Oskaloosa Police Department Welcomes New K9 Rodie
Oskaloosa Police K9 Sargent Austin Rogers and his partner Rodie.
OSKALOOSA — The Oskaloosa Police Department has officially welcomed a new four-legged officer to its ranks following the retirement of longtime K9 Duke.
K9 Sgt. Austin Rogers recently introduced his new partner, Rodie, a 2½-year-old police dog that has already begun serving alongside him after completing extensive training in Canada.
Rodie replaces Duke, who retired in late April after more than six years of service to the Oskaloosa community.
“Duke was with me. We met in 2018 and we served till almost late April when we retired,” Rogers said. “He had a really successful career, took a lot of drugs off the street, took down some bad guys, and was involved with some really cool events, not only on the criminal side but involved with the community and different civic organizations as well.”
While Duke was a full-blooded German Shepherd, Rodie brings a different mix to the department. Rodie is half German Shepherd and half Belgian Malinois, a breed known for its energy, intelligence, and strong work drive.
Rogers described the transition from Duke to Rodie with a simple comparison.
“I give people the analogy of going from driving a Buick LeSabre to driving a Corvette,” Rogers said. “It’s just go, go, go all the time for Rodie.”
Unlike Duke, who arrived with little formal training, Rodie spent more than two years being trained at a working dog facility before coming to Oskaloosa. Rogers said that experience has helped speed up the transition to patrol work.
Rodie is trained in narcotics detection, suspect apprehension, tracking, article searches, and obedience.
Although the new K9 has already started working, Rogers said residents should understand that Rodie is still adjusting to his new community and partnership.
“The main thing with Rodie is Rodie is a lot different than Duke,” Rogers said. “Don’t just come up and try to pet him. If you do want to pet him, you should ask.”
Rogers said Rodie is highly focused on his work and continues to build trust with his handler as they spend more time together.
The Oskaloosa Police Department plans to continue community demonstrations and public appearances with the new K9 team. Rogers said he hopes Rodie will eventually become an even stronger community partner while continuing the department’s law enforcement mission.
“As good as Duke was, I want to make Rodie even better,” Rogers said.
