Pocket, a seven month-old Belgia Malinois puppy, was brought to It Takes a Village Animal Rescue and Resources as part of an ongoing transfer between the rescue and an Oklahoma shelter. Pocket, a seven-month-old Belgia Malinois puppy, arrived in Muscatine to Jessie Ng as a regular foster volunteer for It Takes a Village.
Ng was struck by Pocket’s intelligence and focus on training when she brought the dog home. Even the most lively puppies could not match Pocket’s drive and passion when she played fetch, which Ng managed to teach her in just one attempt. Although it was quite a struggle, Pocket gladly leaped to catch Ng’s Kong ball when he tossed it up a tree.
Ng performed some hunting tests together with her as she knew how screening puppies is done to find future working dogs. Ng noticed the strong energy and focus on finding hidden objects that help distinguish working dogs. Jenny Lea Wyffels (a canine behavior trainer and consultant) approached Pocket, believing that Pocket could benefit from being placed as a working dog.
Wyffels agreed to run additional tests with Pocket. She would allow her to look for balls in different settings. Wyffels found that Pocket, like Ng was motivated to hunt and performed well in a variety situations. Wyffels bought Pocket to train her rescue dog and also adopted the dog.
After training with Pocket, Tugboat will become a drug detection and tracking canine. Pocket will work with law enforcement officers to search for illegal drugs hidden in secret locations. Wyffels said: “Pocket showed environmental stability, sociability, good drive, and extreme tenacity in her desire to hunt for a ball. Being a rescue was an additional bonus, as she is everything we like to represent as ambassadors for rescue going into working placement.”
Pocket is the first of It Takes a Village’s dogs to be trained to be working dogs. Founder of It Takes a Village, Meagan Koehler, couldn’t be happier that Pocket was chosen as a narcotic detection dog because dogs with high energy and a need for mental stimulation often perform better as working dogs than as family pets: “For a dog like Pocket, this is the best possible placement.” We are so proud of her! ”
Source: Discover Muscatine
