Kyle is a gorgeous 10-year-old German shepherd. Having been born into a family of ex-police dogs, loyalty has always been very much in his nature. He has now retired from duty and is living out his last days surrounded by beautiful countryside. He lives with a loving couple , the Smiths, who fell in love with him the moment they met him.
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What Kyle misses most about his years as a police dog is his work buddy and best pal. The pair have a very special bond. They worked well together, helping to solve numerous cases and finding missing people. Now that Kyle was miles away from John, he needed a plan of action so that he could see him again. Would this be possible? He couldn’t face the thought of never seeing his best friend again.
Early Days
Kyle was destined to be a police dog. Though he might not have been aware of it when he was just a pup, he would soon learn where his path would lead him. Kyle was born into a family of German shepherd’s. He was a very happy pup.
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Most dogs don’t have a specific path like Kyle did. They spend their days lounging around the house, eating and going for walks. While this is an easy lifestyle, some dogs like to be busy most of the day. Kyle was one of these.
Ready To Serve
While Kyle was slightly clueless as a young pup, as he grew up, he knew that he was destined for something greater. As time passed, he got to know more about his family and environment. He came from a family of ex-police dogs. His mother had been a very successful police dog, but she was now too old to keep it up.
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Kyle was ready to follow in his mother’s footsteps. While not all of his brothers and sisters completed the police academy training, he was determined to make his family proud, so he decided to embrace the challenge.
Quick Learner
Becoming a police dog isn’t an easy task. The training requires hard work and a lot of responsibility. Kyle was thrown in at the deep end. He was a very sweet and innocent dog, so to suddenly have to be planning attack strategies and searching for explosives was quite a shock to the system.
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He was a very quick learner, however. He absorbed everything that he was taught. German Shepherd’s are particularly good at being police dogs, since they are an intelligent and versatile breed. Kyle was no exception to this.
Aggression Issues
Kyle’s only issue was that he was perhaps too friendly. He struggled to be aggressive which is an important trait for a police dog, since it is sometimes necessary. He wasn’t capable of carrying out tasks which involved taking down an opponent or fiercely protecting a policeman.
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He was a kind and gentle soul who wouldn’t hurt a fly. This meant he was a little too soft for his job description. He was, however, excellent in other areas. He had an incredible sense of smell, very good eyesight and he was a fast runner. These are all important traits for a police dog.
Starting His Career
Kyle’s excellence certainly didn’t go unnoticed. He earned himself a position on the force as a fully certified police dog. His lack of aggression might have to be worked on though. This should come naturally in time.
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Of all the puppies in Kyle’s family, only Kyle and his sister became fully certified police dogs. The others didn’t make it through the rigorous training. Kyle would undoubtedly make his family proud. This was only the beginning…
A New Friend
Kyle had several fears when it came to joining the police force. He worried about not being good enough, perhaps he wasn’t cut out for this after all… He was struggling to adjust to being without his family and sulked during the night.
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These worries were keeping him awake at night. That was until he met John. John made Kyle feel instantly at ease. The pair had been selected to work together and they soon became thick as thieves, forming a very special bond.
A Bond That Can’t Be Broken
As anyone who has owned a dog will know, the bond between human and dog is often a strong one. Once a bond is formed, it is never broken. This was certainly the case for Kyle and John. Kyle formed an attachment with John from the moment he met him and vice versa.
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Kyle is so attached to John that he won’t cooperate with any other officer. Police dogs tend to work with various different officers on rescue missions, but Kyle has become an exception to this rule. Splitting these two up wouldn’t be wise.
Well Looked After
Police dogs often live with families that aren’t linked to the police force. This gives them a chance to have a life like any other dog, a chance to be loved and cared for. Kyle was put in the care of a lovely family.
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Initially, this was a little strange for him. He wasn’t used to the affection they gave him. They showered him with hugs and kisses, which, in the police force, wasn’t the norm. It wasn’t long before he started to thrive in this environment, embracing all of this attention. After all, who doesn’t enjoy some attention every once in a while!? Living with this family also enabled him to get a good amount of rest after a long day at work.
