Regina police dog helps abused children talk about trauma

Maybe when you hear "police dog,"it brings to mind old TV shows with German shepherds leaping into action, disarming gun-toting bad guys.

Well, there's another kind of police dog:A tranquil, calming presence who loves belly rubs and will lick your face if you let her.

Such a dog is Merlot, a black Lab with a sweet face and a big heart, as CBC Radio's Morning Edition host Sheila Coles heard on Friday.

It's a simple concept. Kids tell their secrets to their pets sometimes if they can't trust an adult.- Sgt. Tia Froh

She's called an "intervention dog," and is used to help anxious crime victims relax as they're telling their stories.

More often than not, she's working with children as they talk with police, social workers or court staff about physical or sexual abuse.

"Merlot is that focal point as soon as the children and that family walk through the door," said Sgt. Tia Froh of the Regina Police Service.

"She calms people as soon as that happens. It's sort of a relief when people are coming to talk about some of the most intimate details of their life to a stranger. Merlot is that calming effect."

Merlot will sit on the couch while the child is being interviewed and the child can pet her, tell her a story or even lie beside her.

"Whatever it takes to make the child feel more comfortable," Froh said. "It's a simple concept. Kids tell their secrets to their pets sometimes if they can't trust an adult."

Although to the publicMerlot might seem rather laid back for a police dog, Froh argues that she's all business. In a courtroom, she will not bark or sniff out cookies.

The Lab was purpose-bred by a B.C. group and underwent rigorous training, beginning at the age of eight weeks, followed by advanced training after 16 months.

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Pro as she is, Merlot has a tendency to give a friendly visitor a lick now and then, but that's OK, Froh said: "When she started working with the children, we kind of broke the rules, because the kids all wanted kisses from her."

Froh notes when the work day is done, she and Merlot go home together.

"We're together 24-7," she said.