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Hernando Today

Crime Fighters, Partners, Friends

A look at the K-9 unit bond.

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By KYLE MARTIN

Published: January 1, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - BROOKSVILLE - Consider Tracer a loaded gun.
Sleek and handsome, the dusky-colored German Shepherd packs 85 pounds of muscle onto a frame made for speed.
His finely-tuned predatory sense is fed information by dark intelligent eyes and a pair of pointed ears that perk upright on top his head.
One word is the trigger he needs to spring into action and sink his fangs into the arm of a fleeing suspect.
Like any weapon, Tracer can be intimidating and dangerous. But he is a valuable tool when handled with respect and proper training.
That's John Gore's job.
Gore has 17 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, 13 of them spent at the Hernando County Sheriff's Office as a K-9 deputy.
"It's like a marriage," he explained about working with dogs. Sometimes it doesn't work out, but with Tracer, his fifth K-9, "I'm very pleased with this relationship."
The dynamic is not one between master and pet. Gore makes that clear.
True, Tracer accepts instruction from Gore and is quick to obey any commands. But Tracer is a working dog and it would be condescending to treat him any differently than a human partner.
That's not to say they can't be friends.
Gore will be the first to tell you that he doesn't show much affection towards his dog in public, but the love he feels toward Tracer after three years together is evident in his voice.
Working side by side on a 12 hour shift — 3 p.m. until 3 a.m. — has a way of forging a bond.
"It's the simple things that we understand about each other," Gore said as he playfully tapped Tracer's feet to annoy him.
On the road, the two will jam together to the classic rock n' roll station. Gore can gripe about a supervisor and count on Tracer to keep his mouth shut.
The work varies. Their principle duties are to search for drugs during a traffic stop and to hunt down suspects or missing people. But when other deputies are swamped, the K-9 unit will handle minor calls or conduct neighborhood security checks.
Late one night, Gore gave Tracer a chance to run around in the grassy median of the Target parking lot on U.S. 19. Before long they were both rolling around in the grass playing.
They recognize when one is having a bad day and Gore describes Tracer's personality with the familiarity of a longtime buddy.
Like many police dogs, Tracer can be high-strung and becomes very intense when working. It's not unusual for a K-9 to tear apart a police cruiser in his anxiety to get out and perform.
Tracer voices his enthusiasm when the lights and sirens go on with a volley of deafening barks.
"Sometimes I'll have to turn around and yell at him to shut up so they can hear me over the radio," Gore said with a grin.
The connection between the two is vital when performing searches for missing people. Gore must be able to read Tracer's body language to know if he has a successful track and where the dog is leading him.
It's a dangerous part of the job because a K-9 handler is focusing on the dog, not his surroundings. An armed suspect could be up in a tree or hidden by brush within arm's length of the searching deputy.
That was the case in Polk County two years ago, when Matt Williams and his K-9 were ambushed and shot to death.
Gore is more than confident that his dog will stay by his side when the going gets rough. "I got no fear with that dog," he said. "He's not going to cut and run for the car and it's a good dog to do that."

Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com

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