New Family Member
The couple who had taken Kyle in made him feel instantly loved and welcomed. They took care of him to the best of their ability. It wasn’t long after they had taken Kyle in that the woman fell pregnant with her first child. This would be a big change for the family.
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A lot of parents would be slightly nervous at the thought of welcoming a baby into a home with a dog around. Though it is rare, dogs can end up attacking new born babies out of jealously. They often become envious that this stranger is receiving so much attention. Though Kyle was a gentle dog, the couple felt that they couldn’t risk it.
Moving On
While the couple had a lot of love for Kyle and had grown quite attached to him, they felt that they had no choice but to give him away. They contacted the police force and informed them of their decision, hoping that they would find a suitable new family for him to live with.
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When John was told the news, he had mixed feelings. He was sad at the thought of Kyle being separated from the family that he had grown so accustomed to. On the other hand, he was also very excited. This meant that he could keep Kyle for himself.
New Roommates
It didn’t take much for John to decide that he would be the one to take Kyle in. That very evening, John took Kyle home with him after work. Since John was single and lived alone, Kyle found that John’s apartment was significantly smaller than his former home.
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John did some rearranging in his apartment to ensure that there would be enough space for both Kyle and himself to live comfortably. The pair did everything together, spending each day working side by side and retiring together at the end of each day.
Solving Crime
Police dogs are trained in a range of areas. They must be trained to protect their officers and subdue criminals, amongst other things. Kyle was sufficiently qualified so that he knew what to do in every situation.
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Kyle and John were a very successful partnership. The connection they shared arguably contributed to this success. This meant that they were asked to assist in numerous cases, often playing a big part in solving them.
Girl Missing
As with any job, there were good and bad days. Some crimes would be very straightforward to crack, while others proved to be a lot more difficult. One of Kyle and John’s most difficult challenges was finding a girl who had been missing for almost two days.
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The girl’s parents were out of their minds with fear, as you can imagine. The pressure was on Kyle to find the missing girl. Her mother took Kyle by the paw and said to him, tears streaming down her face: “Please bring my little girl home.”
Sniffing For Clues
Before setting off on his mission to find the girl, Kyle had to sniff some of the little girl’s clothes in order to get an idea of her scent. A full search was launched. Kyle took the lead, sniffing away, while the police officers followed behind him.
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Kyle picked up the scent, following it for miles, until it finally trailed off. The scent just seemed to suddenly disappear. It had taken them to a different neighbourhood and all hope seemed lost at this point.
Escape
The police began searching the area properly. It turned out that this was the area where the little girl’s auntie lived. Upon reaching her auntie’s house, Kyle picked up on the girl’s scent again. The scent led them inside the house and they found her there.
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It transpired that the little girl had heard her parents arguing, which they tended to do a lot, and she had run away to her auntie’s house. She cried to her cousin, who hid her in her room. The parents made a promise to their daughter that they would work on their relationship before taking her back home.
Always Improving
As the years passed, Kyle’s skills as a police dog improved immeasurably. This was mostly down to his experience. The more he experienced, the more he grew. He also became better equipped to protect John. This was sometimes a difficult task.
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Kyle had become so fond of John and vice versa, that the pair would consider each other their best friend. They were joined at the hip. There were even times where Kyle put his life on the line to save John.
Hard Worker
During one particular mission that the pair had been assigned, John was held at gunpoint by a criminal. He was ultimately shot at, but Kyle immediately sprang into action, pushing John out of the way. The bullet narrowly missed him – and all thanks to Kyle!
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Fortunately, neither party was ever badly hurt and the criminals involved in each mission were put behind bars. Nonetheless, this high-pressure job did eventually start to take its toll on Kyle. He grew increasingly worn out and as he got older, he became less able to do his job sufficiently.
Retirement
At the age of 8, Kyle retired from the service after a successful career serving his country. He had helped solve numerous crimes, making the country safer by ensuring that dangerous people were rightfully put behind bars.
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Kyle was honoured for his diligent work and able to relax knowing that he had done a good job. John had always known that this moment would come, but this didn’t make it any less painful. The pair had been through so much together.
