Q & A With Rocky’s Handler
By Nora Heston Tarte
How did Rocky become your partner?
I’ve had rocky since he was six months old. Rocky’s father worked for Stockton Police Department (SPD) as well so they bred him and I purchased him from another handler. I did the majority of the training with him and a K-9 trainer. He’s my dog; he’ll come home with me when he retires.
What is Rocky’s favorite treat or reward?
On the job it’s apprehension (locating suspects), but at home he likes normal dog treats like Greenies.
What is a typical day at work like for Rocky?
We start our shifts at 3 PM and we get off at 1 AM. There are two dogs on each shift, one on each side of Stockton. Rocky works in south Stockton. On average we respond to 15-20 calls a night, varying from building, area, and vehicle searches to regular service calls. The SPD typically sends K-9 units to any kind of high-risk calls for service where the K-9 can be utilized.
Tell me about one of Rocky’s calls.
We responded out to a burglary in progress and officers were already on the scene, watching the suspect go up and down the stairs inside the house. Rocky and I positioned ourselves near the backyard and as the suspects made their way to the backdoor of the residence, I sent rocky in to apprehend them. All you could hear was “splash, splash, splash,” and when I stepped into the backyard, all of the suspects and Rocky were in the swimming pool.
What does Rocky do in his downtime?
At home, he’s basically a family dog. He hangs out with my two other dogs, both shih-tzus, and does what any other normal dog does at home.
How does Rocky interact with the community?
We frequently do demonstrations for schools and other community events. Officers are able to talk about the dogs and explain how they are used in the field. We take our K-9 support team members out with us and demonstrate the K-9s obedience and apprehension abilities. Our main goal is apprehending suspects safely and as peacefully as possible. The kids really enjoy watching the dogs jump over obstacles and interacting with them. Rocky is very sociable and he enjoys it, too. I have two kids of my own and he’s just a big baby when he’s around them.
What should people know about Rocky?
Rocky is a hard working and strong dog. Earlier in the year, he was stabbed during an apprehension. He recovered after a month and a half and was right back to work. K-9s are important to SPD and to the community. They keep us safe.