k-9 patrol: Keeping watch

Events of Sept. 11 prompted security measure

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By LAURA TUCKER

VIEW STAFF WRITER

Dex Von Der Puschnitzquelle is no ordinary security officer. He weighs in at 110 pounds, stands at about 25 inches and loves to be petted.

Dex, a genuine German-born German shepherd, makes up half of the Stratosphere's K-9 unit, along with his human handler -- Steve Lieberman.

"He's very well-trained in obedience," Lieberman said.

Dex was brought to the Stratosphere in November 2001, spurred in part by the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Lieberman said officials at the Stratosphere had wanted a K-9 unit before the events of Sept, 11 and searched the globe for the perfect dog -- one that could still work despite the noises, flashy lights and large crowds inside the casino. Dex's primary job is to sniff out potential explosives.

Since birth, the now 7-year-old dog was trained in the Schutzhund obedience technique in Germany. As a result, some of Dex's commands are spoken in German, although Lieberman said he has trained him to respond to some English words.

Lieberman said Dex knows many commands, although he has never counted. Some are verbal and others are hand signals.

As Lieberman stood with Dex outside the elevators to the top of the tower, a tourist stopped to pet and play with the large dog. Dex happily obliged. Lieberman gave them a few minutes to play, then snapped his fingers once. Dex immediately returned to his handler's side.

"These dogs are very smart. I've spent so much time with him. He knows what I want," Lieberman said.

Lieberman has worked for the Stratosphere for almost 11 years, since the hotel and casino was under construction. He said he decided to apply for the position of K-9 supervisor because he had owned a German shepherd before and thought he would enjoy working with another dog. Lieberman was selected from a pool of 12 other applicants.

When Dex was brought to the United States, Dex and Lieberman trained at Rudy Drexler's School for Dogs in Elkhart, Ind. There, Dex learned to sniff out potential explosives.

If Dex smells an explosive chemical, he lies down to alert Lieberman. Lieberman said bomb-sniffing dogs are trained not to move when they smell a potential explosive, while dogs that detect narcotics are taught to scratch and make noise. The difference, Lieberman explained, is that the dog could accidentally set off the bomb.

Lieberman said one major event Dex has been involved in occurred close to when Dex first arrived. Dex smelled a potential explosive in the back of a rental car. The smell ended up being ammonia, from a box of cat litter left in the back of the car.

Dex's typical day consists of patrolling the Stratosphere with his handler and sniffing out potential bombs.

Stratosphere vice president of security Art Steele said he worked with a K-9 unit at the MGM Grand. Steele said the dogs were necessary because the MGM Grand received many threats due to the number of shows at the venue.

Similarly, Steele said he and the Bellagio security team thought a K-9 unit would be necessary to protect the 1,149-foot-tall tower from bomb threats. Also, Steele said having an in-house dog allows the security team to investigate potential explosives without having to call the Metropolitan Police Department.

Steele said Stratosphere personnel had a special type of dog in mind for the project.

"We wanted a dog that would mingle with the public," he said.

Steele said Dex has been good for public image.

"When people see Dex, they feel a lot more calm and safe," he said.

The possibility of adding at least a second dog to the Stratosphere's K-9 unit has been discussed, Steele said.

Steele said Lieberman is "very attached" to Dex. Lieberman takes Dex home with him at night, and the pair is on call 24 hours.

"He's spoiled," Lieberman said of Dex.

Lieberman said patrol dogs usually retire at age 9, but it all depends on the ability of the individual canine. Lieberman said he doesn't know what Dex would do if he weren't working.

"With these types of dogs, they want to continue to work," he said. "He certainly wouldn't want to be at home all day."