“Rags to Riches: Trace’s Story”
by Kyla Rice

K-9 Trace
CGC, Human Remains Detection dog
(adopted January 23, 2007)

The story begins back in the summer of 2006. My aging working dog, Lugar was 8 years old and I knew it was about time to think of getting a new dog to replace him when he retires. My ultimate plan was to get a young adult German Shepherd Dog and get him trained and certified in human remains detection and then let Lugar retire. Things did not go as I had planned….

I’ve been training dogs in obedience, therapy dog work, Schutzhund, detection work and other things since 1990. I’ve loved GSD’s since I was 8 years old and know most pedigrees like the back of my hand. I knew the kind of dog I wanted in every detail: temperament, nerves, drive, etc., You know, the kind of dog that if I throw his toy off a cliff he’ll go after it!! I casually searched breeder websites and talked to my GSD contacts around the area for over a year, and even had some breeders offer me one of their pups from their working lines. Nothing really caught my attention. I’m a firm believer in the dog picking their owner, not the other way around.

One day, I was reading on germanshepherds.com and come across this drop dead gorgeous dark sable GSD that was up for adoption at a shelter near New York City. He was found wandering the streets with only a prong collar. I’ve seen them come and go on this website to foster homes and rescues, but there was something about this dog. I inquired on him and the woman that worked at the shelter was very knowledgeable about GSDs and was able to tell me quite a bit about him. She also told me that there was quite a bit of interest from other people as well. She decided that she would not be able to make the best judgment of which family to adopt to, so she inquired at BrightStar German Shepherd Rescue and they agreed to take him and foster him and find the right family for him.

I began my inquiries with BrightStar back in October 2006 when they got him in as a foster (OMG, Ruth can probably tell you stories about what a pain in the a$$ I was..) Ruth was his foster Mom and knew right away this dog was going to be trouble for the average dog owner and, without question had to go to a working home. He is quite a high drive dog with a bit of a hard head (to say the least…) and had food aggression and resource guarding issues. There were several emails back and forth between Ruth and I and finally the day came when I got to meet him back in December 2006.

I met Trace (originally named Tarzan) at a Meet and Greet in Williamsville. He was about 1 year to 1.5 years old. I was amazed at how confident this dog was, yet not confrontational with other dogs. He was absolutely awful on leash and wanted to jump on everybody. Basically, he was totally out of control with NO manners what-so-ever! And if you know me, that’s MY kind of dog! I asked for the leash and when he went to jump on someone, I immediately gave him a correction and made him sit. I wish you could have seen the look on his face!! He was a bit shocked, but seemed to look at me as to say “Yes, ma’am! What would you like me to do next???” This was clearly a dog that had no structure in his previous home. Ruth and I spent some time talking and she knew that I was a rather hard and strict handler with a working dog background, which was exactly what this dog needed (and a 2 X 4 upside the head on occasion…JUST KIDDING!!!)

After more serious thought and several more emails to Ruth, I was approved for adoption and brought him home on January 23, 2007.

Now, the fun begins….

I will never, for as long as I live forget the day I brought him home. Lord Jesus what a day that was!!! Now, he was tested at the shelter he originally came from with cats. Apparently they brought him near the cat room, but I don’t think he was ever exposed to a cat face to face. I bring him in the house on a prong collar and 6 foot leash. Thank God for prong collars! I have two 15 year old cats that I love with my whole heart and I would never put them in jeopardy, so this dog had to get used to them – there was no other option in my book. So, I bring him in and my cats are in my kitchen and he IMMEDIATELY wants to KILL both of them. I had an idea of what I was in for with him being such a high drive macho dog and I was prepared. He got the correction of a lifetime for that little stunt!! I’ve had to get dogs accustomed to my cats before and have always done it successfully; I just never had a dog that was outright violent towards my cats!! Nasty, NASTY boy to put it lightly! He spent the next 3 weeks tethered to me in the house on that 6 foot leash and his prong collar. If I had to do something like sleep, shower to get ready for work, or had to go to work, he was kenneled in the basement. The only time he was allowed out of his kennel was when he was at the end of the 6ft leash and prong. I couldn’t let my guard down for a minute or he would have been after my cats for sure! He was corrected for even looking funny at the cats and, finally, he got the idea. It probably wasn’t the best start for him, but if you’re going to live in my house with my cats, you don’t have a choice! He pays no attention to either cat now and one cat even likes to curl up next to him sometimes. I will never forget those 3 weeks as long as I live…..I still wonder how I did it sometimes.

