“Firm but fair” with new Chino Police Department dog Vino

Chino police K9 dog Vino, a one-year-old Belgian Malinois weighing 80 pounds and his handler Officer Christopher Navarro knelt in front of the entrance to a maze-like structure.

The “suspect” hiding behind a door wearing a bite suit for protection is Officer Navarro’s twin brother Matt.

“Attention in the building. This is the Chino Police Department K9 unit. Suspect, I know you’re inside. Come out and put your hands up, or my dog may find you and bite you. Come out now and my dog will not be used,” Officer Navarro warned.

He removed the clasp to the leash and Vino sprinted into action, pursuing Matt’s scent.

The moment Vino discovered Matt, he launched his body mid-air and dug his sharp fangs into his padded arm until Officer Navarro instructed him to let go. The police department recently purchased Vino from Adlerhorst International of Jurupa Valley, a vendor that provides service dogs and K9 training to law enforcement agencies.

The city council approved $24,000 in federal forfeiture funds to replace K9 Cyra who retired from six years of service with her handler Corporal Angel Bran in the fall.

Vino was selected as the best fit after living and training in the Netherlands for 11 months.

Officer Navarro and Vino completed Adlerhorst’s six-week basic handler’s training to establish tracking, detection and patrol capabilities on Oct. 31.

“We need him as a locating tool and to ensure officer safety,” Officer Navarro said. “We need him to follow his nose.”

The training began with incremental steps that evolved into full apprehension style work, such as deploying Vino to chase after a decoy, locate human odor and conduct an article search for guns and narcotics.

“When we are not in Vino’s sight, we use the e-collar to communicate with him to return to us at the press of a button,” Officer Navarro said. “A lot of people have the misconception that the e-collar is a form of abuse, but the humming tone is used to condition the dog and we reward him with his favorite toy.”

They have also participated in an officer neutrality training, a systematic desensitization approach for K9s to remain composed in the presence of threats. Officer Navarro instructed Vino with a loose leash and muzzle to navigate through a line of officers in a zigzag motion without taking eyes off his handler.

The duo trains every Wednesday with the Ontario, Upland and Pomona police department K9 units.

Officer Navarro’s motto is “firm but fair.”

“He has a good understanding of what I need from him,” he said. “I’m fair in the rewards and the corrections.”

Officer Navarro has a kennel in his backyard that is 12 feet long.

Initially, Vino was hesitant to obey his wife’s commands and stared at her blankly.

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