“There is an adrenalin rush,” Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Derrick Doucette, left, said when asked about having a police dog coming at you, even during training. Occasionally, a trainer gets nipped as the dog does its work, he said. Franklin, Oxford and Somerset County canine handlers and dogs trained Monday at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Farmington. Doucette, left, holds the leash of Judge, 13 months, as he lunges toward Oxford County Deputy Stephen Witham.

FARMINGTON — It takes hundreds of hours of training for K-9 certification, but once there, the handlers and dogs help find missing people, track suspects and find evidence, among other services. 

The Franklin, Oxford and Somerset county sheriff’s 0ffices teams train together every Monday and one week a month, Franklin County Lt. David Rackliffe said Monday.

On this day, Rackliffe, Sgt. Nathan Bean and Deputy Derrick Doucette of Franklin County, Oxford County Deputy Stephan Witham and Somerset Cpl. David Cole were training in Farmington. 

Judge, 13 months old, is a K-9 officer in training. Doucette said he works with his dog an average of four hours a day during his off-duty time. 

He said there is an adrenalin rush — even in training — when the dog lunges toward a waiting officer, though he wears a protective sleeve. Occasionally, a handler gets bitten as the dog learns, he said.

“Out,” Doucette said to Judge, indicating the dog should release his hold on the sleeve. 

Judge was also learning recall, Rackliffe said. Once the dog starts toward a person, if that person should surrender, the handler must have the canine verbally under control to stop him and bring him back.

It takes 480 hours of training to achieve patrol certification, Rackliffe said, and an additional 320 hours for narcotic certification.

While they are working, the canines look intimidating, but Rackliffe said, they are sociable.  

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has continually offered K-9 services since 2001 when Bean and K-9 Ben graduated from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, according to the Sheriff’s Office website. 

The requests for K-9 services rose, leading Rackliffe and his dog, Odin, to graduate from the academy in 2005.

In 2015, Bean and Rackliffe started offering K-9 training to other agencies, according to the website.

Witham started bringing his K-9, Samson, and Cole brought his K-9, Kojo.

K-9 officers Ben and Odin have retired from service. Bean and K-9 Diesel and Rackliffe and K-9 Justice have since trained through the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, according to the website.

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Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Derrick Doucette, left, holds the leash of his police dog, Judge, 13 months, as they train at the Sheriff’s Office in Farmington on Monday. Oxford County Deputy Stephen Witham, right, wearing a protective sleeve, provides an arm for Judge.

Judge, a canine officer in training, was learning the “out” command Monday as officers trained at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Farmington. The command tells the dog to let the sleeve out of his grip, Franklin County Lt. David Rackliffe said. Franklin County Deputy Derrick Doucette holds the leash of his canine partner, Judge, while Oxford County Deputy Stephen Witham provides a sleeved arm on which to train.

Judge, a canine officer in training, grips a protective sleeve worn by Oxford County Deputy Stephen Witham, right, during training held at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Farmington on Monday. Franklin County Deputy Derrick Doucette, left, holds the leash of his canine partner.