To help protect the large investment atop Mount Graham that, when completed, will be the world's largest binocular telescope, the University of Arizona Police Department maintains a regional office at the base of the mountain.

There are ten officers assigned to the Mount Graham International Observatory division (MGIO), and they are primarily charged with the task of providing a secure environment for personnel and property affiliated with the observatory. Other responsibilities include providing initial fire suppression efforts and emergency medical services on the mountain, and assisting local law enforcement agencies when needed.

Four of the K-9 officers come from Europe and know only a few words of English. Then again, these police dogs really only know a few words in their native language, which for three of the officers is German, and for the fourth is Dutch. Dag, Dasco, Ranger and Lobo are German shepherds, and along with those at the various prisons, they are the only police dogs in the Valley. Along with their respective handlers, Cpl. Wade Boltinghouse, Cmdr. Mike Thomas, Sgt. Ron Smallwood and Sgt. Gerardo "Jerry" Garcia, they can prove an invaluable resource to area law enforcement agencies.

When a man escaped from the federal prison earlier this year, it was K-9 Ranger who helped track him down.

When Jacob Diaz threatened officers with a knife on April 6, it was K-9 Lobo who was able to subdue him and possibly save his life.

Smallwood said the division uses only German shepherds based on past experience and success with the breed.

"It's not that we have any real preference over the Belgian Malinois -- which is another police dog generally used for patrol work -- but we've had really good luck with German shepherds," Smallwood said. "The climate up there on the mountain is also conducive to this breed."

The dogs are all carefully selected by a testing process that focuses on the animal's "innate genetic traits," Sgt. Smallwood said.

He said all the dogs go through a stringent selection process so the department can find an animal with the right temperament for police work. The dogs need to be sociable in public yet aggressive on command. They need a strong hunting drive and an Alpha-male personality tempered with the ability to get along with the other dogs.

Smallwood said the number of dogs possessing all the necessary traits is between .05 and 1 percent of dogs tested.

"These are raw talent tests given to dogs that have not received any police work training," he said. "We're looking for a reaction to a specific stimulus that is not trained in the dog."

One of the traits sought is a willingness by the dog to protect a stranger. This is done by pairing the animal up with a handler to whom it has not developed a bond, and having a decoy attack the handler.

"If the dog cowers away, or shuns or isn't willing to engage or bite the suspect, then he's probably not a good candidate," Smallwood said.

Another test looks at how the dog reacts when tracking an individual. Smallwood said they want a dog who will not only find the person, but "instinctively engages" the individual.

He said only the dogs with the appropriate instincts can be molded into good police dogs.

"You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear," he said. "We can't take a house pet and turn it into a police dog, no matter how much training we give the dog. It is a highly skilled job they are asked to perform."

Once an animal passes the department's test, it is paired up with a handler and sent to an eight-week training academy in Tucson.

Cpl. Boltinghouse is pursuing certification from the National Police Canine Association (NPCA) in Tucson with his new dog, Dag. Boltinghouse recently had to retire his first police dog.

Dogs and handlers receive certification as a team, and any change in the team requires re-certification.

NPCA certifies dogs for several purposes, including patrol work, handler protection, scent detection and tracking and trailing. Dogs can be trained for one or two areas of operation, but Smallwood said going beyond that asks too much of the dogs. He said all the MGIO division dogs are trained for two purposes.

"The dogs here are all what we call dual-purpose, meaning their initial training and primary responsibility is patrol work -- apprehension and basic police dog work," Smallwood said. "Two of the dogs, Lobo and Dag, are narcotics certified, and Thomas and I have dogs that are for patrol and tracking."

Smallwood explained that the dogs require about four hours of maintenance training each week for each of their certification areas. Because all the MGIO K-9s are dual-purpose, the officers spend at least eight hours each week keeping their dogs in optimal condition.

Through the course of this training and the countless hours spent together, the handlers and dogs develop an extremely close bond, Thomas said.

"We can often communicate with them without even speaking," he said. "The bond between the dog and the officer is extremely close."

The relationship is further strengthened by the fact that the handlers and dogs spend a majority of their time together. When the workday is over, the dogs go home with their partners. Smallwood said he is with his dog more than he is with his family.

"I spend more time with my dog than I do with my family," Smallwood said. "I work with the dog and then he comes home with me, too. So we spend a majority of the daylight hours together."

All the officers of the MGIO department are on their second dogs, and Smallwood said it is often difficult when an officer looses a dog.

Thomas said his dog inhaled some chemicals used for making methamphetamines during a drug search in Tucson.

Smallwood's first dog was put down shortly after it was retired. Thomas' dog died in the line of duty.

"It's a real close bond that you develop with the dog when you have to depend on him to be there with you to protect you," Smallwood said. "Its hard when you loose a dog. Its tough because it has become part of the family, and its not only hard on the officer, but the rest of the family as well."

The MGIO officers love their jobs. They paired up with some of the most dependable and loyal partners an officer could ask for and Thomas said they are largely responsible for ensuring the telescope is completed.

"Yeah, it's a great place to work. Just look at my office over there," Garcia said, pointing to Mount Graham.

Contact Greg Jones at 428-2560 (ext. 234) or e-mail him at gjones@eacourier.com.