When Chris and Susan Johnson adopted their German shepherd Spike from an animal shelter five years ago, they weren’t sure whether he would have the drive needed to become a rescue dog, as they hoped he would.
It turned out they had nothing to worry about.
“You could tell, because he has certain toys that he uses as a reward, and Spike will just look for that toy,” Susan Johnson said. “He’ll work for that toy.”
Seven-year-old Spike has been working ever since, first as a therapy dog and then as a search and rescue dog. For the last three years he has been Chris Johnson’s partner at Burlington County K-9 Search and Rescue.
During their career together they have helped with missing persons searches in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, and found 16 people, both living and deceased.
Spike is now in the running for national recognition. He has been nominated for the American Kennel Club’s 2012 Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence, which comes with a $1,000 prize. Dozens of dogs are on the list, but only five win each year.
The Johnsons said Spike has what it takes.
“All you have to do is say the word ‘search,’ and he’ll go out and look,” Susan Johnson said.
Susan Johnson nominated Spike for this year’s award. According to the AKC website, “To qualify, the dog must have performed some exemplary act, whether large or seemingly small, that has significantly benefited a community or individual.”
Spike has previously received the AKC Good Citizen certification for dogs who behave well at home and in the community and has numerous trainings and certifications, including advanced obedience training and certification in human remains detection courses and air scent.
Chris Johnson said he and Spike sometimes work to find people thought to be alive, and other times search for remains. Last year Spike was one of four dogs enlisted to find Sarah Townsend, a Florence teen who went missing in Burlington Township. Her body was subsequently found in a pond.
Last month Spike helped search for 7-year-old Malakhai Stewart of Clayton, who had wandered away from his home. Johnson said he and Spike worked a 36-hour shift during the search before Stewart was found unharmed by a worker at a local business.
During part of the search period they were with the boy’s family, and Spike drew upon his experience as a therapy dog, Johnson said. One of Spike’s special skills is his empathetic ability, the Johnsons said, particularly with his handler.
That is typical for working dogs, said Joana Watsky of Sit and Stay Dog Training and Behavioral Counseling in Rutherford.
“There is a huge connection. Dogs are really emphatic and do feel our emotions and respond to them,” Watsky said. “With a lot of therapy dog teams, the dog knows the person to go to.”
The connection can be so strong that handlers have to be careful about their emotions, so that the dog’s behavior is not adversely affected, she said.
“With search and rescue, certainly the workers are filled with emotion, and I’m sure the dog picks up on that,” she said.
The Johnsons said that is certainly true with Spike.
“He’ll know if I’m having a bad day. Then he doesn’t work that well,” Chris Johnson said.
The dog is “like a part of his hip,” his wife said. “Whatever mood my husband is in, it feeds back to the dog. Not even just working. You always have to have a positive attitude.”
