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Loyal K-9 Partner
Feats of police dog O'Neil recalled
Police dog O'Neil
Known for his loyalty and dogged determination when working a case, police dog "O'Neil" did some amazing things during his time with the Warm Springs Police Department.
Nov. 16, 2011, just shy of 7 years old, O'Neil had to be euthanized due to aggressive cancer, but his handler WSPD officer Jason Schjoll paid tribute to his K-9 partner by sharing some of his feats.
For one thing, O'Neil "spoke" Hungarian. WSPD got the dog when he was 1 year old from Castle K-9 in Pennsylvania, which imports working dogs from Europe. O'Neil came from Hungary and was trained with Hungarian commands.
"It's easier for us to learn 30 words in Hungarian, than to retrain the dog with English," Schjoll explained.
Schjoll soon learned commands like "Ugass" (bark), "šl" (sit), Hozz m (come), and Fekszik (lay down) to direct O'Neil.
He was not the dog's first handler. O'Neil was dual trained to do both narcotics and patrol work and started out in 2007 as a narcotics detection dog. He was trained to sniff out methamphetamine, marijuana, heroine and cocaine.
When his first handler moved on, Schjoll became his handler in 2008. O'Neil's duties shifted to being a patrol dog, responsible for clearing buildings of suspects, tracking suspects, and criminal apprehension.
"We certified as a team a couple of months later and worked together ever since," Schjoll said. (Schjoll later became a narcotics detective, but O'Neil remained a patrol dog).
"He loved to do what he did and was always eager to go out and work -- he didn't like sitting around," said Schjoll, who has owned lots of hunting and companion dogs of his own, but none with the drive O'Neil had.
All police dog handlers in the tri-county area gather to train with their dogs for four hours every week. The training is mandatory to keep skills up and stay certified.
"Going through dog training, I heard how fortunate I was to have a dog like him that was so easy to work with and so eager to please. He was not stubborn at all and was very loyal," Schjoll said.
When police K-9s complete a task, they are rewarded with treats or toys. "O'Neil was toy driven; he would do anything for his toy.
Officer Jason Schjoll and partner O'Neil.
O'Neil was issued his own badge and collar stating "police dog" and wore them proudly. Some may think police dogs are fierce, but that didn't describe O'Neil.
"I couldn't ask for a better dog for public relations. He loved to go to schools and be around kids and get petted. He was a good dog to show and tell," Schjoll said.
Often, O'Neil could stop a situation from escalating by just showing up.
"He was really good at tracking, and if I had a suspect that wanted to fight or run, having him there was a great deterrent. It took that thought right out of their mind," Schjoll said.
"Suspects have a choice. I tell them to give up or the dog's coming in," he explained.
Schjoll recalled a few of O'Neil's remarkable apprehensions. "Once two suspects escaped from the jail and we had to track them 1/4th a mile down Shitike Creek through thick brush. The `alerts' he gave showed he was on track, and his drive to not quit through heavy brush and the creek was pretty extraordinary in my book," he said.
Another time, a suspect had waded out into a lake trying to avoid officers. Since the water was shallow, Schjoll said, "I sent O'Neil into the lake to try to apprehend him. But the suspect drug O'Neil deeper into the lake and held him under water trying to drown him."
Finally, the dog had to let go to come up for breath. "But he continued trying to apprehend the suspect, even through his life was threatened, and eventually brought him to justice," Schjoll recalled.
In another case, during a police pursuit, a girl crashed her vehicle, then took off in the dark across the sagebrush. Schjoll sent the dog in with the command to "guard and bark," which means when the dog locates the person, he won't bite unless they try to flee.
"When I got there, she was standing with her hands up and the dog was sitting there barking," Schjoll said.
During their time as a team, O'Neil apprehended at least 30 criminals, and responded to innumerable other calls.
"The plan was, when it got time for him to retire, he'd become my dog," Schjoll said. But O'Neil's unexpected terminal cancer cut that hope short.
"Police dogs have such high drive and willingness to please. We didn't catch his cancer early because he hid the pain. He acted normal," Schjoll said.
The average working lifespan of a police K-9 is six to nine years before they are retired. The cost for a new dog runs around $9,600, plus five weeks of school with the handler is $4,200. But once trained, they are considered a member of the police force.
"O'Neil was definitely worth all the time and money we put into him. He was a good asset to the department and we definitely got our money's worth," Schjoll said of his K-9 partner.