The use of K-9s by the McClain County Sheriff’s office has given a pair of deputies unique perspectives on policing with a four-legged partner.

Ares is a Belgian Malinois raised overseas and trained at Torchlight K-9. Deputy Damon Slabaugh and his partner Ares finished their training in May 2022 and went into the field as a certified K-9 unit for the McClain County Sheriff’s Office soon after.

Ares is a dual-purpose patrol dog, meaning he is trained not only to detect the scent of narcotics but also to track and apprehend criminals on the loose. However, he isn’t the only dual-purpose K-9 patrolling McClain County.

Spike is a Belgian Malinois imported from the Netherlands and dually trained in narcotics detection as well as criminal tracking and apprehension by Vohne Liche Kennels.

Spike and his partner Deputy Shane McCraw have been together for two-and-a-half years. The two joined the Sheriff’s Office last December after over a year together at the Lindsay Police Department.

Although each patrol dog requires a unique approach, both officers can agree that their K-9 partners can be a lot of work.

“They’re so hyper and energetic,” Deputy McCraw said. “Every day you have to get them out, whether it’s taking them out on a walk, working obedience, working apprehensions, you have to do something every day with those dogs.

“If not, their skills start to slack, and you can start to see it in your handling abilities,” he added.

Deputy Slabaugh shared a similar sentiment.

“He has specific functions that I have to maintain for him. Every day we do a little bit of obedience, article indication, so I’m always training those skills with him,” he expressed.

“You see normal dogs trained, but not to the caliber that he’s been trained to. And you have to maintain that, or you start having problems,” he said.

One of the challenges that can be hard for K-9 handlers to navigate is dealing with their partner’s playfulness, both at work and home. Because each dog is different, practices and techniques vary depending on the K-9 and the handler.

“With Spike, I can actually take him out into public; he’s very friendly with other humans,” said Deputy McCraw. “When we get home, I just open my car door and he runs around my property. If my neighbors are out, he says hi. If someone’s over, he says hi, so he’s sociable.”

“He’s what we call a push-button dog. If I want him to be nice to people, he’ll be nice to people. If I want him to apprehend somebody, he’ll apprehend somebody,” Deputy McCraw added.

Although some K-9s can be friendly, ultimately, they are trained for their law enforcement patrol duties.

“He’s a working dog that needs to have a job whenever he gets out of the kennel. There has to be an objective for him because if not, that’s when you start to see issues when you don’t give a working dog a job,” said Deputy Slabaugh.

“He’s a dog with a job; he’s not a pet by any means,” he added.

No matter the approach, Ares and Spike are both invaluable resources that help keep their handlers on their toes and McClain County’s residents safe.

“Having Ares and the position that I’m in as a canine handler, it challenges me to be more proactive,” said Deputy Slabaugh. “And in turn, other agencies see that and see our agencies having success and it starts this sort of snowball effect.”

“Due to being a K-9 officer, I have become safer at my job because I see things differently than most officers do due to my training in tactical situations,” said Deputy McCraw.

“I feel like it’s actually made my job easier because I’ve got experience and I know what to do in dangerous situations,” he concluded.