School for dogs opens in Bogor

BOGOR (JP): A school for dogs, thought to be the first in the country, has been opened at the state-owned Bogor Agriculture Institute's Veterinary School.

The special school, which was inaugurated Saturday, will teach the four-legged students a variety of skills covering defense and protection, institute representative Nora Gustina said.

For a fee of Rp 125,000 (US$40.30) per three-month course, the dogs will be trained daily by members of the National Police headquarters' K-9 squad.

Squad chief Col. Oediono said the school was looking to encourage people to protect themselves by having well-trained dogs.

Nora said that the school offered three modules; friendly dogs, watch dogs and multipurpose dogs.

"The first module will train dogs to be nice pets which can also safeguard the house. The watch dogs module will teach the animals special skills to protect their masters," she said.

The last module would enable the dogs to defend themselves, and trace and attack attackers, she said.

Nora said 25 dogs of various breeds had already been registered for the first class.

Any dog that passes the enrollment test can attend the school, said Second Lt. Nasib Damuro Sianipar, one of the dog trainers.

"If the dog is able to retrieve something thrown by the master, then it shows that it is smart enough to accept the training."

Sianipar said that imported breeds like the German Shepherd and Doberman were more intelligent and easier to train than other breeds.

"It will be easier if you train your dog when it is only one or two years old as it will be able to absorb more," although he did not rule out training older dogs." (24/cst)