Top dogs: Police K-9 Competition
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"Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" the South Abington Township police
officer said several times to Gauge, congratulating the dog for his
performance in the Lackawanna County Chiefs of Police Association's second
annual Police K-9 Competition.
"You know, everyone here is a champion. It's not one dog," Patrolman Daniels
said between events. "There are no winners or losers today."
For six hours under mostly sunny skies, 15 dogs and their handlers from law
enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania and New York were put through their
paces in a variety of activities intended to showcase their training and
skills.
Scranton Detective Jim Pappas and Brix, who won last year's overall
competition, successfully defended their title and captured the top-dog
trophy.
Second place went to Harrisburg police Officer John Salvadia and Sammy;
Officer Stephanie Barrelet and Dontes, also of Harrisburg, finished third.
Johnson City, N.Y., Officer Brian Berdine and C.J. captured the
Decoy's Choice Award.
The teams competed in four categories: criminal apprehension, obedience,
agility and narcotics or explosives detection. Some dogs were entered in all
of the events; others competed only in select activities.
Scranton police Capt. Carl Graziano, who helped coordinate the competition
with city Officer Robert Stelmak, compared it to a triathlon, where a
participant who is not a good runner might nonetheless be an excellent
swimmer and cyclist.
"You might have a dog that can pick out narcotics, but they are little
lacking in apprehension," he said. "You want to get the best-rounded dog."
The competition is a chance for officers to see how their dogs stack up
against those from other departments and "where they compare to where you
want them to be," Capt. Graziano said.
Scott Township Officer Trevor Peszko, who competed with Wolfgang, took part
in the agility event after skipping it in 2006. It is something he and
Wolfgang have worked hard at as part of their continuing training.
"This is actually really good training for real-life scenarios, especially
for the dog," Officer Peszko said.
The Harrisburg Police Department entered four teams in the competition -
their first ever and a pleasant change of pace, said Officer Ty Meik, who
partnered with Zeus.
"We normally certify in this type of capacity every year, but today we can
actually be relaxed because it's not like a per-se certification," he said.
"We can come out and enjoy it with the dog and let the dog have some fun."
Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com