Conservation Canines

Wildlife enforcement

Dogs are sniffing out new careers in the campaign against poachers. A handful of other states, including New York, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, California and Minnesota, have K9 divisions with dogs that use their noses to find animal parts that poachers may have hidden in their vehicles or in the woods.

Labrador retrievers were the preferred breed in the early 1990s because of their keen noses. However, their personalities were not aggressive enough to protect officers in dangerous situations.

“I ran into a few situations where it would have been nice to have a dog that could protect me,” said Rich Hansen, a Minnesota conservation officer who heads the Department of Natural Resources K9 program. “Shepherds have a reputation that Labs don’t.”

After rigorous training, the dogs can be charming around kids yet, with the right command, leap to a handler’s aid with a full complement of bared teeth.

“Labs have excellent noses, but a German shepherd can perform several tasks - aggression and apprehension, and they can find game,” he said.

The added security helps conservation officers who are increasingly finding themselves up against marijuana growers and operators of methamphetamine labs in rural areas.

“Crime,” Hansen said, “is moving into the countryside.”

K9 programs remain very small, however, and no state currently has more than 10 dogs. The cost of the dogs and training ranges from $6,500 to $13,000. Part of the difficulty is finding quality shepherds, Hansen said.