WATCH: Cocoa Police K9 Bear Provides Impressive Demonstration for Citizens Academy

By  //  May 7, 2021

K9 Bear is 7-years old and joined the Cocoa Police Department in March 2015

WATCH: Cocoa Police Department K9 Officer Dan Rhoades and K9 Bear provided an impressive demonstration for the  Citizens Academy.

BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA, FLORIDA – Cocoa Police Department K9 Officer Dan Rhoades and K9 Bear provided an impressive demonstration for the  Citizens Academy.

Bear is 7-years old and joined the Cocoa Police Department in March 2015 after being purchased with money donated by local residents and businesses.

From the start of their 24/7 relationship five years ago, Rhoades knew all 85 pounds of Bear made for an extraordinary canine. The German Shepherd, bred by Mike Green of the Sheriff’s Office for a special initiative, breezed through “drug school,” easily detecting narcotics even at 13 months.

The pup’s gait earned him his name.

“When I first saw him, he lumbered, just like a bear,” said Rhoades.

Although he was listed on the television show as a K-9 that “specializes in apprehensions,” Bear is, in reality, a multi-faceted pup who is equally adept at tracking and narcotics detection.

Rhoades will never forget Bear’s first find when an adult with the mental capacity of a seven-year-old wandered off from his mother near an Interstate 95 gas station in Cocoa. The man had seen a sign for Disney and thought he could just walk there while his mom was distracted by pumping gas.

FAME HAS NOT CHANGED Bear, Brevard’s top dog, even one little iota. The winner of the January 15, 2020 episode of A&E’s “America’s Top Dog” program is still all about catching the bad guys with his handler and best pal, Cocoa Police Department Officer Dan Rhoades. The show, a spin-off of “Live PD,” pits extremely well-trained canines in a vigorous competition of speed, agility, scenting ability and, ultimately, flawless teamwork with human partners. (CPD image)

Bear tracked him down to an abandoned mobile home, where the individual was found hiding in a closet.

“We walked past a window and Bear started going crazy,” he said.

Beyond the dramatic apprehensions and finds, Bear serves an important role simply by being himself.

There are instances, such as in domestic incidents, when the dog diffuses the situation through just his imposing presence.

To keep in shape, Bear trains for four hours every Wednesday at locations that include specialized training fields, the woods and even inside local businesses such as cabinetmakers Braden Kitchens in Cocoa.

Unlike many other police departments, Cocoa doesn’t require its K-9 officers to retire at any particular age.

WATCH: Cocoa Police K9 Bear Puts On Spectacular Showing at South Florida CompetitionRelated Story:
WATCH: Cocoa Police K9 Bear Puts On Spectacular Showing at South Florida Competition

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