Chapter 195

The first item of the evaluation is following; the trainee police dog needs to obey the handler's instructions and complete various maneuvers.

After the simple command was given, Luo Lan lifted her head tightly, watching the handler; her raised tail showed she was in good spirits, she stuck close to the handler's pant leg, walking the route once, and Zhang Hu couldn't help but laugh excitedly.

"Luo Lan, well done!"

He cheered her on softly, but the next step—point waiting—required the handler to stand in the designated area, the dog to listen to the command and wait in place; after Zhang Hu gave the command, Luo Lan stood up and sat down repeatedly, her head tilting, as if she didn't quite understand why she had to stay there.

It shook its head and moved its paws several times, making Zhang Hu anxious; in the cold weather, he felt cold sweat about to break out on his forehead.

"Xiao Zuzong, please don't come over!"

His whole body showed a hint of resistance; he now regarded this as a genuine mock exam, and only he knew what fate awaited Luo Lan if he failed.

"They will be separated!"

Zhang Hu, who had spent some time with her, had already grown fond of her; fortunately, Xiao Zuzong walked a few circles in place and never approached him.

What he didn't know was that this was only the beginning; the human and dog staggered through one evaluation obstacle after another, and the final and most crucial step was the search-and-rescue.

The dog must search among dozens of boxes, following the scent to locate the trapped hostage, and upon finding it, bark loudly to inform its comrades.

The round-faced instructor frowned and announced: "The final stage, begin now!"

Zhang Hu did not follow; he looked at the maze of large boxes, among dozens of containers only one hid the trapped hostage.

Luo Lan hesitated, taking a step and looking back three times; the more she did so, the heavier Zhang Hu's heart became: "Luo Lan, charge! Luo Lan, go!"

Luo Lan blinked, then trotted into the container maze; the dog's mind is simple, after rushing in she became at a loss, sniffing this and that, while Zhang Hu's gaze grew brighter, he held his breath, his hands almost clenched into fists.

"Luo Lan, little buddy, well done!" he murmured, cheering on his partner.

Luo Lan ran around the maze in a carefree manner, then suddenly darted back, running straight to him in full view of everyone.

Everyone stared at it in astonishment.

It's over.

Not to mention the dogs that barked loudly as soon as they smelled the scent; even the others who barely passed, though it took them a long time, eventually found the container with the hostage and gave a few barks.

Looking at Luo Lan again, she had simply run back.

"What about the trapped person? Aren't we going to rescue them?"

This is the innate mission of such search-and-rescue dogs; after every major disaster, tens of thousands of soldiers rush to the scene, and countless search-and-rescue dogs follow.

In the May 12, 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, sixty-seven search-and-rescue dogs rushed to the scene; Yin Hu, a veteran search-and-rescue dog, conducted continuous search and rescue for ten days and ten nights, his paws were cut on the first day, he and his comrades located 206 trapped persons, and amidst massive dust he helped save countless victims, earning distinguished merits throughout his life.

Search-and-rescue dogs are angels in the eyes of the trapped.

Their mission is to save.

Perhaps other evaluations can be a bit lax, but this one allows no margin for error, because any oversight would mean that in reality one or several lives would die due to lack of timely rescue.

As for Luo Lan, according to the instructor's view, all her other skills are qualified; what she lacks is intensified training and her own self-control, and he can even confidently say that Luo Lan is very smart!

Her various actions indicate that her intelligence is not low, yet precisely because she is smart, this outcome occurred.

Just like our ancient Chinese rural dogs, whose intelligence ranks among the best internationally, why are they rarely seen in police dog units? Because they are too smart.

Search-and-rescue dogs must risk their lives at any moment, braving danger to cross disaster zones, exploring chaotic rubble, searching perilous areas on the verge of collapse; if they are smart, they develop their own subjective awareness, making them prone to losing control and disobeying orders.

Although Luo Lan, this Malinois, is not to that extent, she still needs thorough training; the instructor gazed at her deeply.

Having returned, Luo Lan tilted her head, looked at her partner, and plopped down sitting beside him.

Zhang Hu: "Luo Lan, find the person! Find them!"

Unfortunately the dog couldn't grasp his meaning; usually a bold and aggressive spur, this time she uncharacteristically sat at his feet.

As for the results of this evaluation——

A sharp whistle blew suddenly; the round-faced instructor sighed, a big X was marked on the mock exam score sheet, and he declared: "Failure."

Zhang Hu wilted like a frost-bitten eggplant on the ground; what followed was even more despairing, as his comrades barely managed to pass.

His comrades left one after another; Zhang Hu squatted down, stroking the dog's head, and shouted in frustration: "Luo Lan!"

"Luo Lan, show some spirit!"

The fate of a trainee police dog that fails the evaluation is that it cannot even remain at the base; it is usually put up for online auction, and after review, adopted by a private individual.

Zhang Hu, who had built a deep bond with Luo Lan, had bloodshot eyes and bulging veins on his forehead as he embraced the dog's head: "Luo Lan! Luo Lan, why are you so disobedient!"

The dog let out a whimper, shook its body: "What? What do humans mean?"

