New police dog excels, especially in bite test
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 11/21/2006
Brandon Oliver | Exponent Photographer
Kay, a Belgian mallinois, exhibits his ability to sniff out certain items based on commands from his trainer.
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The West Lafayette Police Department has a new police dog: the hardest biter in his class.
The dog, a male Belgian Malinois named Kay, is what is known as a "title dog," or a dog that has excelled in all aspects of his training.
The dog's handler, Officer Jeff Dunscomb, said Kay is trained in narcotics detection, patrol, tracking suspects and missing persons, and searching for articles such as handguns.
"He's awesome at everything, but his bite work is what really stood out," Dunscomb said.
Dunscomb, a 15-year veteran with the department, said testing this bite work involves a well-protected human target who is 100 yards from the dog. The target provokes the dog and begins to run in the opposite direction.
When he made contact, Kay was clocked at 29 miles per hour.
"The guy flipped over three times, and (Kay) landed with the guy under him." Dunscomb said.
Kay's impressive bite score actually belies the dog's calm nature, Dunscomb said.
"During training, we tried everything to get him to bite (when not ordered to)," Dunscomb said. "He's so level-headed, but he can switch gears in a heartbeat."
Mayor Jan Mills was impressed with how much Kay and Dunscomb have helped the community.
"They use our dog a lot; we assist the county a lot," Mills said. "(Police dogs) fill a void and it's a way to manage a situation without using deadly force.
"Jeff Dunscomb has been very positive about the experience with the department," she said. "He has done a great job and it's great to have that capacity in our department."
Kay graduated from Vohne Liche Kennels in Peru, Ind. The school is one of the highest-ranked in the world, Dunscomb said.
He said some of Vohne Liche's graduates now work for institutions such as the Pentagon, Navy SEALS, and the Secret Service. The Kennel's online guestbook included clients ranging from the U.S. Army to the Puerto Rico Police, and from large corporations to private citizens.
Vohne Liche's graduates also serve in dozens of police departments all over the country and West Lafayette has now been added to the list.
Dunscomb was one of five officers to apply for the K-9 position and the only one to be accepted into the program from West Lafayette, he said.
Basic training for the dogs takes six weeks, but Dunscomb and Kay train together every day, his trainer said. In addition, they participate in biweekly training with the Tippecanoe County K-9 team.
Dunscomb has been working with Kay for a total of 10 weeks; they will work together to fight crime in the city.