Stockton Police Dog Places 3rd In National Competition

PLAINSBORO, NJ — Stockton University's K-9 golden retriever nosed her way into third place in a national competition against over 100 canine teams from around the country.

Alongside her handler Lt. Tracy Stuart, Freya detected explosives during vehicle and package searches taking first place in both categories at the United States Police Canine Association's 2021 competition in Plainsboro during the first weekend in May.

They also partnered with the Mount Laurel K-9 team and together achieved first place regionally. More than 100 canine teams from across the country specializing in narcotics, explosive, cadaver and accelerant scents competed.

When Freya picks up on an odor that she has been trained to recognize, she alerts Stuart by sitting down and focusing her attention on the location.

The competition was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Stuart and Freya completed the State Police K-9 Academy certification last July.

During the K-9 Academy, Stuart apprenticed as a scent detection trainer and earned her trainer certification. Since completing the academy, they have been training daily.

"It's all about growing and developing not only her as an explosive detection dog, but also her and I as a team,” Stuart said. “That's the recipe that makes the magic. The canine and the handler really need to work together. There's a certain degree of synergy that has to happen so you can understand your dog and your dog can understand you.”

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