Dogged dedication: Being a handler for a K-9 officer requires 24/7 commitment

“Ik-ee, ready to work?”

That’s the cue.

It’s 8:33 p.m. on a Thursday. The 2-year-old Dutch Shepherd seated inside a metal kettle within the police SUV is awake and alert.

Officer Craig Curry, his handler, places a red collar around the dog and gets him psyched for the task at hand.

“Ready to find that dope?” Curry says in a high voice, as if talking to a small child. “Ready to find that dope?”

Red and blue lights from the police vehicles illuminate the dark sidewalk within the Rancho El Dorado neighborhood. Moments ago, Curry stopped a red Dodge pickup traveling 10 over in a 25 mile-per-hour zone.

Upon speaking with the 52-year-old driver, Curry immediately noticed the pungent smell of marijuana reeking from the vehicle and called for backup. The driver — a heavy-set Maricopa man wearing flip-flops and blue shorts — was asked to step out of the truck. Curry confronted the man about his eyes, which appeared “glossy” — a sign of intoxication.

The smell alone was enough for Curry to deploy one of Maricopa Police Department’s greatest tools: Ike.

A dynamic duo

The relationship between Officer Curry and Ike isn’t your typical owner-pet dynamic. It’s not a typical relationship no matter what the species. Curry and Ike are inseparable.

“He’s with me 24/7,” he said. “Every handler can say that dog’s with them more than their wife, their kids, anybody. Ten hours a day, plus training, plus giving him breaks. Off days.”

Curry, a 36-year-old officer who’s been with the Maricopa Police Department for six years, said he became a handler partly for the challenge.

“It’s not for every officer,” he said. “It’s a lot of commitment, sacrifice.”

Curry also does it for his fellow officer — to provide the assistance that could one day help track down a suspect or accomplish some other task Ike has trained to perform.

“I train every day non-stop for that one opportunity,” he said.

Ike, on other hand, does it for the fun and the reward. The brown and black Dutch Shepherd, born in the Netherlands, can’t resist the bouncy green tennis ball he often receives when accomplishing a task.

“He loves that tennis ball,” Curry said. “He’ll do anything for that tennis ball.”

For Ike, there’s no difference between the real world and a training exercise. The reward — one of his toys stored in the back of the black-and-white Chevy Tahoe — awaits him when he gets things done. On the job, Curry makes sure his dog is having fun.

“One thing I do, I always makes sure he’s happy,” he said. “I always look at his tail — look at his ears. Make sure his demeanor is happy.”

The duo, which has been in the field since May, is one of two K-9 units for the Maricopa Police Department. The other dog, Kasper, along with his handler, Officer Justin Thornton, has been with the department for about five years.

Curry drives a specially equipped Chevy Tahoe with a kennel positioned just behind the front seats. For the public, there’s no question who occupies the vehicle. The words “Stay Back K-9” and “Caution K-9” are plastered on the sides and back. The name “Ike” is on the doors.

During the 10-hour workday, Curry and Ike’s close bond is apparent. It’s a bond that takes on many forms: father-and-son, handler-and-tool, partners.

“If you just say ‘He’s my partner,’ you’re going to act the same way all the time. And that’s going to burn him out,” Curry said. “So he sees me act in totally different ways.”

Ike, the tool

It’s 10:42 p.m. Curry and Ike have two-and-a-half hours to go before their 10-hour shift is over. So far, Ike only has been used on two traffic stops, including the red Dodge pickup. Ike was unable to locate a source of the marijuana smell. The man, who claimed his son had been smoking earlier in the car, was let go with a harsh warning about driving under the influence.

With a lack of service calls and time to spare, Ike performs another training exercise.

The training is constant, Curry says. He makes sure Ike trains every day in area searches and finding narcotics.

Sgt. Elliot Sneezy, Officer Fred Kiefer and a civilian volunteer assist.

Sneezy and Kiefer flank Curry and Ike as they stand at the edge of a large grass field on the north side of the Senita subdivision near Honeycutt Road and Maricopa Groves Parkway. Ike is about to perform an area search. His objective is to find the civilian volunteer, who is about half a mile away on a sports field behind Butterfield Elementary School.

Ike wears a black harness. Curry carries a long rope-like leash that allows Ike plenty of room to search. The collars tell Ike what job he needs to perform. The black harness is for area searches. The red collar is for sniffing out drugs.

“Maricopa police K-9! Announce your presence, my dog will find you and bite you!” Curry says into the night air. The command is for both Ike and the person the dog is looking for.

“(Ike) knows, it’s game time,” Curry would later say about giving the command.

The grass field is dark. The lights on Honeycutt Road bathe the sidewalks and road with a golden tan. Kiefer and Sneezy keep to the sides of Ike and Curry as they begin the search.

The officers and dog cross the field, work their way across Honeycutt Road’s four lanes, and enter school grounds. Curry tries to keep Ike focused, giving him commands in Dutch and English.

“Find bad guy!” Curry says.

Once near the school, the pace quickens. Ike smells the human odor and knows exactly where to go.

The dog heads down an access road on the school’s west side and searches along a fence. When he finds the man, Ike goes wild — barking as Curry holds him back.

“Maricopa Police K-9 unit! Suspect stand up and announce your presence!”

For Ike and Curry, the training is constant. While Ike already excels in area searches, Curry’s objective is get the dog ready for any scenario, so Ike can be used at a moment’s notice.

As his handler, Curry said he is responsible for Ike’s competence. He pays attention to what the dog is good at and what the animal enjoys doing.

“One thing he’s really good at it area searches,” he said. “He loves them. And I’m glad he does.”