Canine officers report for duty

While Fallbrook is full of pet lovers, I guarantee you there are two dogs in the Friendly Village that you don’t want to meet: “Aslan” and “Alto,” a pair of two-year-old German shepherds from Denmark that have joined the Sheriff’s Department here.

Used in cases involving violent felons, situations unsafe for deputies, tracking suspects and missing persons, the canines have been welcomed by local law enforcement officers. Have the dogs made a difference yet? You bet.

“We are already getting more cooperation from people,” said Deputy Jeff Schmidt, Alto’s handler. (Deputy Hernan Gonzalez handles Aslan.) “When people we want to talk to see or hear the dog, they tend not to run.”

“I had a pursuit start in Fallbrook that ended with a car crash near Temecula,” said Deputy Gonzalez. “There were four people in the vehicle and they all took off when the car stopped. Aslan was happy to chase them. I could tell he was deciding which one to bite.” What impressed Gonzalez was that Aslan pressed forward to gain control of one who was more likely to escape, leaving the deputy to easily collar the drunk driver.

It is apparent that Aslan and Alto are enjoying their jobs with gusto and gaining respect with each passing day. I witnessed a practice session where a volunteer from within the Sheriff’s Department donned protective gear for an attack from one of the dogs. The dog’s sheer muscular strength, powerful jaws and eager ability to use his body to propel a variety of blows to the man’s body was both startling and overwhelming.

Exhausted after a brief struggle with the dog, the volunteer admitted, “I thought he was going to tear my arm out of its joint.”

It’s been two years since Fallbrook has had a regular canine officer and the force already feels the benefit.

“Canines are a force multiplier,” said Lt. Clyde Kodadek, commander of the Fallbrook substation. “You get two elements of enforcement in one unit and it multiplies my force in the field.”

The dogs arrived from Denmark and were met at San Diego Airport by their respective deputies. They were allowed two weeks to bond with their handlers before their joint three-month training began.

The two 85-pound canines have been trained as patrol and tracking dogs and are fresh out of the academy and exuberant at being on their new beat. And, it is praise from their handlers that motivates them, not dog treats.

“These dogs are not like your normal house pets,” said Hernan Gonzalez. “Aslan is completely focused on me and he’s ready to do his job.”

The deputies and their canines are required to attend two training sessions and two meetings with their canine sergeants each month and be re-certified once a year. The dogs are kept on a prescribed IAMS diet to keep them in healthy form.

“They are like athletes,” Gonzalez said. “You have to respect their physical condition.” The County of San Diego owns the dogs and when the officers take a vacation away from home, the dogs are kenneled at a special facility.

Of course, young dogs, regardless of how well-trained, still show their playful side. In both cases, the two deputies agreed, there is a “dog behind the badge.”

“Because he’s still a pup, Alto is like an 85-pound little kid,” Schmidt smiled. “My dog and I were like the Dust Devil in training.

“He has figured out how to open his kennel. We are now on our third set of latches. And he is like a happy-go-lucky kid when it’s time to get in the car and go to work. One day I left my house in another car. My wife said Alto howled the entire day.”

“Then there are those times when they don’t want to get back in the car,” Gonzalez chuckled. “They definitely still have a mind of their own.”

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has 30 canines countywide. Eight of those are assigned to jails and 22 are on patrol. For Gonzalez and Schmidt, meeting with their fellow canine officers provides a support system they find helpful.

“It’s great to have the camaraderie with another deputy and [his or her] dog,” Gonzalez said. “And everyone here at the Fallbrook station has been very supportive of us.” For Lt. Clyde Kodadek, it was a great day when the two new canine units reported for duty here.

“What I have discovered is that good street cops make good dog handlers,” Kodadek enthused. “The canines run faster, are quicker and have better reflexes than humans. They are the ultimate patrol car partner. Who’s going to outrun a dog?”