Police officers from across western Canada are in Lethbridge this week for specialized training at the Canadian Police Canine Association’s spring seminar. A total of 17 canine teams from Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are participating in the three-day event, which began Tuesday. The seminar is focused on enhancing operational effectiveness through practical exercises and knowledge sharing. Officers and their four-legged partners participate in training sessions including tracking fundamentals, behaviour conditioning and problem-solving, grip-building and proper targeting. Const. Braylon Hyggen with the Lethbridge Police Service K9 unit says there’s always more to learn and ways to improve. “The seminar strengthens collaboration and promotes consistent, high-level training standards in police canine operations to better serve our communities,” he said. “All the things that the dogs can do, there are so many different ways that we can train them,” Hyggen added. “So, we find that the best opportunity to become better at doing that is by making the dogs better, the handlers better and the whole unit better for where we serve.” Currently, Lethbridge police have two K9s on the street, with two more being trained. “We can use them as much as five, six, sevens times a night,” Hyggen said. Training scenarios are taking place throughout the city.
