YORK COUNTY — The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office recently welcomed a new four-legged deputy to its ranks when handler Brett Schultz welcomed Grit to the department’s K-9 team.
Grit, a 15-month-old German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix, is a dual-purpose dog trained in narcotics detection and apprehension tactics.
“He’s got the look of a German Shepherd, but the body style of a Belgian Malinois, which is a tad bit smaller than a traditional shepherd. He’s very athletic. He’s got the mentality of a shepherd with the athleticism of a Malinois, it’s really the best of both worlds,” Schultz said.
Schultz, who has been a handler for the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office for nine years, was previously partnered with Saber. After Saber tragically passed away from cancer at a young age, Schultz was on the hunt for a new K-9 partner.
While Schultz sees a lot of Saber in Grit, there are some key differences.
“His agility surprises me with how high he will jump. Saber would sit back and think about things in a sense of finding an easy way to accomplish a task, whereas Grit doesn’t think about it, he’s just going to jump and make it where I asked him to be,” Schultz said.
Grit has been hard at work since returning from training, earning his first official apprehension on May 21 after tracking down a suspect as part of a joint operation with the James City County Police Department.
When Grit is not responding to calls, he is working daily on training alongside Schultz. From scenario-based training to time spent at the York-Poquson Sheriff’s Office firing range, to bite training, Grit is settling in well, according to Schultz.
“Grit is very desensitized to everything around him. The fear factor is just not there. He just goes with the flow,” Schultz said.
Grit will serve alongside Schultz for the next eight to ten years before retiring from the department.