Sgt. Nick Hodgen and his K9 counterpart Fanto of the Hillsboro Police Department are coming to Concord on May 11 as part of Bark in the Park. The family-friendly dog fair aims to raise money to bring a K9 unit to the Concord Police Department. Hodgen will be sending Fanto after Concord celebs like police Chief John Duval (don’t worry –they’ll have a special bite suit on!). Keep reading to get to know Hodgen and Fanto a little better.
How long have you been working with the K9 unit?
Since 2009. We did a 14-week patrol school the beginning of that year and a 10-week drug school the end of that year. Fanto is the first K9 in Hillsboro.
How does Fanto stack up against any human partners you may have had?
He smells hundreds of times better, so he can track and find drugs better then any human can. His breath isn’t always fresh, though.
What are some memorable situations you two have been in together?
We tracked a juvenile once that stole two cars and broken into a house in the same drunken stuper. We found him running from rock to rock up the Contoocook River. We found 28 grams of ecstasy in a safe and also some cocaine in the false bottom of a soda can.
Were you a “dog person” before you started working with the K9 unit?
No. I had a pet dog before but didn’t know the first thing about training a working dog before going to patrol school and immersing myself in it.
Be honest: Do you ever let Fanto drive the cruiser?
Nope – no thumbs!
What do the lucky folks who will be donning the bite suit at Bark in the Park have in store for them?
Some pinching and bruises along with an appreciation for the power these dogs have.
Have you ever worn the suit and been savaged by a dog yourself?
Yes, a lot. There is training value in learning to take bites in the suit as a decoy in a manner that will train the dog to bite harder and strong and always win. I’ve had a lot of training as a “decoy” and serve as such for a lot of other teams.
If you weren’t a police officer and Fanto was not a police dog, what would the two of you be doing?
Training and competing in civilian protection sports. I’m active in these sports already as a decoy and if Fanto wasn’t working, he would need to compete or train in these sports to expend energy. He was born to be doing this, and would not do well just sitting around and not having an outlet for his drives.
What other animals do you think police departments should enlist to help them out?
Horse-mounted units are great for crowd control.
Want to see Hodgen and Fanto in action? Commit a crime in Hillsboro! Or, see them at Bark in the Park on May 11. Go online and get your tickets now by visiting concordpublicsafety.org.
