PUTRAJAYA, Aug 30 (Bernama) -- The Serigala branch of the Army Combat Training Centre (PULADA) is expected to be a showstopper at the 68th National Day celebrations at Dataran Putrajaya here tomorrow, with the appearance of 25 trained army dogs, compared to only 10 last year.
The Serigala branch is a special unit of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) that combines army dogs with trained handlers for control, detection and combat operations.
Its assistant head, Captain Duin Anak Tat, 35, who serves as the commander of the MAF war dog detachment, who will also lead the K9 dog unit parade for the first time during the National Day celebrations, described the opportunity as a historic moment in his four years of service with the unit.
“I hope the public will become more familiar with the role of army dogs as a special asset of the MAF. With the presence of 25 dogs this year, the team appears bigger, stronger, and is a symbol of MAF’s preparedness to protect the nation's security," he told Bernama.
Duin, who will be parading a Rottweiler army dog named Storm, said that among the other breeds featured will be German Shepherds, Belgian Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds, Labradors, Pointers, Cocker Spaniels and Border Collies, each with their own specialisations as guard dogs, explosive detection dogs or tracker dogs.
Meanwhile, dog handler Sergeant Balas Anak Lain, 34, said the initial preparations of the Serigala branch team for the celebrations began in Ulu Tiram, Johor, including conducting road walk training with the army dogs for a round-trip distance of about one kilometre to ensure their stamina and control were at their best.
He said the high requests and response from visitors, including on social media, last year were the main factors for the increase in the number of army dogs, which will impact and enliven this year's celebrations.
However, he said the large number of these dogs is also a challenge, as controlling 25 dogs is not easy because fights would break out if they are too close to each other.
“Therefore, various techniques are used to get the dogs to be more 'friendly' with each other. Other training has also been conducted so that the dogs would be comfortable sharing space and not be affected by their surroundings, including the cheering from the crowd during the parade," he said, adding that he would be handling a brown Labrador named Bruno.
Veterinary staff, Warrant Officer II Anthony Jitol, 46, said his responsibility of supervising and monitoring the health of the dogs began a week ago to ensure that they were all in good condition to participate in the parade.
He said dog handlers will also provide full 24-hour attention, including fitness, nutrition and health monitoring, to ensure their body temperature is controlled to prevent issues such as fever, stomach ache, fatigue or heatstroke.
“The prolonged hot weather is a major challenge. To ensure the dogs do not suffer heatstroke, their body temperature is checked daily. A dog's normal temperature is 37.8 to 38.4 degrees Celsius. If it exceeds this range, the risk of heatstroke and seizures increases.
“If there are signs of a weak dog or a body temperature that is too high, immediate treatment is administered with fluid therapy (drip) to stabilise their condition. All treatment equipment is always on standby," he said.
In addition, he said the dogs' feeding schedule is usually twice a day, at 8 am and 4 pm, but during the parade, the feeding schedule might have to be changed, and they will also be given additional vitamins to ensure they have enough energy during this period.
“For example, if training ends at 5 pm, the dog will be given a two-hour break first, and then fed at 7 pm. Dogs may get hungry or restless, however, this schedule change is important to avoid bloating, which can be fatal," he added.
-- BERNAMA
