A Dog by Any Other Name: A Gift to Dog Lovers Everywhere

By John Broad

Before John Broad ever joined the Essex police as an officer, his dream was to become a dog handler. After a long wait, he received his partner, a German shepherd named Beau, in 1987. In A Dog by Any Other Name, he shares his story of working with police dogs and the special role animals can play in ones life.

A compilation of short chapters and stories about his relationship with four police dogs and those of his colleagues, he narrates tales of funny and unexpected happenings when working with the canines. Broad discusses training and working with dogs and the joys and challenges of the job.

In A Dog by Any Other Name, he tells of his respect for the working dogs, be they herders, guide dogs for blind people, search/rescue dogs, or police dogs. He shares advice: Handle a dog, own a dog, and take a dog to your heart. Treasure the good times and laughter. Dogs fill your life, and maybe they are smiling too. All they want to do is please you and be a part of the family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Feb 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546284017

John Broad

John Broad first worked as a part-time special constable and then joined the Essex police as a regular officer at twenty and completed more thirty years of service, retiring in 2013. Broad currently lives in London, England.

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© 2018 John Broad. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/06/2018

ISBN: 978-1-5462-8399-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-8400-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-8401-7 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Prologue

Chapter 1     Meet Beau

Chapter 2     How to Handle a Dog

Chapter 3     Beau Meets Dino

Chapter 4     You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

Chapter 5     The Time of Dino

Chapter 6     Training School

Chapter 7     Time for Sven: ‘A Dog by Any Other Name’

Chapter 8     Time for Bret: The Highlight of My Career

Chapter 9     A Surprise Introduction to Wildlife

Chapter 10   Return to Bret

Chapter 11   Just Another Day at Work

Chapter 12   How Dogs Can Teach You Lessons

Chapter 13   Little Things That Catch You Out

Chapter 14   The Later Time with Him

Chapter 15   The Unintentional Police Dog

Chapter 16   Our Eric

Chapter 17   Southend Football—and Surprising a Football Legend

Chapter 18   Bruce: The Legend That Was the Unit ‘Jaws’

Chapter 19   The Dummy That Moved

Chapter 20   A Tribute to ‘the Boss’

Chapter 21   Moving On

Chapter 22   The End of an Era

Epilogue

About The Author

PROLOGUE

D O YOU OWN and love a dog? Have you ever wondered where dogs came from? It’s a fascinating story. Many centuries ago, we had wolves and wild dogs walking and hunting in packs. The basic instinct was to hunt, and how? By searching, tracking, chasing, and bringing down prey.

Somehow, wild dogs were adopted by humans, and over time domesticated breeds were developed. (It’s hard to imagine how a wild dog got bred down to the size of a Pekingese!) Some dogs revert to their basic instincts, but most manage and control their ability to do so. I was told in my early days on the dog unit that even a domestic pet with training could learn to track, but in the meantime, meet the ultimate: the police dog!

I was invited to write this book by two lovely ladies—and another lady who said if I did it, she would read it. A challenge is a challenge and invites memories.

There’s an old saying: ‘Never work with animals or children.’ In truth, each brings its own joys and problems. Dog ownership and handling can be exceptional if you love a dog.

I spent more than thirty years in the police serving my home county of Essex, and I was proud to do so. I played many roles over the years, but this book shows how seven years in particular changed me as a person. I realised my dream and lived it.

My inspiration came from my dear dad, who took me to the Farnborough Air Show where I saw an RAF regiment dog handler guarding a Vulcan aircraft. In the back of my mind, I never stopped thinking of that, though I never expected how it would drive me.

I went to an agricultural college with the intention of going into farming issues. Despite my qualifications, I made no progress. I did company work, got fed up, and joined the police. My dream was getting bigger and nearer.

Due to police rules, I had to wait for five years before I could apply to be a dog handler, but finally the day arrived. Seven years of giggles, trust, and faith followed with four-legged friends and work colleagues who were all unique.

I dedicate this book to those special dogs and their loyalty. It was a pleasure to work with them each day and night. Their office is the open, and my respect is deep.

CHAPTER 1

Meet Beau

I   PASSED THE TEST to see if I was a suitable candidate for dog handler. I went through an interview, and then I got a call from the unit boss: ‘Sorry. You’re on the list, but too early.’ The police had a rule that no specialist can move with under five years of service. I was devastated. Was my dream ever going to happen?

Six months later, I got a phone call at work from the dog-unit boss. An internal issue had resulted in two dogs being eligible for rehandling. ‘You are selected,’ he told me. ‘Get to the HQ dog unit, and we will set you up. Speak to the unit sergeant. He’ll deal.’

I was doing cartwheels inside. I drove the panda car to the HQ dog unit and met one of my mentor heroes: Paul, the unit sergeant. After a brief chat, he said, ‘I’ve selected your dog. Let’s go to the kennel and meet him. You’ve got Beau.’

I turned a corner to an outside kennel and run, and I stood in wonder. Here was all I ever wanted. Sitting in the run was a long-haired black-coated shepherd with tan legs and koala tufts on