A DAY IN THE LIFE: POLICE OFFICER NIX'S DAILY ROUTINE NOT A DOG'S LIFE

He's not allowed to eat before going to work, yet he works a 12-hour shift.
He understands two languages. He has won awards, as recently as December.
And he never fails to do his job. He eagerly awaits his reward -- a measly
tennis ball to play with.

Nix, like most police officers, never get the reward he deserves.

One of two police dogs at the Oak Ridge Police Department, Nix rides around
most of the day in the back seat of Officer Jock Coleman's police car.

"He doesn't sleep," Coleman said of his partner. "I don't want him to get
too relaxed."

He may have to chase a bad guy or search a car or building for drugs.

Coleman stops periodically so Nix can get out and exercise or do what dogs
do outside. He also needs to stay accustomed to getting in and out of the car.

The two of them start their shift at 7 a.m. or 7 p.m. depending on which
shift they are working. Nix lives with Coleman and they start their day
about 6 a.m.

"Roll call is at 6:30 a.m.," Coleman said. Nix stays in the car while
Coleman gets the day's assignment and other information passed on to them
by the supervisor.

They work most of the day like typical police officers. They patrol their
zone. They check on things. They look for bad guys.

Nix's job is to search. And to protect Coleman.

"On stops (traffic stops), he watches me while I talk to a person," Coleman
said. "He's very attentive."

Nix is trained to protect Coleman with or without verbal commands, which
Coleman gives in Czechoslovakian.

Nix is a Czech shepherd and was born and trained in Czechoslovakia. He was
6 years old in November and has been Coleman's partner for five years.

"He knows when someone raises his voice or I do," Coleman said. "He's
really in tune to what's going on. He knows it's not time for a potty
break. He knows I need him and he has to be there -- right now."

But Coleman watches Nix, too. That's his job.

The most important thing a handler has to do is pay attention to his dog.

Nix makes a change in behavior when he detects drugs. He is a passive-alert
dog. For Coleman, Nix does not have to sit or wag his tale or bark.

"Just a change in behavior," Coleman said. "I have to know my dog."

Coleman said other officers often watch Nix when he's searching, especially
on a search for a person.

"I have to watch the dog," he said. "The others are supposed to watch the
surroundings."

Coleman said it's hard for other officers not to watch the dog while he
works but it could be dangerous.

"Their job is to watch our butts," he said. "It could be deadly for all
three of us."

Other than doing searches, Nix demonstrates his skills at area schools. He
and Coleman make about 20 visits to schools each year -- sometimes just to
show off, but other times to work. Nix can sniff lockers only at the
request of school officials.

"He's very social, too," Coleman said. "He interacts well with the kids. He
has his own personality. You want a dog you can trust around others when
it's not a threat."

But Nix works and plays on command. He does his work in Czech commands,
about 15, but also responds while at play to English -- making him a
bilingual officer.

"You want him to understand that he has to be given a command to do
anything," Coleman said. "Basically, a decision on his own would be 'I have
to help Dad' -- me.

"Sometimes he's like a kid. You have to tell him two or three times to get
him to obey," he said.

Nix gets to eat after they go home. Home is at the Coleman house. Nix lives
there with the Colemans and Mia, a malamute and Sprocket, a lab mix and a
Dachshund named Tanner, who lives on the porch. Then there's Kilo, a
shepherd-mix who surprised everyone on Dec. 4 when she gave birth to Nix's
five children.

But Nix can't lie around the yard all day and play with the kids. He is a
working guy.

"Nix eats once a day, 5 cups of Nutri-Max," Coleman said. "On midnights, he
eats two hours before the shift begins."

Coleman said he doesn't want Nix to work on a full stomach. If he has to
get out of the car and chase someone, he could throw up, then he might not
want to work again. He could have a negative reaction.

"If it hurts, he may not do it again," Coleman said. "I have to be mindful
of every experience. I have to understand what positives and negatives
affect him. Nix doesn't have many negatives."

But most of the time, Nix sniffs for drugs. He is trained to detect the
odor of marijuana, cocaine, crack cocaine, LSD, hashish, heroin and
methamphetamine. He's not trained to sniff for pills.

"We look for illegal narcotics," Coleman said.

Coleman said Nix always detects an odor if drugs are present or if drugs
have been present.

"Just because no drugs are found doesn't mean it was a miss," Coleman said.
"He smelled something. It is not a false alert like some judges think."

Coleman said Nix will, however, cut corners when Coleman is not handling
him right.

"I have to direct him to every area to be checked," he said. "He will
cheat, cut corners. He wants to get his reward."

Like other officers, Nix wears a bullet- and stab-resistant vest during
tactical work.

"This is a dog I have entrusted my life to," Coleman said. "He's not my
pet. He's my partner."