Nate Anderson, the department’s K-9 handler, brought the dog to the March 19 meeting. Zeusz replaced Duco, who retired in April 2023.
Assistant Police Chief Ashleigh Casey delivered the K-9 Program overview to the council at the meeting.
“We were able to have a succession plan to benefit this K-9 replacement and allow us to search for a new dog months ahead,” Casey said.
The details
Anderson has been with the Southlake Police Department for 16 years and has handled the K-9 program for the past 13 years. He worked with Duco since 2015, and late last year started working and training with Zeusz. The German shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix is 2 1/2 years old, according to the department.
With the new dog, the two went to a seven-week training program to help the dog and handler form a connection. Anderson speaks his commands to Zeusz in Dutch—as the dog was born in Hungary. The city purchased him in late 2022, Casey said.
“This is a 2 1/2 year old dog, and it is like having a teenager and a toddler mixed into a body with four legs,” Casey said. “Part of that is getting to know the dog and how they respond, and also getting through the power struggles that will inevitably happen when you have a dog that thinks he is in charge.”
Zeusz is now certified for:
- Apprehension tracking
- Area search
- Building search
- Evidence detection
- Handler protection
- Narcotic detection
