A 9K for a K-9

On his first day back at work after a 10-week training session, he found two men who were suspected of stealing fireworks hiding in the bushes. How did he find them? He sniffed them out.

Jag, a 2-year-old German shepherd, and his handler, police officer Scott Huteson, make up the official K9 team for the Milwaukie Police Department.

Jag actually has another “capture” under his leash, as he and Huteson were called out by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office during their training in Hillsboro.

“We got a call that a suspect had violated a restraining order and had a warrant out for his arrest. We did an area search and located him in the next yard over — I was pretty happy about that,” Huteson said.

9K for K9

Huteson and Jag finished their training and reported to work on June 24, and on Saturday they will be participating in the 9K for K9 walk as part of the Milwaukie Daze festivities; Huteson is looking forward to the event as it will give residents a chance to meet Jag, pet him and see that he is “a regular dog with special training.”

Socialization was part of Jag’s 10-week schooling process, sponsored by the Oregon Police Canine Association, and he is particularly responsive to children, Huteson said.

He noted that all the funds raised by the walk will go to defray upkeep costs for Jag, which include food, veterinarian care and special equipment, like extra-long leashes used in tracking down suspects, some of whom may be armed.

In addition, Huteson’s police car has been especially adapted for Jag with a secure water bowl, heat sensors and a fan.

“So if the temperature hits 90 degrees, the windows come down, the fan comes on and my beeper pager activates,” he said.

The pager also has a button that pops the door so Jag can jump out of the car if Huteson needs his assistance in a crisis.

Daily routines

Huteson works Wednesdays through Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m., and said he takes calls just like a regular police officer, but also takes K9 calls.

Jag lives with Huteson and his family and on his off days, Huteson takes the dog for walks to get some exercise.

“Home life should be boring, so when he comes to work he is excited and ready to go,” he noted.

K9 calls usually involve tracking suspects, looking for missing people and article searches.

People leave their scent on items and trained dogs can often follow the scent to find something that may have been thrown in the bushes, Huteson said.

“The first year is a huge learning curve,” he said, adding that it takes time for the handler to read his dog.

Jag is trained to “find and bark,” Huteson said, and the dog can only bite in three instances: when Huteson tells him to, if Jag is attacked or when someone attacks Huteson.

Training is ongoing, so the two work on obedience daily and also put in 20 hours a month on maintenance with other K9 handlers.

Interaction with community

Jag is the first K9 dog in Milwaukie since the early 1990s, Huteson said, and the Public Safety Advisory Committee was instrumental in fundraising to get the current program up and running.

Since the dog was given to the department by the community through fundraising events, Huteson likes to take him to as many neighborhood events as possible.

Meeting Jag “is a great way to interact with the police. When I drive through neighborhoods and I see kids playing I let Jag out and the kids get to pet a police dog,” Huteson said, noting that he had special stickers made up that feature a picture of the dog.

But the K9 program is also a crime deterrent.

“People are naturally apprehensive when it comes to dogs, especially if they are barking and growling,” Huteson said.

He noted that he once clocked Jag as running at 24 miles an hour, and added, “You can’t outrun a dog. If you get in a race with a dog, you can’t win.”

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