It plopped down, its long, moist, cool nose pressing against the comrade's face, and whined: "Human, I'm hungry!"

Having been dragged out early in the morning to perform a series of miscellaneous actions also consumes a lot of the dog's stamina!

Zhang Hu couldn't possibly not understand its meaning; seeing its practiced movements made his head ache with anger.

At that moment, footsteps sounded from behind; being strong-willed, he immediately composed himself, turned his head, and saw the instructor.

The instructor patted his shoulder: "Young man, stay strong."

"You know Luo Lan's temperament; she's a notorious hothead in the base, not something easily trained. This was only a mock exam, and there's still time before the official evaluation. I think her obedience is a bit lacking; from now on you should train hard and think of solutions."

"It's not just a dog; it's our comrade-in-arms. Dogs may not speak, but they know who treats them sincerely and who doesn't; sometimes they may throw a tantrum like a child, and you still have a long road ahead."

The instructor's earnest teaching moved Zhang Hu deeply, and he nodded vigorously.

He never regretted choosing Luo Lan; he just felt sad, wondering whether he truly was unfit as a handler, why everyone else succeeded while he did not.

At that moment, he lowered his head in dejection.

"Whine~ whine~"

The cold, wet dog nose pressed against his forehead, making him shiver involuntarily: "Luo Lan!"

The Malinois Luo Lan circled him, saying: "Woof woof woof, buddy, what's the big deal, why are you so upset?"

It giggled, its goofy demeanor making Zhang Hu's chest tighten; his hand, poised to pat his head, hung in midair, and when he brought it down he suddenly changed the pat to a ruff, vigorously rubbing the dog's head.

The mighty, sturdy Malinois's fur was disheveled; with a swish, it ran off.

Zhang Hu: "!!!"

"Luo Lan! You little rascal!" he shouted while chasing, though he clearly knew the dog was just taking advantage of his soft heart.

Just thinking about Luo Lan's past made his heart soften uncontrollably.

Unlike other police dogs, Luo Lan is a bit older than they are; she seems carefree but has actually kept her heart closed, because Zhang Hu is not her first trainer.

He chased after, the whistling wind brushing past his ears, warm sunlight shining on his body, as the steam from his breath gradually dissipated, his consciousness returned to the day he selected his comrade.

He took a liking to Luo Lan at first sight.

Hey, this dog is cool and handsome; the moment Zhang Hu saw her, he knew she was the comrade he'd dreamed of!

The instructor warned him: "Luo Lan's temperament might not be great, she's been through a lot, and she's guarded around people."

"She's a handful!"

Zhang Hu scratched his head, his eyes glued to the dog, unable to look away: "It's fine, I have time and patience; I think she's great, the best in my heart!"

Seeing him insist on his own way, the instructor beside him silently closed his mouth.

Later Zhang Hu realized that calling her a handful was modest; she wasn't just badly behaved—she was practically a little ancestor, the comrade he himself had chosen, and he'd see it through even if he had to crawl.

He felt he had reached an understanding with the dog and become good friends, but when the actual test came and he saw the dog in that sorry state, Zhang Hu still couldn't help but break down a little.

"Luo Lan!" Seeing him grit his teeth, he looked like a heartless cad abandoning a blossoming maiden—right? Zhang Hu really was being a trainer for the first time, and Luo Lan was his first dog—no, his first comrade!

He ran quite far, straight to the place where snacks were stacked, seeing bag after bag of pet food; the dog's eyes lit up, and the saliva dripping from her tongue was so extreme it fell drop by drop.

At that moment, Zhang Hu's head ached again; he covered his forehead: "Luo Lan, what am I supposed to say about you!"

In the end, he still soft-heartedly took out a bag of pet food, mainly because he himself guessed the dog must be starving; Luo Lan beside him was anxiously spinning in circles, eager to the point of being amusing to watch.

Zhang Hu suddenly had a bright idea.

He waved at Luo Lan: "Luo Lan, come over."

Malinois Luo Lan: "???"

She tilted her head, suddenly hearing a rustling sound; the human holding a bag of pet food perked up her ears: "Woof woof woof!"

"It's delicious!"

Zhang Hu knew Luo Lan had recently become especially obsessed with this pet food; he'd looked it up online, and the astonishing price left him speechless—also, only the base's police dogs could eat it thanks to donations.

But in his heart, he still preferred nutritionally balanced, fresh dog food with a proper mix of meat and vegetables.

He grabbed a handful and placed it in his palm: "Luo Lan, look, this is bone feed."

Bone feed was the nickname he and his comrade gave to the pet food; the small, jade-white bones made the dog's mouth water three thousand feet, her sparkling eyes glued to it as she imagined the texture.

On the dry ground, suddenly many damp little spots appeared.

Zhang Hu suddenly issued a command—not difficult, but Luo Lan had previously resisted it the most; after long, persistent training, he finally got her to overcome it.

Now he saw what he'd been waiting for: the dog, whose mind was full of pet food, performed the task with astonishing ease!

Zhang Hu's voice caught, and he blurted out a high‑difficulty command: "Do it all for you!"

Luo Lan barked: "Who are you looking down on? It's a piece of cake—watch me show you a trick!"