Pawsitive Enforcer
Chuck is a hardened crime fighter as well as a big sook, discovers Helen Flanagan aka the pupp-arrazzi.
Whether tracking offenders or sniffing out danger, canine cops are absolutely vital to frontline policing. Blessed with a great temperament, inquisitive nature and strong motivation, police dogs are physically fit, bold, socialised and keen to play and interact with people, just like German Shepherd Chuck, part of the Police Dog Breeding Program in Brisbane.
“Aged 12 weeks, Chuck was taken through the 12 month Puppy Development and Pre-Operational Training program with a dedicated foster carer,” recalls Queensland Police Service Dog Handler Craig Law, with the perfect surname!
“A year later he was allocated to me for a police dog training course. Because he had been though the pre-operational development process and I was an experienced dog handler, we were only required to do one month of the dog training course prior to becoming an operational police dog, as opposed to 14 weeks for new dogs and new handlers.
“His fantastic balanced temperament of prey and defence drive, suited him perfectly for his role with the Police Dog Squad. I have loved German Shepherds from a young age and the ability to work with these dogs was very appealing.
“Plus, the Dog Squad often plays a significant role in major incidents so that was exciting and a serious enticement.”
Police dogs are highly trained for the work they undertake. It can be very demanding, so a handler’s physical fitness is also key. Socialised from a young age and being alpha dominant they’re often kept segregated from other dogs. They travel in a purpose-built kennel, love their work, absolutely sprint to the car when a shift starts and hate getting out when we arrive home.
“Chuck was exceptional at everything, not only completing his development training with flying colours, similarly as a general purpose police dog, where he was involved in tracking offenders, searching for missing persons, attending armed offender jobs, siege incidents and more,” Craig said. “He tracked and located over 150 missing persons and serious crime offenders, loving his work and sometimes sinking his teeth into it too! He is a recipient of the Australian Defence Force Medal, War Trackers Medal and a Police Dog Service Medal.”
For a hardened crime fighter, he is a big sook, very handler-orientated, hates being hydro-bathed, not keen on brushing, preferring a pampering, wants to be the centre of attention, has a great temperament, and is always on the look-out for a pat or four in his downtime at home, where he lives with the Law family.
“He is absolutely nuts about his ball, will chase it for days, while leftovers from family dinners and the odd Smacko, are considered rare treats,” admits Craig. “Given dogs like Chuck are prone to gastric torsion, a primarily wet food diet is best for digestion, also being very aware of eating times between shifts and training. In the case of veterinary care for police dogs on the Sunny Coast, we head to Dr Sarah Morton in Woombye.
“If we stay home when on leave from work, the dog stays too,” Craig says.
“If it’s a short trip away, Chuck goes into kennels where our local dog handlers will care for operational and retired dogs.
“If it’s a long-term holiday, our dogs will go to the main kennel complex in Brisbane, where we have full time kennel staff who look after them.
“Chuck retired at 8.5 years old due to me taking a year’s long service leave. Most of our dogs retire around that age to ensure they can have a good retirement and also enjoy some quality years in the backyard.”
That includes running around with new boy Buzz who is 3.5 years old and Chuck’s nephew by breeding – when Buzz is home and not on the beat, of course!
“Chuck’s diet remains the same, and now he enjoys chasing the ball instead of operational training,” Craig says.
“I have been a Police Dog Handler for 23 years, also Officer in Charge of the Sunshine Coast Dog Squad for 15.
“It’s a great job, very rewarding and the bond with your partner is a very special,” says Craig, who is understandably proud of his achievements.
Similarly, his unerring community commitments including 20 years at Sunshine Beach SLSC from volunteer
and President to Life Member.
