Two NHSP Troopers And Their K9s Graduate Patrol School

After a rigorous 15 weeks of training, two State Police Troopers who are brothers and their hardworking K9s have graduated from K9 Patrol School.

According to NHSP Canine Unit Commander Sergeant Gary Ingram, Patrol School is “one of the hardest schools a trooper will attend.” Troopers Conor Davis and Rees Davis were honored for the hard work that they put in at the recent graduation.

With their dogs, Mando and Draco, who live at home with their handlers when not working, they routinely put in 8-hour training days, plus homework, for the last few months.

Training can be grueling at times - from running through the woods and up and down hills for search tracking practice, to donning protective suits to teach suspect apprehension. Sgt. Ingram made sure to thank the troopers’ families and their respective troops for supporting the Davis brothers during this time.

Sgt. Ingram also noted that while training was difficult, going through it as brothers may have made it near impossible for some - but instead he saw Conor and Reese “grow and become even tighter.”

The two K9s were chosen from the same kennel in Pennsylvania but came from two different countries. Mando came from Hungary and Draco came from Poland.

The NH State Police K-9 Unit is very selective when it comes to their working dogs and has had to postpone Patrol School in the past due to not being able to find dogs that met their criteria.

Mando and Draco were up for the challenge and demonstrated their abilities during the ceremony. First, Mando and Trooper Conor Davis went through a series of agility skills. Mando and Draco with their handlers demonstrated their long-distance commands, the bite strength of the dogs, and finally suspect apprehension.

At the end of the ceremony, the troopers were presented with certificates and a K-9 pin that represents their accomplishment. Sgt. Ingram explained that the troopers are asked to choose who will pin it on their uniforms. The brothers chose to pin each other as a symbol of what they completed together.

Trooper Conor Davis and Mando will return to their Troop D assignment in Concord and Trooper Rees Davis and Draco will return to their Troop F assignment in Twin Mountain. The graduates will also be attending K-9 Narcotics Detection School in the fall.