Greenleaf, Caden Win Gold at Games

Retired Officer Ken Greenleaf and his K-9 partner, Caden, brought home the gold medal in their division at the World Police and Fire Games in New York City on Thursday.

The pair competed in agility, obedience, search and protection, Greenleaf wrote in an email to Patch reporter Katharine Lowrie.

"Please accept my sincere appreciation for those who supported Caden and I on our final competition," he wrote.

The games and an almost 2-year career for Caden. Greenleaf was allowed to buy the dog for $1 at a recent City Council meeting.

Hurricane Irene, which forced the postponement of the competition, wasn't the only bump in the road the pair overcame at the games. The morning of the competition, another dog broke free and bit Caden on his left ear, Greenleaf said.

"The dog would not let go, and it took several seconds before his handler could release the dog," Greenleaf wrote. "Caden remained still and calm. There was no injury to Caden, and a lot of embarrassment for the other handler. Dogs will be dogs."

Greenleaf and his dog's efforts in agility, obedience and search were "well above average, "almost flawless" and "not a problem," respectively.

Nevertheless, Greenleaf said that though Caden was flawless during the protection competition, Greenleaf himself was "less than perfect and almost cost Caden the gold."

"During the 'pat down' search of the suspect, I raised the decoy's arm too quick to show my dog's control, causing Caden to walk a step forward and lose a point," he wrote. "As I always say, 'It's not the dog, it's the handler.'

"Well, it turns out my error did not cost us, and Caden won the overall gold medal."

paid for the pair's trip to New York.

This is not Greenleaf's first win at the World Police and Fire Games. He and Valor, his police dog at the time, won the overall gold medal at the 2009 games. Valor later died of a kidney ailment.