Bazetta business trains police dogs

For Storm, searching for a tennis ball is fun. Biting someone wearing a protective arm sleeve is a game.

But soon, the 11-month-old puppy will be doing his searching and biting as an officer of the law.

Storm is one of the Belgian malinoises being trained by Dave Blosser of Bazetta Township to be a police dog. After the dog is trained to track a person and find a bomb, drugs or a body, Storm will be sold for between $6,000 and $10,000.

Blosser operates Tri-State Canine Services, which trains up to 30 dogs a year for police work.

He has developed a substantial business. His dogs have been used locally at police departments such as Warren and New Castle, Pa., and nationally at departments in 13 states and with the Secret Service, Army and Navy.

A private contractor has bought Blosser’s dogs and sent them to Iraq to look for people killed in bomb blasts and to sniff vehicles entering nuclear power plants.

Blosser’s passion has made him a favorite with Warren police officers who have dogs.

“Dave lives and breathes dogs. He’s incredible,” said Sgt. Sherrey McMahon, whose partner is Arras.

Read more in Sunday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com