A Hard Goodbye
John would never forget the memories he shared with Kyle, some good, some not so good. This loyal companion of his had saved his life once, possibly even twice. Not only had he saved him from a bullet, but there was also a time where Kyle attacked a mob of gangsters on John’s behalf.
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Although it was hard to say goodbye, John knew that it was the right thing to do. The pair shared one more summer holiday together. John was determined to make it special. He threw Kyle a party and took him on a picnic. Kyle had a great time.
New Family
Kyle was snapped up quickly once he was officially up for adoption. A lovely couple took him in. Their children were almost ready to move out so they decided that the time was right to get themselves a dog.
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The couple fell in love with Kyle immediately and spoiled him as much as they could. The only issue was that their house wasn’t particularly spacious. This meant that Kyle wasn’t able to get the exercise he required. He had always been a very energetic dog.
New Family
After living with his new family for a year, Kyle was very happy. While John was irreplaceable, the Smiths (his new owners) took good care of him and they soon became family to him. He felt at home with them.
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When the couple’s son moved out, this meant that they no longer needed to be living around the city centre. They decided to find a new place to live. This was good news for Kyle, since it meant that he would have more space and be able to get the exercise he needed.
Trusting Kyle’s Judgement
Kyle was very much involved in the decision-making progress in the quest to find a comfortable new home for himself and the Smiths. They took him along with them for every house viewing. They trusted Kyle’s instinct. He would know if a place wasn’t right.
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They wanted him to be happy with the place that they bought. They were most concerned about him being happy with the surrounding area and having enough places to explore and plenty of space to run around in.
Retirement In The Country
The couple finally settled on a lovely, spacious old house right in the countryside, away from the busy city. Kyle had played a big part in this decision. When they had all gone to visit the house, Kyle seemed to have instantly take a liking to it.
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There was plenty of room both in the house and outside it for Kyle to run around. It had a nice big garden. There were also endless places to explore in the surrounding area. There was also an amazing view of the mountains, green pastures and the ocean. What more could you want!?
Settling In
The family quickly settled into their comfortable new home. To Kyle’s delight, the couple went for multiple walks a day, taking him with them each time. Kyle loved every minute of it, he felt extremely lucky to be where he was.
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He was able to tone his leg and abdominal muscles and keep fit and strong. The family visited the surrounding woods and villages, making friends with other dog owners as they went. This meant new friends for Kyle.
New Friends
Making friends was, however, quite difficult for Kyle initially since he didn’t have much experience at socialising with other dogs. He did make a conscious effort to mingle with them and soon found that he loved to be around other dogs and play with them.
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Most of the other dogs were significantly smaller than him and he soon realised that he tended to play a lot harder than the others. He was an intelligent dog and realised that the best thing to do would be to play a little less rough when around the small dogs.
New Lease Of Life
Kyle loved running more than most things. The joy he got out of it was infectious. He loved to run with his owners. The Smiths knew how much he loved running and even when Thomas didn’t necessarily feel like exercising, the thought of depriving Kyle from his favourite activity always made him run.
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Being in the countryside gave Kyle a new lease of life. He had the energy of a young puppy. He loved to explore the surrounding area, there was so much to see. Thomas could hardly keep up with his energy and Jane didn’t even try to.
Losing Energy
Kyle would never miss his walks. He loved to go for a spin around the block and take in all the beautiful scenery around him. After a while, however, Kyle became different. He seemed to have lost his enthusiasm for life. He was significantly less energised.
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He was less motivated to go on his daily walks. He walked at a normal pace alongside Thomas, where before Thomas could hardly keep up with him. He didn’t even seem to want to explore anymore. Something was definitely up.
Concerning Behaviour
Thomas hoped that it was just a phase that Kyle was going through. He tried to think nothing of it, but as time progressed he became less and less energised. He had even reached a point where he would barely touch his food. Thomas was starting to worry.
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Thomas and Jane had made the decision to move out to the countryside mainly for Kyle’s sake. They truly believed that this was the best thing for him. This no longer seemed to be the case. They wondered whether Kyle might be unwell.
