K 9

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Department is still accepting donations for their K-9 fund. Donations will go towards the purchase of a dog, paying for transportation and training costs. Sheriff Curt Folger is looking to add another full-service dog to the department by late October or early November. A full service dog is able to track, subdue and detect drugs. The type of dog that will be selected depends on what is available, but there are four or five dogs that are in the process of being trained at Southern Coast Kennels, located in Daytona, Florida.

Boyle County’s next K-9 officer likely will have expanded duties. Sheriff Marty Elliott told Boyle County Fiscal Court on Tuesday that Tjard, the K-9 deputy used primarily in narcotics operations for the last nine years, is starting to slow down. The department wants his replacement to be a full service K-9, meaning it is capable of also tracking suspects or missing persons over a wide area for longer duration. Deputy Derek Robbins, who handles Tjard, will be sent to Georgia for six weeks to receive special training with the new dog, a breed from Belgium.

How do you praise your dog? Treats? Petting? A new toy? A bone? Talking? Or do you think he needs praise? How does your dog respond to your attentions? By demanding physical contact by nudging you? Rolling over on his back? Wetting the floor? Exhibiting extreme excitement with wild racing in circles and springing up toward your face in passing? Or does he pull away from you, go a few feet away and lie down? Do you think this dog needs to be praised? Yes, all dogs need praise and not just as a reward for good behavior, although a quick "Good dog" and a pat reassures the animal that he has performed acceptably.

A reader called this week to compliment the Advocate-Messenger for the two articles on the Boyle County Humane Society dogs being trained at Northpoint Training Center. She asked if I had any updates on the program. Well, I didn't at that time, but I arranged to interview Cheri Carbone, the chief trainer of the program and learned a lot. First, Carbone said, the public should be aware that this program has two names. The Danville-Boyle County Humane Society gave it the name "Mutts with Manners," while the trainers at Northpoint call it "The Northpoint Training Canines.

A reader had a question about the dog that chewed up its family members a week or so ago. She asked if the dog might have been attack-trained. After a pause I answered, "Yes, the dog could have been, but let's hope not. " It takes a qualified trainer to teach a dog to attack on command. First, the dog is tested for obedience. The dog must obey its handler/owner under various distracting conditions. The test is difficult and only the most stable dogs pass. Second, the dog is started in advanced obedience searching for firearms and tracking humans.

Winchester Police K-9 Danu leaps for his toy after accomplishing a task for Officer Pat Adkins. Danu was recently assigned to Adkins after joining the department in 2005 with Officer Dennis Briscoe. Danu, who was born in Holland to K-9 parents, responds to verbal commands in Dutch. Danu is trained in drug detection, evidence searches and tracking, according to the department.

Two Danville streets were blocked briefly and a search K-9 was called in to assist after two men fled a vehicle following a routine traffic stop Monday afternoon. Kentucky State Police Trooper Frank Thornberry was following a Toyota Camry with tinted windows on Fourth Street shortly after noon when he attempted to make a traffic stop for expired tags. Thornberry said the vehicle turned onto Russell Street driving slowly and coming to a stop before the male driver and a male passenger jumped out and fled through some yards.

STANFORD - The Lincoln County Sheriff's Department is still accepting donations for its K-9 fund. Donations will go toward the purchase of a dog, transportation and training costs. Sheriff Curt Folger is looking to add another full-service dog to the department by late October or early November. A full-service dog is able to detect drugs, track and subdue. The type of dog that will be selected depends on what is available, but there are four or five dogs in the process of being trained at Southern Coast Kennels in Daytona, Fla.   “We have had a lot of people from the county come forward with donations, from businesses and the private sector,” Folger said.

Dear Editor, I currently handle the K-9 for Sheriff Leroy Hardin. I voluntarily filled out an application and resume when I heard there was an opening at the sheriff's department. I am quite sure I was not the only Danville officer who was interested in the job. There are four other deputies besides myself who have previously been employed as Danville police officers, and one that left his job as a Lexington metro officer to join the Boyle County sheriff's office. I am pretty sure they were not taken away from their respective positions.

STANFORD - Sheriff Curt Folger said a felony arrest was made Friday afternoon with the help of the new K-9 unit, Aramis. Folger said around 2 p.m., the Sheriff's Office received a tip that Aaron Lynch, 23, 4390 U.S. 27, was seen on Shank Lane. When deputies arrived, Folger said Lynch ran into a home. "He's known for running and fighting, so right before we went in after him at the residence we let him know that Aramis was going to be turned loose inside the house if he didn't come out," Folger said.

