Behind the Badge: Saskatoon police canine unit

Behind the Badge: Saskatoon police canine unit Part three of 'Behind the Badge' puts Angelina Irinici on the front lines with the Saskatoon Police Service Canine Unit.

CTV News is heading ‘Behind the Badge.’ This week, we’re taking an in-depth look into three specialized units of the Saskatoon Police Service.

Part one, which aired Tuesday, stepped into the world of the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit, and part two, a report from the skies with the police’s Air Support Unit, ran Wednesday.

Part three, below, looks into the canine unit and the bond between police dogs and their handlers.

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“Stop right there! I’ll send the dog!” Const. Cory Goodwin yells at a man between breaths. His dog, Brian, runs ahead of him. When Goodwin lets go of the leash, Brian sprints off. The dog jumps up and latches onto the man’s arm.

“Good boy! Good boy, Brian!” Goodwin shouts.

Members of the Saskatoon Police Service Canine Unit are training at the Vic Rempel Yards. Goodwin and Brian are working on a tracking drill — sniffing out the scent of a hiding suspect.

“As we’re standing here right now, you and I, we’re shedding skin cells just like that suspect would be,” Sgt. Eddie Panamaroff explains. “And he has such an incredible sense of smell he’ll locate that scent of the suspect’s skin cells and he’ll follow it until he locates the suspect.”

The canine unit consists of nine handlers and their dogs. The majority of the dogs are German shepherds, but Belgian Malinois and giant schnauzers are also part of the unit. There is always at least one team on duty that responds to at least one call a day.

The canine unit attends various calls, including break and enters, weapons calls and missing persons reports. Dogs also get specialized training in locating either drugs or bombs.

“Their intelligence surprises me every day — how they learn to adapt and overcome things and be successful at the tasks that they are given,” Panamaroff says.

Training

Before the dogs can do any type of police work they first must undergo a 16-week training course with their handler. That’s when they learn how to track and apprehend suspects, search for evidence and take part in agility work.

Canine Boss and his handler are working at the agility field at the Vic Rempel Yards. He slithers through a tube, jumps through a high wooden window and clears a hurdle with ease.

It may be a game for Boss, but it’s conditioning him for work.

“Sometimes we have to put our dogs in different environments — being small houses or down in tight spaces — to look for suspects and they have to be comfortable doing that,” Panamaroff says.

Love for the job

Canine Brian wrestles with the arm guard used for training. He prances around with it in his mouth, proud of his accomplishment.

“Good boy, Brian. Woo hoo hoo!” Goodwin praises.

The dogs are bred specifically for police work and cost between $5,000 and $15,000 each.  While each dog has a distinct personality, they have a lot of common traits, including friendliness, an above-average curiosity and a sense of fearlessness.

They work to please, says Panamaroff.Completing their task and receiving praise from their handler makes them happy.

“The dogs love their work. They work to please their master, and to them it’s a big game. They are always wanting to complete their task,” he says. “They are very driven to do that.”

Strong bond

A police dog’s career lasts about nine years on average. During that time they form an extremely strong bond with their handler. The dog goes home with the officer when they are off duty. The dog is not only a member of the police family, but also the handler’s family. When an officer retires or leaves the canine unit, the dog typically retires and becomes the officer’s full-time pet.

“With Kato, we look after each other. He knows he needs to protect me sometimes and that happens, and I know I'll protect him,” Panamaroff says, playing with Kato back at the Saskatoon police station kennel.

“I never question that he'll always be there for me.”