The Good Life – July-August 2014

dogs, there are “multi-use” and “single use” K-9’s, each
trained for a variety of commands. K-9 Earl is a ‘sniff
and track’ K-9 not an attack canine. And that is what
nearly led to his early demise. Earl’s dad is Tazer, a five
time award winner and one tough pooch. Earl was
among the first of Tazer’s litters and was also among
the first for K-9 training. When it became evident Earl
was not “aggressive” enough — at least not in the world
of K-9 dog’s, it became a concern regarding the rest of
his training. K-9 trainers spend as much as twelve weeks
constantly training the dogs used for police work.
Afterward there is on-going ‘maintenance’ training as
well. Typical costs for a K-9 is in the neighborhood
of $10,000 for the original training and the on-going
training to keep a dog sharp and in ‘tune’ for the
work they are expected. When it was decided that Earl
would not be a “attack/take down” K-9, the decision
was made to concentrate on his keen ability to sniff
out whatever was given him and to this day, K-9 Officer
Earl has proved time and again he is well worth the
expense and time of training him well. K-9 Earl has so
far seized over $500,000 in drugs and assets seized due
to drug busts.
Earl has also helped in finding individuals who
have become lost. One example was an elderly person
sweet as one of my three dogs and he didn’t continue
to furiously bark as others I’ve been around. At the
same time, Earl would most definitely not be anything I
would want hunting me or determining I was his ‘target’
of engagement and take down.
Sgt. Vinson and Officer Earl have a very special
relationship. They have been together for seven years
and when I say “together” they truly are. Earl not only
goes to work with Sgt. Vinson, he also lives with Sgt.
Vinson and his wife twelve months a year. To say Sgt.
Vinson and K-9 Earl are best friends would be an
understatement. But Earl’s career almost ended just as
it was beginning.
NOT YOUR MOVIE STANDARD POLICE DOG
Originally from Austin, Minnesota, Earl has relatives
on both the Fargo Police Department and the Cass
County Sheriff’s Department. K-9 Falco and K-9 Bali
of the Fargo police department are Earl’s nephews. K-9
Ed, a member of the Cass County Sheriff’s department
Canine Unit is Earl’s brother. All three are a breed of
canines called Belgian-Malinois. Fairly smaller than a
typical German Shepard, K-9 Earl is a deep dark tan
color with soft brown eyes and more anxious energy
than the Energizer Bunny. Within the world of K-9
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PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: GEORGE VINSON