For a police officer, having a partner retire is never easy, but for Jeff Keaton of the University Police department, circumstances are a bit different. His retiring partner, Zander, is a 7-and-a-half-year-old bomb-sniffing German shepherd.
"It's kind of hard to get over it because I'm used to seeing him in the back of the car instead of the new dog, said Keaton, who works as a canine officer.
Zander has been the University's sole police dog for six years and will remain on the job until graduation in May. Keaton decided to retire him because he has begun to show signs of arthritis in his hips - hip dysplasia being a common problem for shepherds. The courageous canine will remain with Keaton in retirement as a pet.
In the meantime, Keaton has begun training with his next canine partner, a Belgian Malinois named Muki. Keaton said splitting time between the two dogs has posed a challenge. He must keep the two dogs separate because "if they do get into a dogfight, I'm responsible if one of them gets hurt," he said, adding that it can be tough to work with two dogs, especially as "[Zander] gets a little upset with me for not taking him with me every day of the week like I used to."
Keaton and Zander have worked for the University Police since 2005, when Keaton was selected as the force's first canine officer and sent to Richmond for a 13-week training program. Zander also went through a training program, one that Lt. Melissa Fielding described as "very intensive." There, he learned to identify odors used in explosives.
"[Zander] knew no more about being a working dog than what I knew about being a handler, so we actually went through the school together," Keaton said.
Keaton trained with Zander and two other dogs before the program's master trainer decided Zander was the best fit, he said.
"Most people believe that you pick the dog, but in reality, the dog picks you," Keaton said. "Whichever dog listens to you and wants to be with you, that's who they'll match you up with."
Fielding said Zander was popular around the department for his "sweet personality."
Throughout his career as a police dog, Zander has "been used to respond to bomb threats - not only the threats but also suspicious packages found at the University," she said. "He has also assisted other localities - Albemarle County, for instance - and schools."
A wave of bomb threats the University received following Sept. 11 prompted police officials to begin using explosive detection dogs, Keaton said. In addition to responding to bomb threats, he and Zander check facilities before major events.
Dogs are particularly useful for police work because of their strong sense of smell. Biology Prof. Wolfgang Otto Friesen spoke about the science behind the sniffing.
"All animals have differing sensory capabilities," he said. "Dogs happen to be pretty good at smelling."
Animals such as moths can have an even more acute sense of smell, Friesen said, but Zander still appears more than qualified for his role as police canine: He is certified to detect eight odors used in explosives and can sniff out firearms, as well, Keaton said.
Additionally, strong hunt and play instincts make shepherds ideal police canines. Keaton's description of Zander doggedly pursuing a scent gives an idea of how the shepherd does his job.
"He gets real tense and his tail stops wagging," he said. "When he gets to the strongest point of the odor, he goes into a sit position."
When Keaton started as a canine officer, he was warned not to get attached to the dog - a warning that proved difficult to heed.
"I've always loved dogs," he said. "You get close."
Luckily for Keaton, he and Zander will be together for a while yet.
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