‘Tis the season for graduations including those of the four legged kind.
“These canines are primarily locating tools,” says head trainer Rob Vetch.
St Croix County’s newest K9 graduate, "Murphy" is showing off his new skills at the St. Paul Canine Training facility which is the 2nd largest in the country.
Vetch says they are hand fed by their handlers right away and he says there's no such thing as a free meal for K9's.
“Every meal, they get fed twice a day before they start class, and during class, is by hand,” Vetch said. “He has to earn his meal and he very happily will do that once he understands that's how he's going to get it.”
The dogs can run as fast as 30 MPH and have an incredible sense of smell.
“They can do stuff more efficiently and faster than you and I can do, or 10 cops,” Vetch explains.
The graduation ceremony took place Thursday, May 25 with 19 new dogs going into service. St. Paul Police are getting most of them, while others are off to the Polk County Sheriff, the Minnesota DNR, Eagan, Olmsted County, Barron County, Maple Grove, Superior, St. Croix County, Burnsville and others.
St. Paul’s Canine unit has a long history of excellence and has been named #1 in the nation 11 times since 1994.