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OF THE CLAY COUNTY SHERIFF'S
OFFICE AND HIS PARTNER JUDGE, A
GERMAN SHEPHERD, DEMONSTRATE
SCENARIOS IN WHICH THE CANINE
UNIT IS USED.
>> MY NAME IS DEPUTY GRAFF WITH
THE CLAY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
CANINE UNIT.
MY CANINE IS CANINE JUDGE. HE IS
A FIVE YEAR OLD GERMAN SHEPHERD.
THE DOGS ARE TRAINED AS A
PROTECTION DOG NOR THE HANDLER,
OF.
THAT WAY IF A SUSPECT ATTACKS A
HANDLER OR A SUSPECT IS FIGHTING
WHILE BEING DETAINED OR PLACED
UNDER ARREST.
THESE DOGS ARE TRAINED TO PICK
UP FOUR SPECIFIC TYPES OF ODORS:
*** IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS;
MARIJUANA; METHAMPHETAMINES; AND
HA
*** IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS.
THE DOGS ARE TRAINED TO PICK UP
ON HUMAN ODOR IN A SITUATION
WHERE A SUSPECT HAS FLED A SCENE
OR WHERE A SUSPECT RAN THROUGH A
FIELD AND THREW A GUN OUT.
THE DOG CAN BE PLACED IN THAT
FIELD OF HIGH GRASS WHERE IT
WOULD TAKE MULTIPLE OFFICERS MLT
PL HOURS TO FIND A GUN, AND THE
DOG WILL PICK UP THAT HUMAN ODOR
FROM SEVERAL FEET AWAY AND
FOLLOW IT BACK TO THE GUN OR
WHATEVER THE ITEM IS THAT THE
SUSPECT HAS THROWN.
THE DOGS ARE TRAINED TO PICK UP
THE FRESHEST SCENT, HUMAN SCENT,
AND FOLLOW IT ALONG THE FRESHEST
PATH, WHICH MEANS THESE DOGS
DON'T BACKTRACK.
TRAINING OF THESE DOGS DO VARY,
DEPENDING ON THE SCHOOLING THAT
YOU GO TO AND IF THE DOG IS WHAT
THEY CALL GREEN OR IF IT IS AN
EXPERIENCED DOG, A DOG THAT HAS
BEEN ON THE FORCE FOR SOMETIME.
JUDGE AND ME, WE WENT THROUGH
EIGHT WEEKS IN TRAINING TOTAL UP
IN NORTH CAROLINA.
SOME DOGS IT TAKES TEN WEEKS,
SOME DOGS, IF THEY SHOW SIGNS
THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO CERTIFY
BECAUSE THE DOG DOES NOT HAVE
THE APTITUDE TO PICK UP THE
TRAINING, THEN THE DOGS ARE
CANCELLED OUT OF THE PROGRAM AND
THE HANDLER STARTS OVER WITH A
NEW DOG.
WHEN WE GET TO THEM, THEN NOT
ONLY ARE THE DOGS TRAINED BUT WE
ARE TRAINED TO TRAIN THE DOGS.
WE ACTUALLY DO THE TRAINING FOR
THE DOGS, WHICH TEACHES US HOW
TO MAINTAIN THE DOG'S TRAINING
WHEN WE ARE AWAY FROM THE
SCHOOL.
WHEN JUDGE GOES HOME, HE IS A
HOME BOUND DOG.
HE LIVES WITH ME, HE HANGS WITH
THE FAMILY, HE LIVES AT THE
HOUSE.
WHEN I GET READY FOR WORK, JUDGE
KNOWS WHAT TIME IT IS, HE SEES
ME IN MY UNIFORM.
HE PERKS UP, HE STARTS RUNNING
CIRCLES IN HIS KENNEL.
I OPEN THE DOOR AND I ASK HIM,
"LET'S GO TO WORK," AND THE
FIRST THING HE DOES IS RUN OVER
TO THE CAR DOOR.
OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE, LIKE MANY
SHERIFF'S OFFICES, THE DOGS ARE
KEPT AT THE HOUSE WITH THE
HANDLERS.
