BORN TO FIGHT CRIME LAPD BREEDS OWN PUPS DEPARTMENT HOPES TO SAVE ON K-9 UNIT, HAVE STEADY SUPPLY OF DOGS.

Byline: ANGIE VALENCIA-MARTINEZ Staff Writer

CANYON COUNTRY -- Today, they're teething. Tomorrow, they'll be taking a bite out of crime.

These cuddly police recruits -- wagging their tails and growling as ferociously as puppies can -- wrestle for a toy in what appears to be an innocent game of tug-of-war.

Actually, it's an exercise that eventually will teach them how to bring down L.A.'s toughest criminals.

``This is all fun for them,'' said Sgt. Doug Roller, the chief trainer for the LAPD's 22-dog K-9 Unit. ``You start incorporating obedience and discipline as they get older.''

Prompted by a spike in demand for police dogs after 9-11, the Los Angeles Police Department began breeding its own dogs this year -- making it perhaps the first large law-enforcement agency in the U.S. to do so.

The department will continue to import dogs from Europe, which supplies most of the K-9 units in the U.S. But with the animals costing $8,500 each, the LAPD hopes to save money while creating a supply of trained dogs for the future.

``This is not going to solve our need for dogs,'' Roller said. ``This is just a way to help us obtain dogs, to give us a break.

``It takes the pressure off. I can afford to have a young dog in hand without being worried about a dog getting too old.''

Typically, U.S. police departments import 2- to 3-year-old dogs from Europe that have been bred for strength and intelligence and have received a very broad training regimen. Individual departments provide more specific training, based on their needs.

In the LAPD, as many as three dogs may be retired in a year, while others may get injured or die, so there's no way to predict just how many dogs will be needed.

LAPD's K-9 Unit was established in 1979 and has grown from two to 22 dogs. The dogs -- usually Malinois and Dutch shepherds -- work with their handlers during the day, then go home with them at night.

``They become a part of the family,'' said Officer Brian O'Hara, a dog handler for 17 years. ``You can never replace the dog you had with another one. They're never quite the same. They're all individual.

``They're just little lives. They're here to please us and work for us and help us out. You become very attached to them.''

But some professional dog trainers question whether police departments are equipped to breed their own dogs.

Dave Reaver, president of Adlerhorst International Inc., which supplies imported dogs to the LAPD and some 300 other agencies, said departments take a risk when they breed their own dogs.

``It's probably not the most cost-effective way to do it,'' he said. ``If you breed your own dogs and you need 10 dogs a year, you have to have 40 to 50 puppies. (Many) won't make it.''

Adlerhorst, which also operates an academy that trains handlers and dogs, has a policy that includes replacing animals that don't demonstrate the appropriate drive and temperament, or that display physical problems.

``Policemen are not dog trainers. When they get the dogs from Europe, they're getting the training,'' he said.

O'Hara, who is on his fourth working dog, cruises the streets of Los Angeles with his canine partner, Rudy, and puppy recruit, Ozzy.

After more than seven years with the LAPD, 9-year-old Rudy has been involved in nearly 400 searches, has captured almost 200 suspects and has been stabbed once.

Next year, Rudy is set to retire and Ozzy, who has been living with the O'Haras since he was 8 weeks old, may succeed him.

``Ozzy is a little pistol,'' he said. ``He's just a young, little, energetic pup that wants to go out and have fun.

``They've become buddies. The puppy is small so Rudy keeps him in his place. They roll around with each other. They ride around the police car. It's been good for both of them.''

Roller and O'Hara say the LAPD's breeding program allows the department to put the dogs out in the field much sooner. Dogs acquired through vendors are usually 3 years old when they arrive and need several more months of training before they are considered working dogs.

``We'll get more life out of them, more work and usage. Not to mention, save money,'' said Roller, who bred the Malinois out of his Canyon Country home. ``The ones we need for our unit, they're hard to find.

``It's a matter of bringing them (the puppies) along slowly. At 9 months, we'll put more pressure on them. By the time they're a year old, they'll be on their way to being trained with police work.''

Harold Bennett, president of the North American Police Work Dog Association, said he is unaware of any other major police department breeding its own puppies.

``This could be the way of the future,'' he said. ``This is one of the reasons why L.A. is doing what they're doing. It's getting harder and harder to get quality dogs.''

The father used for the LAPD's first puppy litter is a proven working dog. His mate was lent to the department specifically for the breeding program.

If all goes according to plan, four of those puppies -- Ricky, Robbie, Ozzy and Czar -- will join the K-9 Unit by the time they are 1 1/2 years old. The female pup, Jamie, will be used as a breeder.

The puppies have already been exposed to various objects and sounds to prepare them for their future careers on the force: busy streets, dark buildings, slick floors, gunshots.

When they were 3 weeks old, Roller got them hooked on toys to excite their play drive. At 5 weeks, they started doing basic search work while playing hide-and-seek. Soon, they'll graduate to ``tackling men'' in full-body bite suits.

The Simi Valley Police Department, whose four imported dogs have won awards in statewide canine competitions, applauded the LAPD's efforts, but said the program could be overwhelming.

``Statistically, the odds are small that you will get a puppy to successfully be able to do all they will need to do to be a police dog. You may get one out of 100. Financially, is it really worth it?'' said Sgt. Stephanie Shannon.

The dogs that don't make the program will be sold through the Los Angeles Police Canine Booster Fund, which raises the funds to purchase police dogs. Donations can be made by calling [phone].

LAPD Officer Stam Eaugh, one of three assistant trainers, said it has been fun to watch the pups get older and progress. And he hopes all will go on to make the team.

``It's a wait-and-see thing,'' he said. ``It should work out good.''

angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) LAPD Sgt. Doug Roller, chief trainer of the department's K-9 unit, trains pups to take a bite out of crime.

(2 -- color) Mother Nala nurses her litter of Dutch shepherd-Malinois mix puppies. LAPD Sgt. Doug Roller has started a breeding program.

(3) A litter of Dutch shepherd-Malinois mix puppies waits at the ready for their LAPD training.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer