Sadie, a two-year-old Bloodhound, is one of Blount County Sheriff’s Office’s newest K-9s. She has been training for weeks with BCSO K-9 Unit Supervisor Sgt. Allen Russell to learn the art of tracking.
On a warm, sunny Thursday, Sadie, Russell, and a team of officers, deputies and their K-9s were working together to train. Sadie was about to demonstrate the tracking skills she had been learning.
Deputy Justin Summers was the target during this particular training. Four hours prior, he trekked through the woods on the BCSO Training Facility’s property to lay a trail for Sadie. Now, it was her chance to show off her chops.
Deputies took Sadie into the woods and followed as she tracked the scent. As Sadie came into a clearing, so close to her target, her focus was palpable. She loped into a shallow creek running through the property and, with nose down, followed the scent out of sight until a chorus of cheers and “Good girls!” rang out through the woods. She may even have been rewarded with a hotdog, her favorite treat. She had successfully located her person.
Using a phone app and tracking devices, officers can compare a person’s route to the route that the K-9 sniffed out to see how close they are to the path. In this instance, Sadie was spot on.
Sadie emerged from the woods wet with creek water, looking like the happiest dog in the world. She excitedly traveled down the path toward the K-9 facilities for a well-deserved break.
Russell has handled K-9s for 23 years. Normally, he works with a pair, a Bloodhound and a Belgian Malinois, but for now, he only works with Sadie.
When ready to work, Sadie will assist police in tracking criminals and missing persons. Bloodhounds, Sgt. Russell explained, are not used for apprehension because of their sweet and loving nature. Their instinct, when having located their target, is to give it affection, he said.
If Sadie were to track a criminal, Sgt. Russell would look to Sadie’s body language to see if they were on target. Once the criminal was located, Sadie would be removed. Russell explained that when tracking, there will usually be a patrol dog following and officers on the sides to provide cover.
“Tracking is one of the most dangerous things we can do with a dog,” said Russell.
Apprehension tends to be a little more contained, whereas, with tracking, an officer and the K-9 can be out in the open, exposed to whatever danger they are looking for.
When it comes to tracking, it’s not as easy as just smelling. There can be several factors that go into a track. How old the scent trail is, running water and the wind are all things that could interfere with the scent and the K-9’s ability to stay on the trail.
While Sadie had her break, deputies brought out Belgian Malinois Braum, who showed off his impressive agility skills by jumping over four barriers, increasing in height.
Then, Sgt. Ryan Moore donned a bite glove while Braum sat at rapt attention next to his handler, tail swishing back and forth. As soon as he heard the command, Braum sprinted to Moore and latched onto the glove. When the demonstration was over, Braum trotted off carrying the prized glove.
What was impressive about the demonstration was that while Braum latched onto the bite glove, his handler could touch his head and pet him without Braum losing focus, which is a testament to the training.
And it’s no wonder. With a little nudging, Russell revealed that not only does he train and oversee the BCSO K-9 unit, but he is also a renowned trainer who has worked all over the country and even in Europe, where he has traveled many times to help train law enforcement and search-and-rescue dogs.
Russell said he fell in love with handling and training K-9s early on. “I love the idea of it and love having that bond with the dog,” he said.
Growing up, Russell always had dogs. He said whether it was a dog that showed up or a dog they brought home, there were always dogs around.
“We spend more time with these dogs than we do our family a lot of the time. They’re with us at work, they’re with us at training and there’s always something. It’s like having an extra kid,” he said.
Russell explained that just like people, K-9s have unique personalities and different strengths and weaknesses. Every dog is different. He said it can be difficult to resist the urge to compare current dogs to previous dogs, thinking that perhaps they aren’t at the same level. He said it’s easy to forget all of the training that went into past K-9s.
“It’s almost like winning the Superbowl. Then, the next year, you’re starting over with a whole new team. As a coach, you know how to get it there, but you’re working with a whole new team.”
Russell said the last Bloodhound he retired, Daisy, was like cruise control. She picked up training quickly and didn’t need much navigation from Russell.
“From the go, she was a very quick learner — a very naturally talented dog,” he said.
In Sadie’s case, she will need a little more mentoring from Russell while still in training. Still, Russell says Sadie is showing a similar aptitude.
“She’s doing really, really well with the tracking and I’m very pleased with what we’ve accomplished in the last four weeks,” he said.
Russell explained that when a deputy is interested in being paired with a K-9, they do not get to pick which type of dog or specialty they will work with. They will do whatever serves the department’s needs at that time.
When asked what his favorite part of working with Sadie was, Russel replied, “I enjoy all of it. I enjoy the training, especially the call outs.”
Russell said whether it’s finding someone in danger from being lost or finding someone who needs to be off the street, “there’s nothing better than making a find.”
Throughout his career, Russell has found many people who, if not found, would have died.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” he said, “I’ve been very blessed. I’ve had a good career.”
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