IT INCREASES THE BOND BETWEEN
THE DOG AND THE HANDLER.
THAT, PLUS AT ANY TIME I CAN BE
CALLED OUT AND HAVE TO GET
DRESSED AND GO TO WORK.
WITH THE DOG RIGHT THERE AT THE
HOUSE I CAN DEPLOY FROM MY HOUSE
TO ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTY
WITHOUT HAVING TO DETOUR TO A
GROUP KENNEL TO PICK UP MY DOG,
MAKE SURE HE'S ALL RIGHT, AND IT
MAKES US A MORE EFFECTIVE AND
QUICKER RESPONDING TEAM.
THE DOGS DON'T LOOK FOR
NARCOTICS, THEY DON'T LOOK FOR
PEOPLE.
IN THE DOG'S MIND THEY ARE
LOOKING FOR THE REASON THAT THEY
KNOW IF I COMPLETE THIS TASK, I
GET MY TOY, WHETHER IT BE A
TENNIS BALL, A KONG, A ROLLED UP
TOWEL, A ROPE, DEPENDING ON THE
DOG.
WHEN THAT DOG LOOKS FOR
NARCOTICS TO ALERT TO THEM, HE
KNOWS IF I SMELL THIS ODOR ...
AND I SIT, I GET MY TOY.
TO THESE DOGS, ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT THEY LOVE MORE THAN
ANYTHING IN THE WORLD IS TO GET
THAT TOY.
LIKE I SAID, THE SAME APPLIES
FOR MOST BITE WORK.
THAT SLEEVE BECOMES A TOY.
THEY'RE NOT BITING BECAUSE THEY
WANT TO KILL SOMEBODY, THEY'RE
NOT BITING BECAUSE THEY WANT TO
HURT SOMEBODY; THEY'RE BITING
BECAUSE THEY WERE TRAINED, IF I
BITE THAT ARM IT IS A TOY AND
I'M ALLOWED.
LATER ON AS THE DOG AGES AND
MATURES, HE ACTUALLY REALIZES,
OKAY, I AIN'T BITING HIM BECAUSE
THAT'S A TOY; I'M BITING HIM
BECAUSE THAT'S MY HANDLER,
THAT'S MY PARTNER, THAT'S MY
DADDY, AND HE'S GOING TO HURT
THEM.
THAT'S WHERE THE HANDLER
PROTECTION COMES INTO.
THE DOG ACTUALLY WITH THAT BOND
BECOMES VERY POSSESSIVE OF THE
HANDLER AND WOULD PRETTY MUCH
LAY DOWN HIS LIFE OR DO WHATEVER
HE NEEDS TO DO TO PROTECT THAT
HANDLER.
THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS THAT THEY
DETERMINE WHEN IT'S TIME FOR A
DOG TO RETIRE AND GIVE UP THE
SERVICE, ONE OF WHICH IS HEALTH.
HEALTH OF THE DOG ACTUALLY
BECOMES A BIG FACTOR.
A LOT OF DOGS ARE PRONE TO HIP
DYSPLASIA, ARTHRITIS, BLOAT;
THESE ARE ALL DISEASES, SOME
GENETIC, SOME ARE SITUATIONAL,
THAT CAN DECREASE THE
DOG'S -- NOT ONLY THE DOG'S
EFFECTIVENESS IN THE FIELD, BUT
ALSO THE OPERATING COST TO
MAINTAIN THAT DOG.
IF A DOG BREAKS A LEG, IT'LL
HEAL.
BUT IF A DOG'S HIP BLOWS OUT,
THEN IT IS UNLIKELY THE DOG WILL
HEAL TO THE POINT THAT IT WILL
BE AN EFFECTIVE DOG ANYMORE.
ONE OF THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE
DOG'S WORKING AGE IS THE DOG'S
WILL.
THEY CALL THEM DRIVE; THE DOG
HAS GOT TO HAVE A DRIVE TO DO
WHAT HE WANTS.
