Extraordinary Dogs by Liz Stavrinides

Author:Liz Stavrinides
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

22     HULK

Reston, Virginia

“Being a new handler can be intimidating at times, especially when most of my coworkers have years of experience and I have none yet,” says Joe Bagnall, TSA explosive detection canine handler at Washington Dulles International Airport. “That being said, being confident is a huge part of the job, and to truly be the best handler one can be, one has to find a way to be confident and take charge of situations or the team will struggle.”

A resident of Reston, Virginia, Joe was paired with Hulk by their instructors at TSA’s National Canine Training Center—located on the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas—based on their compatible personalities.

“Being new, it was also difficult being sent away for three months to undergo the training course,” Joe admits. “I remember being down there, excited to learn and ready to hit the ground running on this new, dream career path. I also remember many times being lonely, especially since I was there from early November to mid-February and couldn’t spend the holidays with my family. Additionally, leaving my fiancée, Becca, by herself for three months and not really being able to help with any of the wedding planning or anything else she needed was probably the hardest part of being away. However, in the end, it was all worth it, and I knew that it was a small sacrifice to make. I’d do it all again in a second, especially since I ended up being partnered with Hulk.”

Hulk is a handsome dude for sure—a German shorthaired pointer with white body fur and black specks, brown head, and a big brown spot on his right side. But don’t let his good looks fool you. This guy is a highly trained explosive detection dog whose job it is to help keep thousands of the flying public safe every year.

“I also remember bringing Hulk home for the first time,” Joe says with a laugh. “It was close to midnight, and Hulk and I had just gotten off our flight from Texas. This was after we’d spent close to five hours at San Antonio International Airport waiting for our flight. Needless to say, we were both exhausted. Hulk was also very confused by and curious about his new surroundings in Virginia. When we finally made it back to my apartment and opened the door and walked in, he was very surprised to see another human in that room watching TV. Becca had waited up for us.

“I don’t know if she was more excited to see me or to finally meet Hulk … Okay, okay, who am I kidding? She really wanted to meet Hulk!

“The first interaction between the two of them was good. When Hulk first saw her, he looked up at me, almost asking me who she was. After I walked him over and greeted her myself, I introduced the two of them, and Hulk leaned against her leg as she petted him. Hulk and my wife-to-be became friends immediately.

“She mostly knows not

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