Meet the 'other' employees of Customs Caribbean Netherlands
Meet the 'other' employees of the Customs Dutch Caribbean: Silke, Destany, Caprise, and Max. They are the tracking dogs of the Douane CN.
The dogs each have a handler who accompanies them while working. The dogs also go home every day and are part of the handler's household. A person who wants to become a dog handler must first also have the desired motivation and passion to want to work with dogs. Working with tracking dogs is a way of life because the handler has 24/7 responsibility for his tracking dog.
Training
Customs dog handlers and the dogs undergo special training together to do this work. Dogs can learn to recognize a particular scent and indicate that to their handler. During training, most dogs are trained in narcotics detection. The length of training depends on what kind of tracking work the dog and handler will do after training. Training time also depends on the dog handler's experience. There is a difference between an experienced handler or a handler who is going to work with a dog for the first time. But in general, the average training time is 3 months. The training is given in a training center in the Netherlands and when the combination handler and dog have the right skills, a period of training on the job follows.
Max is the newest colleague, he completed his training in February and is now enthusiastically at work. Depending on the health of the dog, they can work until the age of 9 or 10.