IF THE DOG GETS TO THE AGE THAT
HE'S STARTING TO LOSE ATTENTION
AND LOSE INTEREST IN PLAYING
WITH THE TOY, LIKE I SAID
EARLIER, THAT TOY IS THE ONLY
REASON HE'S DOING HIS JOB.
SO WHEN HE LOSES ATTENTION ON
WANTING TO GET THAT TOY, HE'S
GOING TO BE LESS EFFECTIVE
BECAUSE HE ISN'T GOING TO CARE
IF HE FINDS THE DRUGS TO GET THE
TOY.
HE STARTS LOSING THAT DRIVE TO
PLAY, HE STARTS LOSING THAT
DRIVE TO HUNT, HE STARTS LOSING
THE WILL TO KEEP WANTING TO
WORK.
AT THAT POINT IT BECOMES A LESS
EFFECTIVE TOOL AND IT IS TIME TO
RETIRE OUT THE DOG AND FIND A
MORE EFFECTIVE CANINE.
OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE ACTUALLY
GIVES THE HANDLER THE OPTION TO
ADOPT THE DOG, WHICH ALLOWS THE
HANDLER TO BASICALLY MAKE THE
DOG PART OF HIS FAMILY AND NO
LONGER A WORKING SERVICE CANINE.
IF THE HANDLER LEAVES THE CANINE
UNIT BEFORE THE DOG RETIRES,
THEN THE DOG IS ACTUALLY
UTILIZED AGAIN BY BEING GIVEN
ANOTHER HANDLER, GOING BACK TO
SCHOOL TO TRAIN THE HANDLER AND
TRAIN THE DOG TO BE WITH THE
HANDLER.
BECAUSE THESE DOGS ARE TRAINED
SPECIFICALLY SO THAT THEY WILL
NOT BREAK A COMMAND GIVEN BY THE
HANDLER.
IF I TELL THE DOG TO SIT AND
SOMEBODY DOWN THE ROAD GOES,
"COME HERE, PUPPY, COME HERE,
PUPPY," THAT DOG IS NOT GOING TO
BREAK ITS SIT COMMAND BECAUSE HE
KNOWS, "MY OWNER, MY PARTNER DID
NOT GIVE ME THAT COMMAND."
SOME OF THE BIGGEST
MISCONCEPTIONS IS THE FACT THAT
I CAN HIDE THE SMELL OF FAR
FAR -- NARCOTICS IN A MASON JAR
BECAUSE THEY SEAL, I CAN HIDE IT
IN A BRICK OF COFFEE BEANS, I
CAN CONCEAL THE SMELL BY SMOKING
A CIGAR WHILE THE DOG IS COMING
AROUND.
IF I ROLL UP ALL MY WINDOWS THEY
WON'T BE ABLE TO SMELL IT
OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE.
THE DOG'S NOSE IS ACTUALLY ABOUT
10,000 TIMES MORE SENSITIVE THAN
THE HUMAN NOSE.
WHERE A HUMAN SMELLS STEW, A DOG
SMELLS STEW, HE SMELLS -- PLUS,
HE ALSO SMELLS THE MEAT THAT WAS
IN THE STEW, THE CARROTS, THE
ONIONS, THE TOMATOES.
THEY'RE ABLE TO SMELL EVERY
ASPECT OF THAT STEW.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO, OKAY, I'M
GOING TO TAKE FIVE GRAMS OF WEED
AND THROW IT IN A POUND OF
COFFEE BEANS, THE DOG -- YES,
THE DOG WILL SMELL THE COFFEE
BEANS, BUT HE'S ALSO GOING TO
SMELL THE ODOR OF THE MARIJUANA
INSIDE THE COFFEE BEANS.
YOU COULD PUT IT IN 30 ZIP LOCK
BAGS AND YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE
TO SMELL IT, BUT THE DOG IS
STILL GOING TO SMELL IT.
ANOTHER MISCONCEPTION THAT MOST
PEOPLE HAVE IS THAT WHEN
TRACKING, RUN THROUGH WATER,
CLIMB A TREE, THROW PEPPER ON
THE GROUND; NONE OF THOSE WORK.