When you are considering adopting a dog, you hope to get one that is outgoing and confident, right? However, I have seen people go into an animal shelter and walk right by dozens of hopeful candidates only to select the one that is curled up in a corner. I often wonder how that dog evolved in its new home. Often stray dogs and especially feral dogs (those that have been living on their own for a period of time) become traumatized when confined at a shelter. They are confused and sometimes depressed.

This is the ninth true story of a dog that has been blessed by a number of human angels at a time when he thought he had reached the end. I'll let him tell his own story. Merry Christmas, my latest name is “Christmas,” which is OK with me because I have been given the gift of life a second time. However it took a bunch of angels to perform this feat.  I don't remember much about my puppy days, my memories recall a fenced-in yard with nothing to do, not even anything to eat or drink.

For those with newly acquired dogs who are planning to entertain during the Christmas holiday, here are some ideas for keeping the festivities pleasant - even joyful. I am talking about training your dog to accept a dog crate as a den (or a place to “get away from it all.” ) What brought this “old” idea to mind was an article, “Crate Thanks” by Shari A. Mann in the November issue of “The Whole Dog Journal.” Mann focused on how helpful crates are when driving (going to grandmother's house?

A reader gave me the following poem to encourage people to think before they purchase an animal as a Christmas present.  It is real food for thought.   Forgotten Dogs' Christmas Author Unknown   T'was the night before Christmas And the house was so still; When a sound split the air: a howl out on the hill. A chain rattled loudly to shake off the chill.   The children all nestled snug in their beds With no thought of the dog filling their heads.

No one ever wants to think his dog will suffer a back injury, but accidents do happen and now there are two reasons for hope if something does occur. First, in the August issue of Dog Fancy magazine is an article, “Recycling doggie carts” by Holly Ocasio Rizzo.  Rizzo writes that the organization, For Paws Hospice in Ozona, Fla., is the keeper of a list of used wheeled pet carts for pets with paralysis of either front or hind legs.  With this database, carts that are no longer needed can be matched up with dogs that do need the support in order to be mobile.

As the holidays approach, we must plan for our pets so everyone will be able to celebrate without any disasters. Where will the animals be when you take the turkey, ham or roast beef out of the oven? A large dog can be tempted to appropriate the meat for itself when your back is turned, now that's a disaster! Just in case you are thinking, “Well, I don't have to worry because I have cats, not dogs,” think again.  My worst experience with dinner guests was the time the cat jumped up on the counter and flipped the roast chicken to the floor where the dogs could join in.  My guests and I ended up at a restaurant after I took the animals to the veterinarian as a precaution.

With the holidays coming up, I thought of the benefits of owning a dog. I searched the Web and selected an article from www.webMD.com titled “5 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health,” by Jeanie Lerche Davis. The article starts with the statement: “A pet is certainly a great friend. After a difficult day, pet owners quite literally feel the love.” The article covers how a pet helps fight allergies, becomes a date magnet for young adults, provides comfort and stimulation for the aged, is good for mind and soul, as well as good for the heart.

STANFORD - A Lincoln County mother is hoping to raise $13,000 so her autistic son can have a specially trained K-9 guardian that could help save his life and make things easier for his caregivers. Twelve-year-old Nelson Martin enjoys Hot Wheels cars and taking trips to hotels, but his multiple medical conditions - including autism, epilepsy and encephalopathy - mean he will always need someone to care for him. Nelson, a Stanford resident who attends special education classes at McGuffey Sixth Grade Center, has to deal with a lack of depth perception, balance problems and low motor skills on a daily basis, said Donna Martin, Nelson's mother.

Halloween is tomorrow. This is a fun and exciting holiday for children and for parents that help the youngsters prepare for “trick or treating,” but this is not a fun holiday for pets because there are so many alarming things that happen during the event. What alarms pets? First, the doorbell rings constantly throughout the evening. If the dog is loose and runs to the door, he is confronted by weird creatures shrieking “trick or treat” or “boo.” In scanning a number of websites, I noticed that nearly all of them recommend the dog (and/or cat)

October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month and the local humane society is discounting the adoption fee for dogs and cats more than 6 months old. OK, you have already taken advantage of this promotion and have your dog, but the animal is afraid of cars and doesn't want to leave your property. What happens now? This is a case of earning the dog's trust, and it has to be done slowly with lots of praise and rewards. You may have to teach your new family member to accept and walk on a leash.