The Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office had its newest K-9 unit out on patrol for the first time last week.

Deputy Justin Rivas and K-9 Tango passed their certification tests Aug. 14 and responded to their first call in Elma on Aug. 18.

“It was good,” Rivas said of their first response. “It was an assistance for the City of Elma. They thought they had a burglary at a house so we did a building search and found nobody inside.”

An officer with Elma’s police department for three years, Rivas said he made the transition to the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office some four years ago because it increased his chances of becoming a K-9 handler.

“I’ve always liked dogs and what better assignment than to go to work everyday with a partner,” he said.

Grays Harbor County Sheriff Rick Scott said the department was contacted by Our Community Credit Union (OCCU) in 2016 and was asked if the department would be interested in having another K-9 unit.

“And I, of course, said yes,” Scott said.

The donation allowing for a second K-9 team at the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office totaled some $20,000.

“It is a very generous donation to our office and to our community and is something we truly appreciate,” Scott said. “I am sure the rest of the citizens do as well.”

Rivas and his partner, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, Tango, have gone through a rigorous training and accreditation process that entailed 400 hours of individual and partner work. Rivas was told he would be the department’s newest K-9 handler and began the long process of getting onto patrol in late Fall of 2016. Rivas said the first step was choosing a partner from Vohne Liche Kennels in California with the help of area master trainer Kevin Miller.

“In selecting a dog you have to go through a process and know exactly what you’re looking for,” Rivas said. “He (Miller) knew what to look for in a dog.”

The decision came down to two dogs, both Belgian Malinois. After one proved to be just a little too energetic, Tango was chosen to be trained as the newest addition to the sheriff’s office. Rivas said Tango had more energy than he would have expected.

“I wasn’t anticipating that high of an energy dog,” Rivas said. “It’s a good thing — you never have to motivate them to work. They always are wanting to go to work.”

Rivas said the most difficult thing for him has been trying to match Tango’s energy level. He got his first glimpse at Tango’s enthusiasm for getting the job done during the selection process. One of the tests dogs are put through examines how far they are willing to go to find, in this case, a beloved toy thrown by trainers.

“You want a dog who will search for it until they find it,” Rivas said. “In the real world you’re going to want them to keep looking for the bad guy.”

Rivas said even though Tango’s toy was thrown into some fairly tall grass his now partner was able to find it without too much trouble.

“He was a very high energy dog,” he said. “He’s small but he’s also very fast and what he lacks in size he makes up for in his speed and agility. His hunt drive is through the roof.”

Once Tango was selected and verified as compatible with Rivas, the intense and specialized training began.

“Every time I went to get him there was some sort of training involved,” Rivas said. “They say the dog is smarter than the handler and it’s the handler who has to catch up to the dog.”

The partners spent a month getting to know one another before heading back to Vohn Liche for 200 hours of training. The pair spent five weeks going through how to take care of the dog including basic first aid, tracking and an introduction to bite work. Rivas said throughout the training the key undertone was obedience since it is the foundation for patrol work. The partners then made their way back to the Grays Harbor area to log an additional 200 hours.

The process of accreditation saw Rivas and Tango embark on numerous tests that served to judge Tango’s obedience. One portion of the test required Tango to walk alongside Rivas for 50 feet before coming to a heel and waiting patiently as Rivas walked another 50 feet. Tango also was required to sit for one minute without moving while Rivas gave his command from 100 feet away. Tango then had to lie down for three minutes upon a command from Rivas who remained 100 feet away.

“It was a lot of relief that we finally did it. A lot of stress was lifted off my shoulders,” Rivas said of completing the training and passing the required tests. “As everyone says, now the fun begins.”