Police Puppies Hondo And Heeko

[Boronia]

The link has some neat pictures

http://mypolice.qld.gov.au/blog/2012/12/20/police-puppy-foster-care-hondo-and-heeko/

Police Puppy Foster Care – Hondo and Heeko

December 20, 2012 at 1:55 pm

Police puppies Hondo and Heeko left ‘home’ for the first time several weeks ago when they went to live with caring foster families around Brisbane.

Home until then had been the Queensland Police Service (QPS) kennel complex where they were born on July 23 as part of the QPS Puppy Development Program.

The German Shepherd puppies were born along with another brother and two sisters in the H litter. Police Dog (PD) Onyx is the father, and their mum Dutch was also born through the puppy development program.

The brothers were separated at the end of September when they were fostered out at nine weeks of age. They are already showing potential QPS recruits.

Police puppy Heeko now lives in Brisbane west with Police Dog Zamm as a foster big brother.

Brisbane Dog Squad Senior Constable Cam McKinnon fostered Heeko hoping he will eventually become his new work partner after his current dog retires.

“Heeko is settling in well at home with the family and most importantly with Zamm. I have a ten year old and a four year old, boys who have nick-named him Captain America. Lachlan and Ash love the Captain so he gets heaps of attention from the boys. He is quite fanatical about chasing the ball with them.

“Heeko absolutely loves (Police Dog) Zamm and sleeps in the kennel with him. Heeko comes to work with us to start learning a few training tips.

“He is extremely confident and bold with all the makings of a very good police dog,” Senior Constable McKinnon said.

Police puppy Hondo is staying with a police officer from the Caboolture District and proved to need a lot of attention during his early weeks.

“Hondo was a real handful in the first few weeks. However he is coming along well and showing improvement each week. He is a bit of an escape artist. He often gets out of the back yard and breaks into the back living area of the house, making himself at home. He chews anything and everything he can get to,” Constable Chris Canavan said.

“Hondo has met both Caboolture Dog Squad’s Police Dogs Sonic and Elka and he recently spent four nights with Sonic. They get on well but Hondo has a few tricks to learn form Sonic before he can take over and start the real work.

“He seems to get along very well with other dogs and people, he loves his food and his intake has doubled in quantity since I received him,” Constable Canavan said.

Foster care is important to provide health and nutritional needs for the puppies and also develop the attributes and characteristics required to be a police dog.

Meet #policepuppy Icon tomorrow.