A Trip To The Vet
Thomas decided that they needed to pay a visit to the vet to get Kyle checked out. They were desperate for answers. He took a thorough physical exam and some tests to try and get to the bottom of the problem.
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The results showed that Kyle was perfectly healthy and in good shape. Thomas explained that Kyle had been acting bizarrely, not eating much food or wanting to exercise. The vets seemed to be as puzzled by this as Thomas was.
Unusual Behaviour
They resumed life as normal in the hope that Kyle would soon revert to his old ways. One day shortly afterwards, Kyle and Thomas were on a walk near the edge of the forest, when something very strange happened…
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Kyle seemed to suddenly switch to police dog mode and became rather fierce. He abruptly stopped walking, nose to the ground and ears pricked up and alert. He began to sniff the ground incessantly. It was as if he was back at work.
Always Sniffing
Kyle was a very curious dog. He was always sniffing things. He often discovered random objects, such as old toys and clothes on his walks. He also sniffed out small animals. Things didn’t stay hidden from Kyle for long.
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Kyle was always alert. When he caught a whiff of something, he was determined to get to the bottom of it, sniffing around relentlessly. He would go into the deepest part of the forest to sniff things out. This was no exception to that. Kyle seemed determined to find whatever it was he was smelling.
Losing The Trail
This time was different, however. Normally it wouldn’t be long before he found the source of the smell, but this seemed to be a lot more difficult to find. He kept sniffing and then losing the trail soon afterwards.
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The sniffing would only last a short while before the scent disappeared. Kyle was starting to get suspicious. What could the reason for this be? He became more and more anxious to find out what it was and where exactly it was coming from.
Time Out
Kyle was getting impatient and frustrated. He didn’t seem to be making any progress at all. Thomas was also getting frustrated, with Kyle’s behaviour. He tried to lure him away with his favourite treats, but Kyle was unfazed.
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He yelled at him to come back, but to no avail. Kyle eventually stopped sniffing and sat down beside a creepy looking tree. Perhaps a little time out from sniffing was necessary. He would have some time out then go back with a clear nose.
Looking For Answers
Thomas couldn’t put his finger on what was wrong with Kyle. His behaviour left him confused. At least he knew that he was healthy, that was the most important thing. He did want to get to the bottom of his strange behaviour though.
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He thought that perhaps there might be an animal in the tree that Kyle was smelling, but he would surely have found it by now if that were the case. He also noticed that the tree that Kyle was smelling had little to no leaves in its branches so if there was an animal, he would have seen it.
John To The Rescue
Thomas didn’t know what to do next. He was all out of ideas. He decided to call Kyle’s old partner, John. He thought that perhaps since he knew Kyle so well and had spent such a long time with him, he might have an idea of why he was behaving in such a way.
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Perhaps he would know what to do to get Kyle back to his old ways. If anyone could get to the bottom of Kyle’s strange behaviour, it would be John. Thomas placed the call in the hope of finally getting some answers.
Finally Some Answers
Upon receiving the call from Kyle’s new owner, John’s heart skipped a beat. Why would Thomas be calling him? Was something the matter? Was Kyle sick? Or worse… When John discovered the real reason that Thomas was calling him, he couldn’t help but feel relieved.
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When Thomas explained everything to John, he was able to offer him an explanation. This is exactly what Thomas had hoped for. John explained that whenever Kyle had caught onto a scent in the past and not been able to find the source of it, he had been trained to sit and wait where the smell was.
Strange Discovery
When Thomas explained to John that Kyle was sitting at the foot of a tree, John instructed him to check it out. He warned him to be careful, as there was a chance that this could be something quite dangerous.
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Thomas took John’s advice and headed to the tree to examine it more closely. He soon noticed that something wasn’t right about this tree. The part that Kyle was sitting beside seemed to be broken and slightly caved in.
Investigating
Thomas had a look around to try and find some assistance, but they were deep in the woods so it was unlikely that anyone would be around. After mulling things over a little, he plucked up the courage to push in the broken part of the tree.
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When he did this, Kyle seemed quite agitated. He started growling and seemed to be acting all defensive. When Thomas pushed a little more, he observed that there was a lot of space inside the tree. When he realised what was buried inside the tree, Thomas got the scare of his life. He jumped back suddenly, almost tripping over Kyle.
