VALDOSTA, Ga. — While the Valdosta Police Department has 145 human officers, there are eight that hit the pavement with four paws.

Every other Wednesday, the K-9 officers of the Valdosta Police Department take their dogs out for additional training.

“The minimum standard for training is sixteen hours a month,” K-9 Unit Sgt. Alan Girsch said. “Each guy does their own things. Things that can be done without a decoy, you have to do on your own.”

Girsch, who also handles one of the eight dogs on the force, served as a decoy Wednesday for one of the department’s typical training sessions.

The dogs are taken through a variety of scenarios including drug busts and tracking down suspects.

For Wednesday’s demonstration, Girsch walked out of the woods and pretended to be a perpetrator. As Casey Lane shouted commands, his dog Epic patiently waited for instruction, and when Girsch acted as someone disobeying a voice command, the dog ran to assist in the apprehension.

However, Girsch stressed that the majority of times dogs are used in non-contact apprehension, stating that many people throw their hands up as soon as they know there is a possibility of the dog being used.

As for their down time, the four-legged officers go home with their handlers.

“He is usually sleeping and chilling out at the house in a kennel provided by the police department,” Girsch said of his dog Niki. “They can be inside during inclement weather, but they are not house dogs. You have to look at the dog as a loaded weapon.”

Desiree Carver is Lifestyles Editor at the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be reached at (229) 375-5777.