Yukon replaces retired Anaheim police K9 Bruno

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- A 2-year-old German shepherd named Yukon chases down and latches onto an Anaheim police officer pretending to be a bad guy.

"He's graduated the academy. He's learned the bare basics. Much like a police officer, we learn the basics but you really start learning when you hit the streets," said Yukon's handler, Anaheim police officer R.J. Young.

Young has been working with the German shepherd for several months, since Yukon joined the Anaheim Police Department K9 Unit.

The German shepherd is taking over a position which was once filled by Young's previous partner Bruno, who retired last year after being shot and seriously wounded in the line of duty.

Bruno, who suffered a shattered jaw and a collapsed lung, is credited with saving the lives of three officers, including Young.

"There will never be another Bruno. Bruno is definitely one of a kind," Young said. "[Bruno] picked things up very, very easily and then you have a dog like Yukon, which has a lot of puppy in him. He's very immature for his age."

Yukon was not the department's first pick. Another dog was initially chosen, but he didn't make it through training.

Yukon underwent six weeks of training at a K9 academy in Texas, where he learned the basics.

"How to find narcotic odor, how to find human odor, what to do when they find those odors," Young said.

Police say Yukon is on probation for a year. He'll have a performance review to see if he stays for good. Meanwhile, Young remains hopeful.