Barnidge: A police dog is the best friend an officer could want

ANTIOCH police welcomed back a hero last week, just four days after he suffered a gunshot wound while subduing a suspected burglar. He took part in a training session as if it were any other day on the job, fairly ignoring the scar on his right shoulder.

Lt. John VanderKlugt wasn’t surprised.

“Thor is a tough dog,” he said.

No one appreciates police dogs more than police officers, who marvel at the courage of their four-legged buddies in rooting out bad guys.

Vander-Klugt, who manages the Antioch K-9 unit, said a trained dog can be the difference between a suspect escaping and surrendering without a fight.

“The instance with Thor received a lot of notoriety,” he said, “and whenever a dog makes an apprehension, it’s in the news. What doesn’t get the recognition is the number of times a suspect gives up after we announce we are sending in the dog. It happens all the time.”

The secret to K-9 success is the bond between handler and dog. When an officer selects his partner — German shepherds and Belgian Malinois are favored in Antioch — the two become constant companions. They work the same hours, live together and typically are teamed for a minimum of four years. The dog becomes a member of the officer’s family.

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