DOG ON DUTY
Fergus is all business at work – and a goofball when he gets home
Cpl. Dion Sutton and Fergus are the new RCMP K9 unit in northeastern Nova Scotia and while Fergus is all business when he’s working, it’s a bit of a di erent story at home.
BIBLE HILL, N.S. – People love Fergus. That's assuming, of course, that they're on the right side of the law.
The six-and-a-half-year-old German shepherd and his partner, Cpl. Dion Sutton, are the new K9 unit working out of the Colchester RCMP detachment in Bible Hill.
“He’s very intense and energetic at work, but when he’s at home he can turn it off,” said Sutton. “He’s found missing people, captured people who were fleeing and gone on weapons calls. That nose is incredible, and he can search an area quickly.
“At home, he’s a goofball. He runs back and forth with his tongue hanging out and plays with the other dog. He rolls over so the kids can rub his belly.”
The other dog in their home is Tito, a 12-year-old German shepherd who served as Sutton’s first canine partner. Tito was retired after someone injured him during a capture.
“When I knew Tito was ready to retire I went to see the dogs that were ready for training,” said Sutton. “There were five or six, but he stood out.
“He’s very focused and we’re so in tune, we can pick up a lot from one another’s body language.”
They’ve been a team since 2015 and worked together in British Columbia for a short time before going to Newfoundland. They came to Nova Scotia in August.
“My wife and I wanted to go somewhere new and we chose to come to this area,” said Sutton. “When we came here house hunting we fell in love with the place.”
He and Fergus cover northeastern Nova Scotia, from Amherst to Enfield, to Port Hawkesbury. They also go wherever they’re needed with the emergency response team.
Fergus is a full profile dog, trained in tracking, criminal apprehension, narcotics detection, and detecting recently fired firearms.
He has a tracking harness that can be fitted with ballistic inserts for high risk situations, floatable panels for water incidents, and cooling panels for hot days.
“He needs to be busy,” said Sutton. “If there are no calls we do a lot of training.
“He knows by my clothing if we’re going to work, and he’s always excited to go. He gets to play with his ball, and sometimes gets food, as rewards. It’s all positive.”
Fergus shows no signs of slowing down yet and Sutton estimates the dog will have about two more years before he’ll need to retire. He’ll then become another family pet.
“It’s very satisfying working with a dog,” said Sutton. “It keeps you active, and people love to see him.
“Our presence alone is enough to de-escalate many situations, and when you go out and find a missing child or someone with Alzheimer’s it’s a great feeling.
“For Fergus, he’s happy with a bit of exercise, lots of love and his ball.”