Feeling the Power of Milton's Canine Unit

I've never wanted to be on the wrong side of the law. This model citizen attitude has never been clearer than it was Wednesday night when an 80-pound police canine was charging toward me, preparing to latch close to 1,700 pounds of force onto my right arm.

On August 4, as part of the National Night Out, the Milton Police Department, with the help of other municipalities, hosted a canine demonstration. Having seen the flier a few weeks ago, I jokingly suggested I don the padded suit I knew little about and take a bite from a dog or two.

My half-hearted suggestion was taken in full seriousness by Deputy Chief Charles Paris and Chief Richard Wells, who along with my Patch colleagues and superiors, thought I was a stellar candidate to show the power of these four-legged officers.

After watching three very well-trained canines show their stuff to growing crowd at the Milton Police Headquarters, I was suddenly being motioned to by Deputy Paris. Perhaps it was a slight miscommunication, or maybe apprehension on my part, but I barely had time to hand off my camera before my big moment.

Milton Canine Officer Larry Lundrigan helped me into a full suit made of a fabric called jute. The pants and jacket I was tethered into felt like those sumo wrestling suits often found on field during the seventh inning stretch of a minor league baseball game. I wasn't exactly feeling agile as I shuffled out to the middle of the lawn.

I was never afraid during my portion of the demonstration, but I did stay intensely focused on Officer Lundrigan's advice to keep my fists balled and my elbows slightly cocked. This, he told me rather nonchalantly, was to avoid having my fingers become appetizers for the dogs.

With slightly tense fingers, I am happy to have lived to tell about my experience on Wednesday evening. The actual bites (two of which I took on the arm and a third; I'd suggest you watch the video) didn't hurt as bad as I thought they would. This is, of course, thanks to the bite suit, but the power of these dogs is undeniable. Their power is something I intend to never feel with bare arms.

The video found here shows my showdown with K9 Hunter and K9 Boris. Officer Lundrigan also shares information about his partner, Hunter, their training and the uses of the bite suit.