By Ed Stozek
For the Herald
The RCMP’s association with canines dates back to the 1890s when the North-West Mounted Police stationed in the Yukon used sled dogs to deliver mail during the winter months along a 600-mile route between Dawson City and across the border to Skagway, Alaska.
From 1938-55, Challenge of the Yukon was a long running radio adventure show set during the Klondike gold rush of the 1890s.
The show introduced listeners to the Mounties and their use of a police dog. Sergeant Preston and his trusty Alaskan Malamute dog, Yukon King, fought crime. In the initial episode Sergeant Preston searched to capture his father’s killer. In 1955 the radio show evolved into a television series, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon. There were also Sergeant Preston of the Yukon comics. Each show and comic always ended with Preston saying, “This case is closed, King.” Preston’s other iconic sayings in every episode included “You’re under arrest in the name of the Crown” and “On, you huskies.”
Privately-owned dogs were used until 1935 when the RCMP saw their value and created the RCMP Dog Section.
The first three Police Service Dogs were Black Lux, Dale and Sultan.
These purebred German Shepherds were used for general duty and special detection teams. In 1940 evidence seized with the help of Black Lux secured a conviction for the very first time.
In the Commissioner’s Report of the RCMP in 1940 it was noted, “As this is the first of this nature, it has been necessary to touch upon the achievements of our trained dogs during previous years whilst we were undergoing the experimental stage.”
It had been established that a trained dog was a most valuable assistant to the force and that requests were made from almost every division to send a dog or increase the existing numbers.
Some of the dogs received their training at the Rockecliffe Kennels near Ottawa and then were sent where they were most needed. In 1940, 10 dogs were in active service including one in Alberta, four in Saskatchewan, one in Manitoba, two in Nova Scotia, one in Prince Edward Island and one in New Brunswick. Of the remaining dogs at Rockecliffe, three had almost completed their training, two were females that had given birth to pups and two were owned privately by members of the force and would be used on police investigations by their owners.
The Commissioner also noted that the dog training centre at Rockecliffe would be difficult to duplicate anywhere in Canada as the conditions and surrounding countryside were ideal for the purpose.
Most of the dogs had been purchased young and untrained at $35 to $50 and once trained, their market value was $500 to $1,000. All dogs were personally handled and taught by their trainer, Special Constable C.R. Aichinger. He was also responsible for the training and instructions of the dog masters who were each detailed to a dog. “Our trainer has exemplified a thorough understanding of canine psychology and in addition is able to impart this knowledge to others with good results.”
Aichinger was also skilled as a veterinarian helping three dogs recover from pneumonia. Several of the stories that I have previously written have had references to the work of police dogs. For example, Major, a dog hero of many searches, was used in trying to track down 19 German prisoners of war who “disappeared’ from the confines of the Whitewater Camp on Oct. 31, 1943.
In another case, after footprints were discovered by the shore of Harold’s Lake in early November 1957, Tiny was called upon to help locate a 75-year-old Dauphin area woman who had been missing for several days. In 1968, Scout’s services were enlisted when a squad of RCMP came to the Dauphin area to search for an escaped convict, Percy Moggey.
Today there are more than 150 police dog teams in the force. They are an important part of frontline policing in the search for missing people, tracking down criminals, removing illicit drugs from the street and sniffing out explosives and human remains.
Thanks to the police dogs, Sergeant Preston’s words were true when he noted, “This case is closed, King.”
