Deputies Dunk Dogs For Self-Defense

WEEKI WACHEE - Police dogs are high-performance animals with lightning speed, powerful bites and killer instincts.

But even Superman had his Kryptonite.

All dogs swim, but the most common K-9 breeds, the German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois, rarely have a natural affinity for water.

That can be a serious liability in a career where hesitation can mean the difference between life and death.

To help the pooches acclimate to a soggy takedown, roughly 20 K-9 deputies from around Tampa Bay brought their dogs Thursday afternoon to Weeki Wachee Springs.

"You don't want dogs to experience something for the first time on a real call," said Deputy Bill Martinez, coordinator of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office's K-9 Unit.

After starting out with formal pictures, deputies traded their uniforms for casual bathing suits and waded out into Buccaneer Bay with their dogs.

The rookie dogs held their heads high above the water and churned their front paws like a paddleboat. Their more experienced counterparts glided through the water with a stealthy ease.

When about nine K-9s and their handlers were assembled on a floating dock, a deputy with a "bite sleeve" stepped out into the shallow water. His movements instantly sent every dog on shore and in the water into a barking frenzy.

The prospect of a bite was incentive enough for even the most timid dogs in the bunch to eagerly leap into the water.

"Most dogs are a little apprehensive, but then they realize (the water) won't hurt them," Martinez said.

Deputies are careful, though, about unleashing their dogs in the water. They try to avoid deep water because once the K-9 latches onto an arm, he or she isn't going to let go without a command. That's how dogs drown.

After the first exercise was over, the deputies spent 10 minutes relaxing in the water with their dogs. A handler must have control over his dog, and establishing dominance often means screaming commands and harshly jerking a lead. But even a casual observer can pick up on the discrete affectionate pats and nuzzles exchanged between the two.

After the deputies finished cooling off, the volunteer donned a full-body protection suit and, once again, the dogs went nuts.

As the deputy braced himself on a wooden ramp, Hernando Deputy Chris Erickson gripped the leash to hold back his Shepherd named Titan.

"Sheriff's Office! Sheriff's Office! Surrender or I'll release the dog!" Erickson shouted.

The bad guy, who must have left his brains at home, ignored the command. Titan charged up the ramp and clamped down on the volunteer's leg; another successful takedown.

For all the good K-9 water training accomplishes, though, there is a downside. Regardless of their day job, all wet dogs smell the same.