K-9 team training ‘as much for the K-9’s handler’ as for dog

ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) - Tugging at the end of his lead, Freddy’s nose excitedly followed Patrolman Alex Vasquez’s hand as the officer tapped on surfaces where drugs might be hiding.

Both members of the Logan Township Police Department circled the training room Dec. 2 at the Kittanning Trail Volunteer Fire Company hall as police K-9 instructor Jim Walstrom kept an eye on the team’s performance.

“This training is as much for the K-9’s handler as it is for the K-9,” said Walstrom, who owns Keystone K9 and Security.

As Vasquez and Freddy circled the room a second time, Walstrom quieted his voice and pointed out the duo were cutting a corner near the hall’s garage door.

“It’s a two-pronged search between the dog and the handler,” Walstrom said. “You gotta let the dog free-search a bit, but if he’s not hitting the places you want him to go, you’ll give him a bit of guidance.”

Freddy, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois with a caramel coat and coal-colored snout, whined as Vasquez forced him to retrace their steps.

“(Freddy is) getting frustrated now, because he knows it’s here,” Walstrom said.

Unfazed by Freddy’s behavior, Vasquez directed the K-9 to check and recheck potential hiding spots. When the two reached the corner where the drugs were hidden, Freddy immediately fell silent and sat, staring up at Vasquez.

“I didn’t put him in the corner, and I’ll take the responsibility for that,” Vasquez said as he pulled a rubber ball from his cargo pocket.

Freddy immediately snapped onto the ball, engaging in a small game of tug-of-war with Vasquez.

Walstrom explained the ball was Freddy’s reward for finding the stash.

“Because these guys have such a strong retrieve sense,” he said, “that ball is more of a reward than a treat would be.”

K-9 community

Logan Township police have used K-9 units intermittently throughout the years, and currently they run two teams - one for day shift and one for night shift, Logan Chief David Reese said.

“These dogs are more than just a nexus for drug enforcement,” Reese said. “They also serve as tracking dogs, searching for fugitives throughout the county, and at times, the state.”

The Logan Township Police Department maintains agreements with law enforcement agencies in Blair County, allowing others access to the resource. And on at least one occasion, Vasquez and Freddy have assisted the Pennsylvania Game Commission with its tracking needs, Reese said.

Additionally, Logan’s K-9 units serve an important role in the department’s community policing efforts.

“In Logan Township, we have a lot of dog lovers, which provides us with a good way to connect with our community,” Reese said.

The department’s K-9s were purchased with help from community partners and organizations, such as the Blair County District Attorney’s Office, Fiore Toyota and Operation Our Town, an organization dedicated to fighting drug use and illegal activity in neighborhoods throughout Blair County, Reese said.

Together, the two K-9s cost the department $8,000 a year, which includes their food, medical care and kennel costs, when needed.

Reese hailed the staffing of two K-9 units within the Logan department as a progressive move by the department’s board of supervisors, adding the community’s financial support of the K-9 program made it possible.

“Without their assistance, we wouldn’t be able to staff K-9s,” he said.

Home life

As Vasquez and Freddy finished their training, Logan Patrolman George Swander readied his K-9 partner, Ciro, for their turn at sniffing out the hidden drugs.

“Our dogs come home with us after every shift,” Swander said. “I have a blue heeler at home, and they play non-stop.”

Also a Belgian Malinois, Ciro - pronounced sear-o - is a hit with Swander’s kids, but Swander said the K-9 is only allowed out to play when he is there to supervise.

“Ciro’s been on patrol for two years now,” he said. “He’s 3 years old. He was born two days before my second-oldest son.”

While at home, Ciro relaxes, but once his flat collar - a flat strip of nylon bearing Ciro’s name - goes on, Swander said the dog knows it’s time to go to work.

“It’s not just the collar nowadays, though,” he said. “When I put on certain boots, he starts prancing in his kennel, because he knows. He loves to work.”

Being part of a K-9 team is a round-the-clock duty, Swander said. Whereas some officers can separate their home life from work, Swander’s partner follows him home every day.

When the officers travel for vacation or attend training outside of Blair County, Vasquez said their K-9s are housed at local kennels with specialized equipment to meet the dogs’ needs.

Spending nearly all their time together creates a strong working relationship, but Vasquez said K-9 teams can have drawbacks.

If the officers are unavailable for any reason, he said it’s unlikely the dogs would work with another officer without significant training.

“We’re a package deal,” Vasquez said.

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