Jaxson, all of 16 months, is still just a pup but he’s already showing great promise as he progresses through his K-9 training.
“He’s starting to get his name,” said K9 Officer Corey Krecic.
Krecic and Jaxson are the newest recruits to the Port St. Lucie Police Department’s K-9 division.
“This has been a dream since I was a kid,” Krecic said of officially joining the division. He has spent the last few years volunteering his time as a bite decoy, fixing up the kennels and otherwise making himself known and useful.
“I obviously love dogs,” the officer said, adding that his biggest thrill is the hunt to capture bad guys. “I can’t sit still.” That’s lucky for him because Jaxson can’t seem to sit still for long, either – though that could be a matter of training.
“He works very hard at being distracted,” K-9 Officer and trainer Michael Colton said of the pup, later adding, “he’s as green as the grass.” When Colton selected the pup later named Jaxson, the sable German shepherd knew how to bite and how to hold his nose to the ground to sniff, but that’s about it.
Jaxson beat out two other dogs presented to the Port St. Lucie Police Department, according to Colton. He said both dogs were great candidates and each would have worked out well for the department.
“With Jaxson I really liked the way he transitioned to his nose during retrieve exercises and his sociability,” Colton said. “This behavior is necessary for narcotic odor detection training he will be going through. He carried himself with confidence and performed well in all areas of testing.”
Jaxson was also the least reactive to other dogs and people, which is another trait the division looks for in candidates. “So far he has met or surpassed all of my expectations,” Colton said.
Jaxson got his name from Krecic’s 4-year-old daughter, the K-9 handler said. Jaxson lives with Krecic’s family and has already acclimated to a full house of two children, the 4-year-old and her 9-year-old sister, and two dogs – a Chihuahua and an 8-year-old Siberian husky.
At home, Jaxson is just a puppy, content to follow the kids around, play and nap. But in the training field, he’s all business, and fixated on one thing, for now – his Kong. “He loves the Kong,” Krecic said. Colton equated the Kong to a pacifier; the dogs will do just about anything for their favorite toy.
The early stages of training are all about teaching K-9 Jaxson that he’s not just a dog, but a police dog.
“We want them as raw as can be,” Colton said of the new recruit – that way they don’t have to retrain bad behaviors.
Jaxson joins 3-year veteran K-9 Blek in this latest round of training. K-9 Blek has found himself with a new handler after three years on the force and is undergoing training anew to build the relationship with K-9 Ofc. Mitch Miller.
Miller had previously been in the K-9 division for eight years when his K-9 partner retired. Miller was reassigned elsewhere in the police department and in mid-August was tapped to return, assigned to K-9 Blek.
“It’s the best job there is,” Miller said. “I’m ecstatic.”
It’s uncommon for a K-9 to be reassigned to another handler as the bond between dog and human is forged so strongly. However, because K-9 Blek had been on the force for just a couple years and Miller is so experienced, the division thought it best to pair the two.
“You’ve got to have the right match,” Colton said. “It’s kind of like hitting the refresh button” on a computer.
Once K-9s Jaxson and Blek get through training, the Port St. Lucie Police Department’s K-9 division will be five dogs strong. Some, like K-9 Bodhi, are trained to sniff out explosives. Others, like K-9 Jaxson, will be trained to sniff out drugs.
All are trained to search for people – whether they be fugitives, suspects or those who are missing.
“There is a lot we ask these dogs to do,” Colton said, adding that each is courageous, fearless and driven.
“They are ambassadors” for the police department, helping to bridge the gap between the community and its officers.
“We have been fortunate to receive both financial as well as communicated support from our community during my tenure with the agency,” Colton said. Those wishing to financially support the agency are encouraged to contact Lt. Michael Swanchak by calling 772-871-5000.
Colton said the agency cannot accept donations of food or toys for the dogs as they are on a special diet and are too hard on traditional toys.
“We always appreciate communicated support directed to City Hall or the police department,” Colton said. “Our K-9 teams work hard and take great pride in providing the highest level of service possible to our community and hearing positive feedback goes a long way towards reinforcing our efforts.”
