Manteca Police Canine “Spike” took first place in the class A division for military and retired police dogs last weekend in the Lodi Police Department’s annual canine trials.

Officer Grant Flory said his dog topped dogs from San Francisco and Lodi in the competitions.

If he had been in the open division of the trials involving 26 dogs, he would have finished third in the search phase, second in protection and fourth overall, Flory noted.

The Manteca canine officer also entered his Giant Schnauzer, “Ero” as a white dog to demonstrate the protection phase at the start of the competition.

He said that both dogs were excited when he put them into their crates in the back of his vehicle to take them to Lodi.  “They knew something was up and they were ready to go,” he said.

While Spike is retired, Ero is in training, but both dogs have a challenge in having to contend with two Chihuahuas at home,  “Coco” and “Tiki,” Flory said.  Flory was the only Manteca officer to go to Lodi with his dogs last Saturday.

Officer Flory has been rotated out of the canine assignment, and is now on day shift general patrol.