Photo By Senior Airman Andrew Garavito | Senior Airman Josue GonzalezRubio, 460th Security Forces Squadron, Military Working...... read more read more
Raise the woof
Senior Airman Andrew Garavito
BUCKLEY SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Teamwork is defined as the work and activity of many persons who individually contribute toward the efficiency of the whole, but teamwork isn’t defined by the number of “persons,” it’s defined by the number of individuals, whether they be human or any other species.
Bonds are formed when two or more individuals are working side by side, every day to accomplish a goal. These bonds can last a lifetime and the goals for Senior Airman Josue GonzalezRubio, a Military Working Dog handler from the 460th Security Forces Squadron, and Military Working Dog Sego, can go far beyond the mission.
“The process of getting assigned a MWD is looking and matching personalities that will bind perfectly with both dog and handler,” said GonzalezRubio.
With any new relationship, there could be a rocky start. There is a long process that comes with starting a new working relationship. The more challenges and struggles the pair faced head-on, the more unbreakable their bond became.
“As a new handler, I was faced with the challenge of adapting to a new dog, getting used to his work pace, and getting to know the MWD all around,” said GonzalezRubio. “I had a difficult time at first, but with a lot of training and time management dedicated to Sego, we overcame and eliminated our issues and became validated and certified together.”
One of the main challenges that a dog handler faces is getting to know the personality behind the dog, and learning to adapt to that to perform their duties. There’s a long learning period for both the dog and the handler where they both have to trust and rely on each other to showcase their compatibilities. This is crucial to protecting the Department of Defense and its assets.
“The training scenarios we go through include explosive detection training, intruder detection training, and controlled aggression training,” GonzalezRubio explained.
MWD are extremely hard workers and Sego is no exception to that. He works hard to please his handler and GonzalezRubio works hard to please him. GonzalezRubio explained how Sego is a sweetheart but can switch up instantly to perform his duties.
They continue to work together every day whether it's performing obedience obstacle courses, grooming, or arming up and performing simulated training situations.
GonzalezRubio said he always wanted to be a dog handler, and thanks to his and Sego’s effort, hard work, and determination, that dream will continue to flourish.
“The relationship between MWD Sego and myself is something best friends share,” said GonzalezRubio. “He is family.”
| Date Taken: | 09.24.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.30.2021 14:34 |
| Story ID: | 406435 |
| Location: | AURORA, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 97 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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