LEWISTON — Ray Vega had already experienced one failed K-9 partnership. He didn’t want to go through another.

He had his last dog only briefly. Vega, a Lewiston police officer, is calm, easy going. That German shepherd, not so much. 

“We didn’t jive,” Vega said.

So he was excited, but not quite sure what to expect, when he went to pick up his new partner-to-be at Logan airport in Boston last March. Vega’s first thought as he peered into the kennel: Wow, this dog is huge.

His second: This partnership could work out.

“He wasn’t even barking,” Vega said. “He was just relaxed, laid back.”

Four months later and Vega can’t imagine life without Chico.

“It’s amazing what these dogs can do,” he said. “I think it’s the best kept secret in the police force.”

Vega, 25, joined the Lewiston Police Department five years ago. He had considered going into the narcotics or K-9 units. The K-9 unit won out.

Vega liked the intense training process, the challenge of tracking and searching, the fun of working with a four-legged partner. He got his first dog last year, but that brief partnership didn’t work out. After a few  months, he got a second chance.

Vega told the North Carolina dog trainer what he wanted and what he didn’t, namely “a crazy dog hyper in the back of the car.” The trainer matched him with a big, black German shepherd named Van.

The dog was young, less than 2 years old, but he was easy-going and focused. The partners went through 12 weeks of state training, including tracking, searching and obedience. Their personalities meshed perfectly.

Vega renamed the dog Chico.

“‘Van’ was too generic,” he said. “I wanted something that reflected me.”

Vega and Chico now have a regular patrol route around the Bartlett Street area. Chico sits in the back of the police car when they patrol, hopping out when he’s needed or when Vega gets a moment to introduce him to local children or business owners. 

At the end of the day, Vega and Chico go home together. Chico turns from police dog in the back of the squad car to family dog with Vega and his wife.

“He lays around a lot,” Vega said. “I think he kind of feeds off the energy at home.”

But one thing doesn’t change between work and home. 

“He likes to stick close to me. He follows me everywhere around the house,” Vega said.

Vega and Chico still have more training to complete, including an 8-week drug school in September. Until then they’ll divide their time between home and work, family and the police station.

“It’s just like a normal patrol,” Vega said. “But if things go south, he’s there.”

Have an idea for a pet feature? Contact Lindsay Tice at 689-2854 or e-mail her at [email protected]