Newest Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department tracking dog named

Friday, May 29, 2015
Newest Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department tracking dog named
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has a new tracking dog. The 6-month-old bloodhound has a new name, thanks to Eyewitness News viewers!

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has a new tracking dog. The 6-month-old bloodhound has a new name, thanks to Eyewitness News viewers.

After fielding votes on Facebook, the pup's new name is -- Copper!

Copper seems to have just one thing on her mind - to play! That's exactly why she was chosen to join the force.

"They test the dog, see their drive, if they have a high play drive, because most of trailing is actually playing to the dog," a sheriff's deputy explained.

Copper will be trained to find missing persons such as lost children and lost hikers.

Training will include trailing exercises, which involves dropping a scent article belonging to a person. Then, the exercise moves on to casting, which involves Copper working the area to find a trail that leads to the person.

The department is excited about their new addition. Department members donated to the Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit the Special Olympics when they submitted names for the K-9.

Out of all the names, seven names were randomly selected and the sheriff picked five names - Molly, Mulligan, Copper, Champ or Star. Copper received the most votes.