Bossier Sheriff Larry Deen says his agency has two new registered American bloodhounds--males "L.C" and "Clik," both 9 weeks old.
"The acquisition of these dogs is another way we are staying on law enforcement's cutting edge," said Deen. "When it comes to tracking dogs, we want to have the very best, and we have them in 3-year-old 'Shank' and 8-year-old 'Shorty,' but we believe, in time, these two puppies will be just as good or better than "Shank" and "Shorty."
The two animals are already in training and will be used to phase out the department's oldest tracking dog. They will be schooled for a year, then moved into the rotation with "Shank."
They have already begun training on short "puppy" tracks, with lengths and turns to be added as they improve in attention span and endurance. Next comes backtracks, circles and people hiding in trees.
The Bossier Sheriff's Office bought the puppies for $600 each from Top Dog Bloodhounds in Waldron, Arkansas.