The obedience began as soon as I brought him home. I worked on everything - - any dog of mine is going to be a good dog and must have a solid foundation in obedience before starting any detection work. Now, I’m not going to lie to you, it was rough for the first 6 months or so. Between the food aggression, resource guarding and behavior in general, we scrapped quite a few times and I’ve been bitten several times, but I never backed down and neither did he…for awhile. I almost wondered if this dog was some sort of punishment from God for all the bad things I've ever done in my life! He even earned a few new nicknames that I can’t tell you because I try to give the impression that I’m a decent person! Ha! Trace was truly a bastard but eventually learned that he was not going to win against me and has come to be an absolutely wonderful dog. (Well, he’s still a pain in the rear-end on occasion, but that’s just him..) Just a little structure…..

Then, tradgedy.

Lugar took ill on July 4th, 2007 and collapsed near his water dish. I immediately rushed him to the emergency vet and he was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, a rather aggressive form of spleen cancer, nicknamed the “silent killer,” and quite common in German Shepherd Dogs. His spleen had ruptured and he was bleeding heavily into his abdomen. There was not much I could do except let him go. I raised him from 8 weeks old and had trained him in so many different disciplines, and it tore my heart out to say goodbye. I held him as he took his last breath and I was crushed. He was 9 years old. It never does get any easier.

(On left: K-9 Lugar, March 14, 1998-July 4, 2007, BH, CGC, TDI, Human Remains Detection Dog)
(On right: K-9 Trace, adopted January 23, 2007, CGC, Human Remains Detection Dog)

After that, I was questioning myself if I should even bother to train another dog because once they are darn near perfect with their training, they are taken from you. God loaned this beautiful and wonderful dog to me and must have needed him back.

All I can say is I’m glad Trace came into my life when he did. Losing Lugar was one of the hardest things I’ve had to face in my lifetime so far and I worry that I might have rushed into getting a new dog to fill that void too quickly and ended up with a dog that might not be able to handle the workload, had bad hips/elbows, etc. I can’t tell you exactly why I was drawn to Trace, but I like to think everything happens for a reason and I think God was watching out not only for me, but Trace too.

We began human remains detection shortly after Lugar died. Trace took to his training very quickly and learned very fast. He and I have traveled all over western New York for training and seminars. I have received several compliments and questions about Trace from dog trainers of 30+ years, and even few offers to purchase him – even with no “pink” papers, or papers at all for that matter. You should see the look on their face when I tell them he’s a rescue and I have no idea of his pedigree or even his date of birth!! Then I smile and politely tell them, he’s NOT for sale!

He was certified for Level 3 Human Remains Detection with the American Working Dog Association on December 12, 2008.

Here's a picture of Trace doin' his thang...(alerting on human decomposition scent)

He earned his AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate on September 6, 2008.

We then certified for Human Remains Detection with Eastern States Working Dog Association at a North Carolina K-9 seminar on November 11, 2009. Trace and I have since been on several searches assisting law enforcement throughout Western New York. We plan on returning to North Carolina later this year to re-certify for HRD.

Now, he and his lil blind brother Shane get along famously. Trace being so confident has given Shane the confidence he needs and they balance each other (and me) out perfectly!!

Who would have thought? A young dog found wandering the streets near New York City that slept on a cold concrete floor in a shelter for who knows how long now has a home, a job and a nice cozy place to sleep at night. Not to mention, one hell of an owner!