School for dogs opens in Bogor

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)