JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas —
The bond between a navy working canine and their handlers shouldn’t be solely essential for mission success, but in addition important for the well-being of the devoted canines. Recognizing this, the 341st Training Squadron has launched an enrichment program geared toward optimizing the psychological, bodily, and psychological growth of their MWDs.
The program stems from a deep-seated dedication inside the 341st to repeatedly improve the lives and coaching of their MWDs. Understanding that peak efficiency from these loyal four-legged warriors is significant to help the mission and safeguard the nation, the 341st has embraced the problem of implementing progressive methods to realize this aim.
One important milestone on this endeavor was the adoption of the Defense Health Agency Military Working Dog Kennel Management Principles and Procedures, printed as Air Force coverage in November 2023. Air Force Instruction 31-26 Department of the Air Force Guidance Memorandum 2023-01 DoD Military Working Dog Program now mandates the availability of bodily, social, and cognitive enrichment applications for MWDs, emphasizing the significance of holistic care in maximizing their potential.
Stacy Manns, an animal caretaker supervisor who has been working on the coaching squadron for almost a decade says, the enrichment effort has been at the very least eight years within the making. The supervisor states she had pitched an enrichment program and is glad it’s now being carried out.
“I am super excited about it, it really means a lot, to stimulate the dogs’ brain in different ways so that they get to experience a lot of different things while they’re here,” Manns stated.
The enrichment program encompasses a spread of actions designed to stimulate the MWDs varied sensory modalities:
Olfactory Enrichment: Rotation of important oils and different scents sprayed all through the kennels and compound enriches the MWDs’ olfactory experiences, offering psychological stimulation.
Visual Stimulation: Lights, blowers, and inflatable vacation decorations function visible stimuli, including vibrancy to the MWDs’ setting.
Auditory Enrichment: Music performed all through the yard throughout feeding occasions engages the MWDs’ auditory senses, making a soothing ambiance conducive to rest and focus.
Bubble Play: Safe, scented, and flavored bubbles supply a multi-sensory expertise, combining olfactory, visible, and play parts to boost the MWDs’ enjoyment and cognitive engagement.
Herding Ball: An non-compulsory play enrichment within the yard gives MWDs with bodily train and psychological stimulation, selling each health and psychological agility.
Mann says she included methods realized by her years of zoological work to develop the enrichment functions.
“When you work with animals at a zoo you don’t have the luxury of being able to walk them on a leash every day,” Mann stated. “So, you need to be able to stimulate their brains in multiple ways, so I applied the United States Department of Agriculture enrichment guidelines for captive animals and tailored that to our canine population that we have here.”
The 341st TRS commander, Maj. Jordan Criss, says they deeply care about their MWDs and are repeatedly searching for methods to optimize the MWDs’ well-being and efficiency.
“We will continue to build upon the foundations laid from recommendations offered by the Holland Vet Clinic and our team’s ingenuity on how to execute the intent with the resources on hand,” Criss stated.
Looking forward, the commander says they’re already planning to additional improve and modernize the enrichment program. Future initiatives embody incorporating a rotary canine walker and train kennel runs. Mann says there may be already a rotary canine walker that’s operational at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., in order that they know it really works.
“The rotary dog walker will not only be an opportunity to socialize the dogs safely, but they will get the right amount of exercise needed to reduce unwanted behaviors,” Mann stated. “ We will be able to multiply the number of dogs that are exercised daily, we have over 800 dogs, but we do not have 800 care takers, so it will be very helpful.”
The squadron commander states, knowledge assortment and evaluation can be ongoing to evaluate the influence of this system.
“We will gather and analyze data to make informed decisions on what activities are proving most beneficial, while reducing injury and illnesses comparative to previous trends prior to the existence of the program,” Criss stated.
The enrichment program represents a dedication to the holistic care and growth of navy working dogs. By prioritizing psychological, bodily, and psychological enrichment, the coaching squadron not solely enhances the well-being of those invaluable property but in addition strengthens their capabilities to help mission success.
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