The Daviess County Sheriff’s Office and Owensboro Police Department’s K9 unit will conduct an annual training exercise this morning. Their dogs will undergo a series of specialized drills, including drug searches, tracking, and patrol tasks on a tugboat.
According to Corporal Russ Day, a veteran of the K9 unit, the training is designed to keep the K9s sharp in various scenarios.
“We do this every year,” Day said. “Fish and Wildlife will take us up to Evansville Marine, where we’ll put some drug hides on an old tugboat for the dogs to search. We’ll also have a person in a bite suit on the riverbank, and the dogs will jump off the boat, swim to shore, and apprehend the ‘bad guy.’ It’s good training for them.”
The Daviess County Sheriff’s Office will bring seven German Shepherds and one Belgian Malinois to the exercise, while the Owensboro Police Department (OPD) will add four dogs to the event. Day noted that most of the K9s are dual-purpose, meaning they handle both detection and patrol tasks.
“These dogs do it all – tracking suspects, searching vehicles for drugs, protecting officers, and conducting area searches,” Day said. “They can even help locate things like guns or keys if they’ve been thrown away. Their noses are incredibly powerful and capable of distinguishing between individual odors.”
Day, who has worked with K9s for 20 years, emphasized dogs’ critical role in law enforcement.
The training will focus on acclimating the dogs to tight, confined spaces and challenging environments they wouldn’t normally encounter.
“We’re not necessarily training them to search tugboats,” he said. “But putting them in unfamiliar, high-pressure situations helps improve their overall performance. It’s all about making them better at what they do.”
Day said most dogs are purchased at around 14-16 months old, and their service typically lasts eight to nine years, pending no injuries or illnessnes. Day said it’s essential for the ongoing development of the K9 unit.
“Kentucky doesn’t have strict requirements for K9 training, but we aim for at least 16 hours a month to keep the dogs ready for any situation,” he said. “These exercises are crucial.”
The Daviess County Sheriff’s Office currently has three dual-purpose K9s, as well as a therapy dog, a recent addition under Sheriff Brad Youngman.
“Sheriff Youngman has been very supportive of expanding our program,” he said. “Our therapy dog visits schools and nursing homes, bringing comfort to the community.”
The K9 unit’s rigorous training prepares them for the unpredictable nature of law enforcement, making them indispensable partners to officers.
“These dogs have changed the landscape of policing,” Day said. “They make our job safer and more efficient. They truly are part of the force.”
