Guard and Bark

(Paradise Valley, AZ) I've always had an appreciation for the ability of dogs to be trained to perform specific valuable functions and this story caught my eye as being something new. Abbott, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, joined the Paradise Valley Police Department and

. . . is skilled at tracking, protecting his handler, and conducting building searches and "guard and bark."

The latter technique has the dog holding a criminal by barking until the handler arrives. If a perpetrator attempts to flee, the dog will bite him.

Officials are reluctant to discuss a little known pilot program that teaches dogs to read suspects their rights during apprehension. It's these unique capabilities that explains why specially trained dogs are worth tens of thousands of dollars.