I feel that K-9 Dax and his handler Mike Abaid from the Sun Valley Police Department have gotten a bad rap regarding Dax's confrontation with Kerry Renner's puppy resulting in an injuring. First of all, I must say that I am very sorry to hear that Kerry's dog was injured. Hopefully, it will heal quickly.
As a volunteer K-9 handler for Blaine County Search and Rescue, I have had the opportunity to train and play with Mike and his K-9 Dax since Dax first came to the Wood River Valley. I know that when the Sun Valley Police Department decided to get a drug sniffing K-9 their main requirement was that the dog had to be good-natured and friendly. I know that Dax looks kind of mean and scary but the fact is that he is one of the most fun-loving, good-natured dogs you will ever meet.
I also know that Dax has never had any training in bite work (this is when a police dog is trained to go after the bad guy and bring him to a stop). This was not what the police department wanted in their dog. Whether it is a patrol dog, a drug dog, a bomb dog or a tracking dog, why they do what they are trained to do is to get their reward, which is usually their toy, and play. An even mildly aggressive dog will not make the grade and will not be certified to be any kind of a working dog.
I know how much we all love our dogs and get attached to them, but we have to realize that dogs are dogs and they sort out their differences in a much different way than humans do. They are pack animals—one minute they are playing with each other and the next minute they are putting their best friend in their place. I am not saying that what Dax did or didn't do was right and I know that officer Abaid and his wife feel very badly about it and will take the appropriate measures to make sure that this sort of thing doesn't happen again. I do think it is inappropriate to suggest that this dog is an unpredictable risk to our community. Dax has had a big part in getting drug dealers off of our streets and out of our community. We should be thanking the Sun Valley Police Department for the contribution they are making to our community and making it a safer place to live in. No one is perfect, we all make mistakes and the same goes for dogs.
Johnny Unser
Sun Valley
