Police Dogs Are Hot -- On the Trail Of Suspects

"We used to get them for nothing," said Hess, who has worked with police dogs during most of his four decades in law enforcement. "Departments used to get their dogs through donations."

Working in a K9 unit is a physically demanding job, according to Sgt. Andrew Cusick, the first certified trainer in St. Mary's County and head of its K9 unit.

"If a suspect flees, it's the K9 guys that will be chasing them through the woods or climbing through windows," Cusick said.

Dogs train with their handlers, work beside them and live with their families off the clock. The special bond between cop and K9 is evident every Tuesday on a 1,500-acre farm in Piney Point where the St. Mary's unit trains all day.

Deputy David Gerhardt's partner, a German shepherd named Frigo, is his 15-month-old son's best friend at home. But when Gerhardt gets in his squad car, Frigo knows it's time to work.

"When I take him home, it's down time," Gerhardt said, as Frigo raced up to a fellow deputy during an attack exercise. "But when he sees us walk out in our black suits, it's business."

Staff writer Ernesto Londoño contributed to this report.