by Peter Bodley
In less than a year on the job, Coon Rapids Police Department canine Buddy has become one of the top police dogs in the nation.
Buddy, who has been a police dog for less than a year, and his handler, Coon Rapids Police Officer Mark McDonough, placed fifth in the national police dog trials.With his partner Officer Mark McDonough, a veteran police dog handler, Buddy placed fifth in the 41st annual United States Police Canine Association K-9 trials in Detroit Lakes last month.
They missed winning the national title by just 3 1/2 points in a field of more than 90 canines and their handlers.
“These were elite dogs from all over the country,” McDonough said.
And it his mistake that prevented Buddy from taking first in his national police dog trials debut, according to McDonough.
“I gave an extra command when I should not have done so,” McDonough said.
In addition to the fifth-place overall trophy, Buddy also brought home two individual category awards.
He was third in criminal apprehension bite and fourth in scent work.
“Scent work is the most important of all the competitions,” McDonough said. “It involves detecting smells and odors while tracking.”
And McDonough, who has trained police dogs and canine handlers from all over the state for many years, formed a team that included not only Buddy, but two police dogs and handlers from Fridley and another from Douglas County that finished fifth in region competition.
McDonough, who has been a police officer for more than 27 years, describes Buddy as the best dog he has had and trained.
And through his work for Coon Rapids and other departments, McDonough has trained more than 100 dogs.
“Buddy is something else to work with and the most obedient dog that I have trained,” McDonough said.
“He’s a super intelligent animal, a problem solver and his apprehension skills are second to none.”
“He is very alert and focused, a driven animal.”
Buddy’s tracking and apprehension skills were put to the test in April when he was called to Blaine following a felony assault with the suspect fleeing on foot armed with a knife.
The dog tracked the scent for a half-mile heading south from Fifth Place in Blaine to 111th and University avenues where he found the suspect hiding under some pine trees.
When the suspect, 44, did not come out on police commands, Buddy was sent in and the man emerged with a bite wound and was taken into custody.
McDonough is hoping he will get the opportunity to take Buddy to compete in the national police dog trials in Florida next fall, he said. “Buddy’s an incredible beast,” McDonough said.
The dog that won the national title this year has been working for seven years compared with less than a year for Buddy, who is only 2 1/2 years old, he said.
Buddy became Coon Rapids Police Department’s canine late last year when McDonough’s previous dog, Logan, was found dead in his kennel Nov. 17, 2010 at the age of eight.
McDonough had Buddy trained and certified to take Logan’s place.
He donated Buddy to the police department. Normally, a dog costs between $5,000 and $7,000 to purchase, not including the training costs.
Buddy was acquired by McDonough for training as a police dog when he was six months old and has been living with the McDonough family since then.
A Belgian Shepherd, Buddy was bred in the United States and has a national police dog trials champion in his bloodline, McDonough said.
Peter Bodley is at peter.bodley@ecm-inc.com
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