through the roof” energy level makes it virtually tireless. “I often work a twelve hour shift,” Officer Pagane says. “Angel will sit in the squad car, continuously scanning the scene outside the car windows–no lying down, no distractions–during the entire shift. She’s on duty until I tell her otherwise.”

“There are several reasons why I chose this dog,” Pagane states. “First and foremost are her social skills. Anybody can pet this dog. She’s not going to bite you…unless I tell her to.” Angel proved her handler’s claim by sitting patiently as students rubbed her head. “Another reason is, her tremendous drive–her desire to fetch her toy, a tennis ball. We call it ‘ball drive’. She will track human scent for 60 yards–or a mile and a half–hoping that, at the end, as a reward, she’ll get to chase her tennis ball (thrown by her handler). Third is a personal reason. She gets along fine with my other dog, a male Shepherd, and with my two cats.”

The questions came fast and furious, from the thoughtful to the playful. Question: “How can I get my dog to stop barking at the mailman?” Answer: “When dogs bark they are in effect saying, ‘Stay away–this is my master’s house.’ So when the dog barks at the mailman and the mailman leaves, the dog thinks, ‘Wow, this works.’ But if you get him to stop barking at the mailman, he won’t bark at the burglar.”

When Pagane mentioned that he has to take Angel with him when he goes on vacation, my wife offered to board her at our house. Great idea, I thought. Angel probably needs a change of pace, too. Our three pound dog, Cookie, could put her wise on how to have fun, relax, and let the humans know who the leader of the pack really is, without having to chase after a silly tennis ball.

Cookie

Len Z

See Officer Pagane and Angel article in Tribune-Review: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/southwest/s_514526.html