A Terrifying Discovery
What he had felt when he pushed the tree terrified Thomas to his very core. It felt as though a human skeleton was hidden inside the tree. He couldn’t be certain since he hadn’t actually seen it but he was convinced that he wasn’t imagining things.
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Afraid that he might be tampering with a crime scene, Thomas left the tree alone. There was only one thing for it, he would have to get the police involved. This wasn’t something that he could deal with on his own.
Action Stations
Without a moment’s hesitation, Thomas gave John another call, his hands shaking as he dialled the number. His voice trembled as he explained to Thomas what he had discovered. John was shocked at what he heard.
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John sprang into action, gathering a couple of forensic experts to investigate the scene. Fuelled with adrenaline and slightly nervous at what they might discover, they headed over to meet Thomas at the tree.
Long Journey
The journey to The Smiths house took longer than anticipated. It took John and his two colleagues two hours to get there. It made him a little sad to realise how far away he lived from his canine friend. The pair had gone from roommates to living two hours away from each other.
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John felt slightly guilty that it had taken him this long to come and visit Kyle. Really he should have come sooner, and not for work reasons. He wondered how Kyle would react when he saw him. Perhaps he was angry at John for not visiting him.
Reunion
As soon as John and the forensic team had arrived at the scene, Kyle came bounding over to John, ecstatic at the sight of his old owner and best friend. He jumped up and down, licking him all over. John was equally as happy to see Kyle.
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This was the first time the pair had seen each other since Kyle’s new owners had moved to the countryside. Thomas could not help but feel slightly jealous of their relationship. He had never seen Kyle so excited.
Skeleton Revealed
While Kyle and John’s reunion was a beautiful moment, they didn’t have time to waste as there was a pressing matter to deal with. Kyle was aware of this and so pulled away quickly. John couldn’t fully commit to the moment since all he could think about was the skeleton.
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John rushed over to the tree and pulled back the broken bark to reveal a human skeleton hidden inside. Thomas was right. What an incredible discovery! While this was a very dark find, John couldn’t help but feel excited to investigate this further.
Not What It Seemed
John couldn’t believe what they had discovered. He was about to contact his chief officer to report what they had found, but the forensics stopped him before he went any further. They wanted to figure out where this skeleton had come from before reporting it to their boss.
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The forensics had a sneaky suspicion that this skeleton wasn’t a real skeleton, but a fake one. They were correct. Upon closer inspection, they realised that it was simply a Halloween decoration. It had definitely done it’s job in scaring them.
False Alarm
They decided that this must have beens some kind of prank, placed there by a local in an attempt to scare someone. The prank had certainly been a success. While John was relieved that this wasn’t a real human skeleton, he was also slightly surprised at Kyle’s reaction.
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Kyle had been adequately trained to identify whether or not something was dangerous. Why had Kyle reacted in such a way to discovering a fake skeleton? Had he done this intentionally? He surely hadn’t lost his edge that quickly…
The Plot Thickens
Since the case was now closed and John had done what he had come to do, Kyle was back to jumping up at his best friend. Looking down at the happy dog, it suddenly dawned on John that perhaps this hadn’t really been about the skeleton after all.
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In all their years of working together, Kyle knew what the best way to get John’s attention was. At work, whenever Kyle had exhibited this kind of behaviour, John would immediately rush to his aid. John was sure that this had been an intentional plan on Kyle’s part to get John down here. John bent down and affectionately stroked Kyle’s fur. He looked intently into Kyle’s big brown eyes and his suspicions were confirmed.
Loyalty
Kyle had clearly been missing John a lot. This was a desperate attempt to see him again. John was very moved by this. He knew that dogs were loyal, but this was another level. Kyle obviously missed him more than he realised.
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Before leaving, John took Kyle on a short walk around the woods so that the pair could spend some time alone together. He could see how happy Kyle was to be in his company. In that moment, John vowed to himself that he would make the effort to come and see his furry friend as often as he could. This was a promise he would stick to.
*This is a made-up story for entertainment purposes.