OKLAHOMA-based company, Torchlight K-9 has been training super agile Belgian Malinois dogs for the US police force for over 35 years.
Ted Summers, their main decoy, told BTV: “I jokingly say that I teach dogs to find stuff and bite people.” Having worked in the field for many years, Ted cannot even remember how many times he has been bit.
He said: “These dogs bite people for a living, that’s what they do - I can’t count the number of times I’ve been bit.” Torchlight trains their dogs right from as soon as the puppies are able, as they also have a breeding programme.
“We breed them and raise them then from the time they’re puppies, at about eight weeks old, we start preparing them for the job” explained Ted.
The company breeds and trains Dutch and German shepherds, but their main breed is the super agile Belgian Malinois.
“The breed originated in Belgium, and they are extremely fast and powerful,” said Ted.
Due to their hyperactive and sometimes aggressive nature, these are not the type of dogs you would want in your home.
“The things that make them great working dogs, and make them great at what they do, make them terrible pets - they tend to be a little extra than your average pet” warned Ted.
The qualities that Ted looks for in a dog are sociability, environmental stability in dark rooms with loud noises, and health.
“If we have a dog that doesn’t meet the standards, and if they don’t possess that drive, we will place them in pet homes where they can hang out in people’s backyards” said Ted.
Governments have been trying to develop machines that can detect contraband, narcotics, explosives and people, but Ted claims these have never managed to match what dogs do.
He said: “The government has spent a bazillion dollars on trying to make a machine that does it and they still can’t beat the dog’s nose.”