Thor makes first collar, trees man involved in domestic disturbance

The newest member of Conway Police Department, Thor, a year-old Dutch shepherd, made his first collar over the weekend, successfully tracking and then treeing an individual involved in a domestic disturbance. On the force for almost a month now, Thor is receiving rave reviews from the rank and file and his partner, Sgt. George Walker, truly has a friend for life."He's been awesome," Walker said yesterday. "It's been so impressive how well he's been picking things up he's grown by leaps and bounds. He really enjoys working.""We've been very impressed," Lt. Jeff Dicey said. "It's amazing the progress he's made in just a month. He's a very good dog. I think we've all taken to him pretty well. There's no question he's going to be an asset to the department."Walker was responding to a call over the weekend when his 81-pound partner sprung into action. "We responded to a domestic violence situation," Walker said. "Thor ended up on a 35 to 50 yard track in which he picked up the scent of a man and led us right to where he was hiding (in the bushes). He decided to climb up into a tree for fear of getting bitten. Thor did a great job."Thor joined the department last month, taking over from Pachee, a 4-year-old Belgian malinois who was recalled by the Working Dog Foundation after spending two months with police."The Working Dog Foundation has extremely strict criteria for dogs," Walker said. "If a dog doesn't meet the criteria, it is recycled and if it doesn't pass the criteria a second time they remove the animal from the program (placing it up for adoption)... The training is very strict in the beginning. The whole idea is to weed out the dogs sort of like the police academy."Thor, who is still just a pup, came to the Working Dog Foundation from a breeder in western Massachusetts. "He's been great," Walker said. "He's already become a part of our family. The girls, Alex and Ali, love him. Now Kim, my wife, has three toddlers running around." Thor works alongside Walker, assisting with patrol and searches. "Tracking and article searches are really going to be his strengths," he said. "These dogs aren't trained for search and rescue per se, but we will use him if we need to search for a missing child or elderly person. Thor has a really good nose. A dog's nose is 100 percent more powerful than a human's... He's trained to smell out scent. I'll point out a scent, he'll pick up on it and just follow it. When he's successful he gets a reward. Right now it's his favorite toy, a tennis ball."While the German shepherd remains the most common police K-9, the Belgian malinois and the Dutch shepherd are quickly gaining in popularity among the law enforcement community. "I think it's probably that way for a couple of reasons," Walker said. "The Dutch shepherd is short-haired and it has an 8-10 year career working span."Thor, who loves to ride in the police cruiser, is very friendly when not working. "He's very playful," Walker said. "Right now I'm trying to socialize to all sorts of people and he's really enjoying that."Walker and Thor train once a week in Center Strafford and will do so for a year until they become certified. After that, the duo will go back twice a month for additional training. "Every week we're learning something new and come home and work on it," Walker said. "I think he picks up the training pretty quickly."Walker said a local nonprofit group, which wishes to remain anonymous, donated $3,000 to the police department for a K-9 program. The money is used for startup costs, such as food, collars and veterinary bills. Hussey Veterinary Hospital in North Conway is providing the veterinary care; Lupine is providing collars; and Four Your Paws Only is assisting with food and supplies."Betty Holmes (local animal control officer) has been great, too," Walker said. "She's helped me out with any questions I've had. She's amazing with animals. She's a great asset for the local K-9 program.According to the Working Dog Foundation, there are about 45 police K-9s in New Hampshire. They account for more than 1,800 arrests a year, and help seize more than $1 million in illegal drugs.The K-9 team is the first for Conway Police Department since the early 1980s.Walker loves his new partner. "I'm never alone," he said, rubbing Thor's ears. "On a midnight shift, I've always got someone to talk to he's a good listener."