Okay, not too many jobs today - means we'll be able to get lots of training in.
Coming to work here is definitely a lot better than it was at other
bases I've been to. Really good bunch of people here to work with.
hi ya Dave, how're you?
How did you go last time? yeah good...
At the moment here in Pearce we're working a 12-hour roster: two
12-hour days and two 12-hour nights and then four days off.
grab those..
thanks mate. Okay, first one up is Jack's: 250 biscuits...
on your board! settle up! good dog
Dogs are fed once a day - generally on your night
shift - five o'clock in the morning we feed our dogs.
g'day Dave, g'day Winnie
g'day Bill, how are ya?
Dave, do you want to hose, and Winnie, do you want to run the dogs?
yep, no worries
Picking up dog faeces with a hangover is just the worst thing on Earth.
Grab your dogs out and I'll meet you out the front.
We'll probably do about 5k. I might get you to lead it, Winnie,
we'll go at your pace because you've got that new dog.
On the way, we'll drop down, do a few sit-ups and get ready for our PFTs. Alright.
okay; no worries. Okay!
I wonder how excited Costa will be to see me this morning.
Good boy.
Having that bond with the dog always makes the training a lot easier.
I don't know, he's probably one of my best mates; we've been together for so long now.
God, I hate running. But it's good for him so it's something
we've got to do. We've got to stay operationally fit.
Up! Good boy. Stay. Costa and I have been together six years. It's been a long time.
Stay!
I don't really enjoy giving Costa injections, because I know he doesn't like it.
Good boy, Good boy. Rub it in.. beautiful
Checking temperatures is just one of those jobs that you've got to do.
Not the most pleasant, but there are worse.
Okay, we'll whack him away and throw him into the training hour to do some basics.
Okay, I'll have to get this 'Up' command nice and crisp to start him off on the obstacles.
Good boy, Costa. Stay! Costa, Up!
Good boy! Good dog.
Good boy!
Dogs only hear vowel sounds, so the commands that we
give our dogs have to have a really defined vowel sound.
Good dog!
Basically, you want to have your praise at a level where it's a nice
higher pitched sound so the dog hears it easily and reacts to that.
Costa! Heel!
Good boy!
That's good, Bill. Good boy!
Okay Bill when you are ready, dog in the down and we will do the crawl exercise
Okay Bill, crawl your dog!
Costa! Crawl!
Getting your dog to crawl is the hardest thing to teach
because they're not naturally a submissive animal.
Good crawl.
Okay, Bill, I'll bag up the first guy and give him a bite on the bag
and then I'll go through and miss Kane, bag the second one - that's Winnie's dog. I want you
to come through straight after, once I'm clear, and get Kane on the arm. Alright, mate?
Yeah, not a problem.
We used to have dogs that were man-eaters. We still have that misconception that they are.
Now, we more have a dog that is controlled aggression rather than outright aggression.
I could put Costa in a crèche full of kids, they could pull his ears,
pull his tail and he wouldn't do anything until I gave him a command.
Find him. Good dog, that's it.
That's a boy! That's a boy!
He's close now, Marty.
Good boy! Good dog!
Where is he? Where is he? Find him.
You! Hold! Hold or I'll release the dog!
Costa, attack! Good boy, get him!
Good dog! Good boy! Good dog!
You! Drop the weapon! Drop the weapon!
Intruder! Stand still.
Kosta, LEAVE! HEEL! At Heel!
LEAVE! HEEL!
Intruder, I'm about to search you. If you make any sudden moves or escape
or attack me, my dog will attack without command - do you understand? YES.
Down! Good boy, stay there while I'm searching him
If you love animals, you like doing many different things, enjoy
working in a team environment and by yourself, and you're looking
for a challenge, that's it. You have a best friend. Get paid
to have a best friend. Get paid to walk a dog. It's great fun.