While thousands of people filled Camp Randall for kickoff Saturday morning, police dog Odin and his handler Sgt. Brent Plisch’s work began hours earlier, running security sweeps on the venue to ensure spectators’ safety.
Odin, a Czech-born German Shepherd trained in obedience, human tracking and explosive detection, has been with UW-Madison Police Department since 2010. He is part of the three-dog K9 Unit that performs approximately 175 deployments every year on campus, from securing venues before events and responding to bomb threats to performing dignitary protection for high-profile guests such as the president and Dalai Lama.
"I did everything for him. I cared for him, I provided him with his food and water, I took him for walks ... He learned at that point I was his human and he was my dog."
—Sgt. Brent Plisch, Odin's handler
After he was selected as a prospective service dog based on traits like his responsiveness to stimuli and commitment to following through with tasks, Odin was imported to an agency in North Carolina where Plisch then joined him for a month-long training, which also served as critical bonding time for them.
“He didn’t have any close human contact with anyone before me,” Plisch said. “I did everything for him. I cared for him, I provided him with his food and water, I took him for walks ... He learned that at that point I was his human and he was my dog.”
As one of few dogs trained in explosive detection in Wisconsin, Odin’s work is not limited to the UW campus. He and Plisch are oftentimes called on to respond to threats across the state assisting smaller departments.
“For us, Odin is a very cost-effective tool because he can go and clear an entire concourse of the stadium and other large venues in 30 minutes when it would take many officers multiple hours to complete,” Plisch said.
This cost, however, is no small investment for a police department.
“The total cost for a canine team, the start-up cost, is probably about $65,000 to $70,000 as well as an eight- to 10-year commitment from the handling officer,” Plisch said.
This investment goes beyond just the budgetary commitment, additionally requiring a minimum of 16 training hours per month as well as annual certification through the third party organization The North American Police Work Dog Association.
