By Jacqueline Arroyo / Jambar Contributor
Youngstown State University welcomed another furry addition to its K-9 unit. Barkley, an over one-year-old German Shepard, replaced YSU’s former K-9 officer, Gino, who retired last May after a decade of service.
Barkley took over Gino’s place as an explosives and firearms detection dog. He was born in the Netherlands, a country known for its expertise in training and handling working dogs.
Shawn Varso, YSU chief of police, was not a part of the committee to select Hope Stoner as Barkley’s handler, but he said her qualities made her well-suited for the role.
“She’s very open with interacting with our students, our faculty, our staff,” Varso said. “She’s very intelligent and she also has a good dedication towards police work, so I mean she has all those abilities, and all those traits that we want in an officer.”
Two officers applied for the position of K-9 handler in the department, but the role ultimately went to Stoner.
Stoner, police officer and K-9 handler, has served in law enforcement for four years but joined the department two and a half years ago. Although she had the option to choose any dog, she knew Barkley was the right fit.
“As soon as they brought him out, I knew instantly that he was going to be my partner,” Stoner said. “His personality — he just came up to me, started licking me, so friendly. [Barkley] wasn’t shy at all.”
When selecting a new K-9, the department prioritized two factors — capability in detecting explosives and firearms and effectiveness in community policing. The goal was to find a dog that was both highly skilled and approachable, allowing for greater interaction between police and the community.
Varso said that although Barkley is a YSU police dog, he will also serve in other capabilities throughout the city.
“If there’s something going on in the greater community and there’s a need for an explosive detection K-9 then we would happily help service that,” Varso said. “There are very few explosive-detective K-9’s in this area — I believe there’s only three — so for Trumbull, Columbiana [and] Mahoning Counties, it increases that coverage for that area.”
The transition from police officer to K-9 handler was a new experience for Stoner, one she appreciated and learned from alongside Barkley. Whether through training exercises or working together each day, she said their bond continues to grow.
Stoner said her responsibilities have increased with Barkley’s addition, from ensuring his care to engaging with the community and attending sporting events.
“We went to a few basketball games, pretty much I wanted to get him used to the big crowds and all the noise and stuff,” Stoner said. “I’ll do a protective sweep before the game with Barkley for explosives and firearms, and then once the game starts, we’ll hang out in tailgate lots.”
Marc Peluso, owner of Enforcer Working Dogs, law enforcement officer and former K-9 handler, has successfully trained police dogs currently in service. Although he had no part in training or selecting Barkley for YSU, he shared insight into the training process of what K-9 units look for in dogs.
“You want to make sure they have the essential drives necessary to do the job, and there’s a lot of variables that go into that,” Peluso said. “I look for things like, is the dog good on slip floors, is it good on open staircases.”
Once a dog begins working, its training doesn’t stop there. To keep the dog sharp and address areas for improvement, Peluso said the state has ongoing requirements for both the dog and its handler.
“The State of Ohio requires 16 hours a month for their handler and the dog, continuing their training, so that’s two times a month, two eight hour days,” Peluso said. “Where they implement where the dog has to be trained, you know, narcotics, so they have to be trained in the facet they are able to be deployed in the state of Ohio.”