Stockton University's explosives-sniffing dog sniffed her way to the third place in her first national competition.
Freya, a golden retriever, came in first in both vehicle and package searches at the U.S. Police Canine Association's 2021 National Detector Dog Trials in Plainsboro, Stockton's Susan Allen reported.
They also partnered with the Mount Laurel K-9 team and together took 1st place regionally.
She bested more than 100 canine teams from across the country who specialize in narcotics, explosives, cadaver and accelerant scents.
"When I play the movie reel back in my head, she looked exceptional," handler Lt. Tracy Stuart said. "She tore it up. She's proving herself to be not only a force to be reckoned with in the explosives world, but she's really proving that she knows her odors, and she's ready to rock 'n roll to serve our community."
Freya was treated to a grilled salmon dinner as a reward, and snuggled in a Wonder Woman blanket.
Stuart helped train Freya with help from the custodial staff, who kept cardboard boxes available to set up training routines, Stockton reported.
Custom cans were set up in the carpentry and paint shops in the Lodge at Lakeside to practice pass/fail odor recognition tests.
In that test, six cans have explosive scents, six are empty and six have distractor scents.
"This was a huge accomplishment for a new canine," said Adrian Wiggins, director of Campus Public Safety. "Notwithstanding, I think that the experience and hard work of Lt. Stuart to prepare Freya shows."
Stuart already has championship status, with back-to-back first-place national titles with K-9 Hemi, a chocolate lab.
The competition was canceled last year due to COVID-19.
During the K-9 Academy, Stuart apprenticed as a scent detection trainer and earned her trainer certification.
She and Freya train daily.
"It's all about growing and developing not only her as an explosive detection dog, but also her and I as a team," Stuart said. That's the recipe that makes the magic. The canine and the handler really need to work together. There's a certain degree of synergy that has to happen so you can understand your dog and your dog can understand you."
