MARSHFIELD, WI (OnFocus) – The Marshfield Police Department welcomed back K9 Officer Ament and K9 Zso from their trip to Indiana for training.
The training course in Indiana lasted six weeks and gave Ament and Zso the proper training to become a dual-force K9 team. One aspect of the training taught Zso how to detect illegal substances. The other focused on bite apprehension of a person that might be putting the public or Zso’s handler in danger.
The Denver, Indiana facility called Vohne Liche Kennels has trained over 5,000 police and
military service dogs for law enforcement and government agencies. This particular class featured eight students who were current patrol officers and were making the switch to being a K9 handler, or were current handlers that wanted to gain the knowledge of how to train a police dog and bring that skill back to their department according to Ament.
The facility itself includes two large outbuildings where instructors would conduct training as well as a 200 by 40 foot indoor training facility set up with 10 rooms, and patrol work area. Vehicles for narcotic/explosives detection and handler protection work are also located at each of the training areas.
The training exercises trainees are put through resemble real-life situations but the K9s sometimes view it as fun.
“They tried to expose us to as many real-life experiences as we will receive on the street,” Ament said. “While the scenarios I train Zso for are serious, for him, it’s all play. He wants to have fun and joy, and when he does a job correctly, I have to make it seem like that job was the best thing he’s done all day for me.”
Ament said she’s always loved dogs but she never truly thought about being a K9 officer until she worked with them.
“I’ve always been a dog lover, but my interest was sparked while working night shift and being around K9 handlers and the dogs,” Ament said. “I would make as much effort as possible to utilize and take advantage of having a K9 if one was in my area or on my shift. I have always been fascinated by how great of a tool they are in this line of work, especially narcotic detection during traffic stops.”
K9 Zso now resides at home with Ament when they are not on the clock and she said the job doesn’t stop when you punch out at the department.
“Although being a K9 handler is probably one of the most rewarding positions in my opinion, that an officer can have, it is also one that requires a lot of time and commitment,” Ament said. “Zso Zso lives with me, so the responsibility of taking care of him doesn’t just stop when we end our shift each day. Our K9 handlers have to feed, play, love and care for our dogs every day, even on our days off.”
Zso is tasked with keeping the City of Marshfield safe but Ament said Zso loves going to work.
“Zso loves to be in a patrol car and drive around,” Ament said. “Having him in the back seat is like always having back up if you need it. He loves to come to work. When he hears my patrol car startup he won’t let me leave the house unless he gets to go with me!”
A six-week training course was a step in the right direction for the duo but the training and learning doesn’t stop there. Trust is a big piece of a K9 officer and the K9 and Ament said learning, trusting and learning to trust goes far beyond the time spent on the clock.
“At work, I need to be able to trust Zso and know that when I need him, he will be able to perform as he was trained to,” Ament said. “Although we continue our training for several hours, multiple times a month, the trust we have for each other is also built through relationship building over time. Not many people get to bring their best friend to work each day.”
During Ament and Zso’s tenure, the duo will look to keep not only narcotic-related issues off of Marshfield streets but assist in other capacities of the Marshfield Police Department as well.
“Throughout Zso’s and my career we will strive to continue to keep the City of Marshfield safe and try to keep illegal drugs out of our community,” Ament said. “Zso’s usage is not limited to detecting controlled substances inside vehicles. K9 deployment for search warrants or during active incidents is beneficial to our officers’ safety and the ability to swiftly capture suspects, if necessary and help keep others safe.
“This will come with dedicated and appropriate work and my partnership with Zso that explores the boundaries of what he is capable of doing. Our successful career will require me knowing the limitations of Zso and his training as it evolves throughout our years together. Zso and I would like to be as valuable as possible to my community and law enforcement brothers and sisters throughout our time serving Marshfield.”
We welcome your stories! Contact us at [email protected]!
