Dogs of the Special Protection Group undergo training at the ITBP’s National Centre for Training Dogs in Bhanu. tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 31

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) is training sniffer dogs employed by the elite Special Protection Group (SPG) that is responsible for providing security cover to the Prime Minister.The first such batch of SPG dogs is undergoing training at ITBP’s National Training Centre for Dogs (NTCD), co-located with its Basic Training Centre at Bhanu near Chandigarh. The centre was recently expanded and upgraded with new training infrastructure and accommodation.The training regimen is of 24 weeks out of which they have already completed seven weeks. The dogs include Labradors, German Shepherds and Malinois. The number of SPG dogs being trained by the ITBP is being kept a closely guarded secret.Last year, the SPG had approached the ITBP for urgent allotment of seats at the NCTD to train their dogs in anti-sabotage checks in view of pinpointed threats. The SPG will now train all its dogs at the ITBP centre.New training methodologies have been formulated by the ITBP to train its dogs. ITBP K-9 units were the only Indian sniffer dog squads to be selected for dove-tailing with the US dog squads during the visit of President Barrack Obama to India last year. They have also validated their performance in highly sensitive operations such as Op French Toast, conducted during this Republic Day celebrations to protect the visiting French Premier Francois Hollande in addition to Op Lal Quila, Op Doga, Op Ob-Mo, Op Africa and many others that involved sanitising VVIP areas and protecting foreign dignitaries.Besides its own dogs, the ITBP trains dogs of other paramilitary forces, state police forces and some other countries. It has the capacity to accommodate and train 60 dogs and their handlers at a time. The ITBP has also trained dogs to sanitise encounter sites by sniffing out IEDs and booby traps before troops move in.

24-week drill

• The training regimen is of 24 weeks, out of which dogs have already completed seven weeks
• The dogs include Labradors, German Shepherds and Malinois. The number of SPG dogs being trained by the ITBP is being kept a secret