Republic Day
Read the passage given below carefully.
1. Every Republic Day security in the city is beefed up. You can see a lot more of the four-legged, furry ‘canines on duty’ — everywhere from the Metro to the airport. While these trained dogs are sniffing around your bags, you might be tempted to pet them, but the CISF officials accompanying them do not approve of such behaviour on the commuters’ part. As one official puts it, “People fawn over them and ask us questions, but we don’t entertain anyone. Our dogs are soldiers, not showpieces.”
2. The CISF headquarters in Delhi has three breeds — German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers and Cocker Spaniels, and the officials claim that these are the best-trained dogs in the country.
3. We have seen Metro commuters fighting, shouting and arguing for seats and space. But if you have ever seen these four-legged soldiers in the Metro, you must have noticed how they don’t bark or even look at the commuters. Even in packed Metros, they never lose their cool. A CISF official says, “They won’t bark at or bite people. These dogs don’t bite anyone unless given the command to attack by their trainers.”
4. Usually transported in the women’s coach of the Metro, it is not uncommon to see girls and children going crazy as soon as they make an entrance. But they just ignore everyone and move only at handlers’ command. An official says, “A dog is obedient by nature. Our dogs and their handle share a special bond, which is so strong that if the handler is on leave, the dog won’t even eat. 1′ are trained to not touch or listen to anyone’s command except their handlers’. They also don’t e anything given by someone else. We train three handlers with two dogs so that when one handler is on leave, the dog doesn’t face an emotional crisis and stop eating or working.”
5. Talking about the training procedure, a CISF official says, “We procure the puppies when they are only six months old and then they are sent to the Border Security Force Academy, Tekanpur, Gwalior, for a six-month training period with their handlers (both are trained together). After the training, when the dog is a year old, he is sent for the appointed service, which he continues for the next nine years. Each dog is named by his handler and like soldiers, these dogs also have their certificates and service records.”
6. If you think these canines lead a dog’s life, you are mistaken. Says a CISF official, “He is not a dog for us; he is a soldier who assists us in our operations.” The official adds, ‘All the dogs in the kennel are trained twice a day — morning and evening. They have a fixed diet and feeding time —what the dog will eat at what time of the day is decided by doctors. As these dogs have to carry out several duties and have to stand and move for hours, they need to eat healthily.”
7. Pet parents should learn how to take care of their dogs from these CISF officials, who consider the members of the dog brigade their colleagues. The CISF has four kennels in Delhi and each dog gets a separate room, which it doesn’t have to share with another dog. Each dog also has its own belongings — a blanket, shampoo, towel — with its name on it. During the winter, they have heaters and during the summer, they have a personal cooler.
8. A soldier needs to be fit and if a dog soldier is not fit, its service has to be discontinued. Says an official, “We can’t help it. If a dog becomes bulky, we can’t take it for duty because it has to travel a lot and won’t be fit enough for all the activities. At present, we have divided all the Metro lines into two-three sub-divisions, and each dog has a four-hour duty daily.”
(I) On the basis of your understanding of the passage answer the following questions with the help’ of the given options:
(a) People are forbidden to pet sniffer dogs as…………………
 (i) they are ferocious creatures
(ii) they are their officials’ pets
 (iii) they are not metro commuters
(iv) they are soldiers, not show pieces
(b) These dogs do not bite anyone unless …………………
 (i) they are given a command to do so
 (ii) they are hungry
 (iii) someone irritates
 (iv) their trainers beat them
(c) When their handler is on leave……………..
 (i) they are given a day off
(ii) they do not work willingly
 (iii) they do not eat
(iv) they eat a lot
 (d) The diet and timing of meals are decided by …………..
 (i) their handlers
 (ii) their appetites
 (iii) their duties
(iv) the doctor
(II) Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) What happens to a dog who grows bulky?
 (b) What is the length of duty hours for the dogs?
 (c) What personal possessions does each dog have?
 (d) What type of residential accommodation does each dog have?
(e) How are these dogs trained?
 (f) How many handlers does each dog have? Why?
 (III) Find words from the passage which mean the same as:
(a) order (para 3)
 (b) dogs (para 6)
Ans. (I) (a) (iv) they are soldiers, not showpieces
(b) (i) they are given a command to do so
(c) (iii) they do not eat
 (d) (iv) the doctor
(II) (a) A bulky dog has to discontinue his services.
 (b) Each dog is on duty for four hours each day.
(c) Each dog has his own blanket, shampoo and his own towel.
(d) Each dog has a room to himself and does not have to share it with another dog.
(e) The dogs are procured as a 6-month-old puppy and sent to the Border Security Academy at Tekanpur, Gwalior, for a six-month training period along with their handlers.
(f) Each dog has three handlers, so if a handler is away, a substitute handler takes his place so that the dog does not remain hungry, as he is trained to accept food only from his handler.
(III) (a) command
 (b) canines
Download the above Passage in PDF Worksheet (Printable)
More Comprehension Passages:-
Passage No. 151 Villages Fairs (520 Words Subjective/Objective Solved)
Passage No.152 A Sleepy Little Town (530 Words Subjective Solved)
Passage No.153 Greatest Olympic Prize (570 Words Subjective Unsolved)
Passage No.154 A Wrong Man In Workers’ Paradise (660 Words Subjective Unsolved)
Passage No.155 Gulliver In Lilliput (550 Words Subjective Solved)Â
Passage No.156 OF BULLET TRAINS AND JAPANESE MANNERSÂ (505 words Subjective Solved)
This passage is all about bullet trains facts. It focuses on bullet trains in Japan and additionally it covers up bullet trains Japan speed and some bullet trains Japan facts.
Passage No.158 TITAN AND THE ORIGIN OF LIFE (558 words Subjective Solved)
Passage No.159 HABITS (600 Words Subjective/Objective Solved)
This passage is all about habits meaning. There are habits good and bad but we are discussing the habits of successful people.Â
Passage No. 160 ACHIEVEMENT (700 Words Subjective Solved)
This passage is an achievement essay including some achievement examples. This achievement definition can act as achievement speech also.
