Earlier this week I got stopped by the Texas HP radar for a few miles over
the limit. The officer asked for permission to do a drug search which I
declined. He then said he'd get a K9 to do an external inspection and had
the right to hold me for 15 minutes for the dog to arrive. Well it took
much longer and the guy got abusive.
Finally the dog and his escort arrived. He excercised the dog a bit and
got him ready to sniff the car. He trotted with the dog as it ran around
the car at least three times with no interest. Then the dog cop tried to
get the dog interested in the wheel well at the gas cap but the dog took no
interest. Next he ran the dog around the car again and stopped the dog at
the trunk lid, stuck one hand in the crack between the bottom of the trunk
lid and the body and made the dog put its nose there. After a bit the dog
reared and started scratching the trunk lid. This looked bogus to me as I
felt he was annoying the dog and the dog jumped up to be left alone. The
cop asked me for the key and I asked why and he said "didn't I see the
positive dog reaction?" I said I thought it was bogus and forced and he
told me that's the way it works. One cop, there were three, opened the
trunk and immediately pulled the spare tire, looked at it and the tire well
and put it back. Then after a short discussion the second cop took it out,
looked and put back. Another short discussion and another cop took it out,
bounced it, shook it while listening to it and put it back. They didn't
look in any luggage, in any packages or elsewhere! The car was a rental
from Avis in Tulsa, OK and the cop said Okla. rentals were a big drug
problem. After they let me go with the paint and plastic all scratched up
by the dog 's claws I started thinking. I was moving with the traffic at
about 75 MPH and hadn't passed anyone and had a Texas car in front and
behind. Texas cars have front tags but Oklahoma doesn't so that's how they
selected me or had a spotter somewhere.
The scene was like The Three Stooges with a dog and the dog was the
smartest one. I've seen drug dogs in action at many airports and when they
smell something suspicious in luggage they just stop and wag their tail
waiting a pat or snack. What I want to know is was what happened to me a
coerced positive or the way the K9s work. Or is there a good site where I
can get the basics as the cops told me I know nothing about drug sniffiing
dogs. I'm over 60 and been with dogs most my life.
thanks
Hank