Page 88 - World of Animals - Issue #36

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Superpower dogs update

We have been following Halo’s progress for four months now, so it’s time to catch up with her handler, Miami-Dade fire captain

Cat Labrada, to see how Halo’s training is coming along and whether she has what it takes to be a superpower dog…
How is Halo doing, and has she achieved But then after a while of doing that, we progress
any new milestones? to Halo having to find the person not knowing

She’s good! She’s doing stuff on the rubble pile where they are hidden. She’s doing really well!
now, learning how to run on the rubble with her We had somebody go in the tube and she
agility and it’s coming along really well! Imagine sniffed them out – four tubes over I had put an
a mound of broken-up concrete; in some places open tin of cat food and she didn’t pay attention
it’s 1.8 metres (six foot) tall, and in others it’s three to that, so we are starting to add in lots of
metres (ten foot) off the ground. distractions as well. That’s huge, because when
Before, we only trained on the ground, running you get to a disaster site there are all kinds of
along the ground to the bark barrels [tubes that distractions – refrigerators, bags of food, garbage
people hide in for Halo to locate] for the tug-toy. – and you don’t want her to be more interested in
But now she’s running across rubble, which is the those things than looking for a human!
“Picked up a copy of agility aspect of her training, to get to somebody
@WorldAnimalsMag on random that has her tug-toy, so it’s just applying what she’s Finally, how is Halo doing at home when
today and it’s beautiful! This will learned on the ground on to the rubble. she’s ‘off-duty’?
become a regular!’ She’s still very mischievous and still very playful!
Is there anything that she’s struggling with? She wants to play all the time – my other dog just
@Aoife_Lawlor
The heat is a huge factor right now because it’s ignores her! But she’s not as boisterous or in your
very hot here in Miami! It’s nearly 40 degrees face as much as she used to be; she’s got a lot
Latest Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and conditions better. She has her moments but we work through

digital are difficult for her. But she’s getting better at it! I wish I had more time to train with Halo as the
being able to save her energy. She gets a little
weather is so hot at the moment, but I’m enjoying
edition worked up in the kennel. I’m teaching her not to it. We actually had a night training session the
bark and expend all her energy in the kennel so other day because it was a lot cooler then.
In our latest that when she comes out she’s rested and fresh.
digital edition,

we meet the What goals are you working towards? About the film:
strangest Now she’s working up on the rubble, she needs to Superpower Dogs is a forthcoming 3D live-action
animals on use her nose more. We’ve been doing stuff blind IMAX film that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen

Earth. From a kangaroo the size of a and getting her to work it out – motivating her to before. Through the magic of the giant screen, the
cat that lives in trees, to a marmoset want to use her nose more than her other senses. movie and its accompanying exhibition, which is in
the size of your hand that blows We have scent tubes (known as bark barrels) collaboration with the California Science Centre, it
raspberries when it mates, discover that we put somebody in, on the pile or on the will immerse you into the way that dogs think and
the most bizarre creatures in the ground. We have a few of them and then she has work, and tell the incredible story of how man’s
animal kingdom. Find out more at to use her nose to figure out which one the person best friend is able to fight crime, save lives and put

www.greatdigitalmags.com is in. In the beginning they will tell her by calling wrongs to right. Find out more about the film at

her, or show her by running away and getting in it. www.animalanswers.co.uk
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