Cocoa police dogs complete ‘rigorous’ K-9 training

COCOA, Fla. — The Cocoa Police Department now has two new dual-certified patrol dogs.

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Both K-9s are now certified for both patrol and detection work.

K-9 Hasko, a four-year-old German Shepherd, just joined the police department in April.

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Hasko has worked with his handler, K-9 Officer Mike Fitzgerald, since he was just eight weeks old.

Draco, a four-year-old Belgian Malinois, also graduated from the police department’s K-9 Academy with his new handler, K-9 Officer Cierra Johnson.

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Cocoa police dogs complete ‘rigorous’ K-9 training The Cocoa Police Department now has two new dual-certified patrol dogs.

Both teams were required to complete 480 hours of training in obedience control, apprehension work, searches, detection work, and bonding exercises with their handlers.

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According to the police department, their “rigorous” K-9 school requires the most training of all the other disciplines in patrol work.

The dogs are trained with a reward-based system with an emphasis on positive reinforcement.

Through this system, the dogs are motivated to work for praise from their handlers.

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“It is the relationship between the dog and the handler that determines the success of the police K-9 team,” the agency said in a statement announcing the new patrol dogs. “The K-9 must love, trust and respect the handler in order to work as a team.”

The Cocoa Police Department’s K-9 Academy is led by veteran K-9 Officer Dan Rhoades and his partner Maverick along with K-9 Officer Brian Delos Santos and his K-9 partner Kyra.

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