Arbutus #MyFirstAutomatic with @benwhoah (Part 3)
Part 3: My First Time being a K9 (Dog) Handler @benwhoah
Meet Benjamin Wong, also known as @benwhoah on Instagram. Here he shares with us his first experiences with Arbutus and how Arbutus Calendar Automatic AR905RBF is an ideal choice for his first mechanical watch.
What do k9 dogs do?
There’s different job scope for K9 dogs like there are Police K9 dogs where they are trained to sniff out drugs and illegal materials such as bombs, also some are trained to attack criminals who try to resist an arrest. In addition, we have also SCDF K9 dogs where they are trained to do search and rescue for dead bodies that are trapped under collapsed buildings and also fire investigation whereby they are deployed to search the source of the fire.
During their freetime, they would rest in their kennels and sometimes we would even take them out for a walk, run or even play ball with them in the big open field.
What breed of dog is used as a k9?
Most K9 dogs are Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds as they can be easily trained and they are quite obedient. Mostly we would want the k9 dogs to be male as they are more brave as compared to female dogs but there are a few female dogs too.
How did you become a k9 handler? Why do you want to be a k9 handler?
As a dog lover person, I've decided to try out for the interview for being a SCDF k9 dog handler and so I went for it and surprisingly I got into it. As for the requirement, we have to be very fit as the k9 dogs are huge and we need to have the strength to control and handle the dogs there.
What are the duties of a k9 handler?
For my duty I was assigned to train the dogs for deployment and also their obedience training. Sometimes there is an emergency turnout, so I have to be well prepared for it like I have to prepare myself and the dog equipment.
What’s one of your most memorable moments as a k9 handler?
The most memorable moments is that I get to bond with all the dogs everyday as mostly I would bring them out for a walk and also to play catch with them during my free time.
Many consider k9 dogs to be aggressive, are they?
Not all K9 dogs are aggressive, some are only trained to do search and some are only trained to attack so it all depends on the dog personality as well if we see a little bit of aggressiveness we would separate them with the least aggressive dogs.
What is the future of k9 dogs?
Once they have completed 10 years of service with the force, they will be sent for adoption and now there’s a scheme whereby the handlers could also adopt them home. Normally the public would adopt them as they are well trained and well obedient.
