Meet some of our former "Top Dogs" in our Hall of Fame. These dogs have worked hard and are now retired and spending time with their families. However, their legacy will never be forgotten.

Chico: Keeping 'em on Their Toes

Hello! My name is Chico. I’m a male Belgian Malinois. I weigh 95 pounds. I was born in Belgium. When I was about 3-years-old, I came to the United States. It wasn’t long before I met my partner, K-9 Officer Steve. I didn’t know what to think of K-9 Officer Steve at first—he is a really big guy and kind of intimidating! But, on my first night in Virginia, Officer Steve spent the night with me. He slept on the hard concrete floor. I knew from that point that Officer Steve would always take care of me.

I came to the CIA to become an Explosive Detection Canine. Officer Steve and I went through 10 weeks of intense training, which I didn’t like at first. You see, I am kind of a hard head—I don’t like being told what to do. But Officer Steve didn’t let me get away with that. He is a former U.S. Marine and would only settle for perfection. Needless to say, I lost the battle. At the end of our 10-week training, we graduated at the top of our class.

After completing my basic training, I went to work every day with Officer Steve. It’s my job to sniff for explosives. When I find something that smells like explosives, I come to a “sit” position. This lets Officer Steve know that I’ve found something with an explosive odor. Next comes the fun part for me, because I get my tug toy each time I find an explosive—and boy do I love to play tug! Sometimes, I’ll sit just to get my tug toy. This never works because Officer Steve knows when I am faking—but I like keeping him on his toes.

When I am not working, I go home with Officer Steve to relax with our family. On the weekends I play outside a lot. I love to play fetch with a ball or KONG, but my favorite toy is always a big stick. At night, I sleep by the front door so I can do my second job, which is to keep my partner and his family safe!

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Dallas: A CIA Lone Star

My name is Dallas, and I come from Dallas, Texas. Everyone says I look a lot like my sister Maggie. She is the other black Labrador in the CIA K-9 Corps.

Officer Carlos is my human partner. We get along great and we have a lot in common. We like to jog, we love R&B and Hip Hop music, and we love to watch “Animal Planet” on TV. It’s important to get along with the people you work with. I’m very lucky that I get along so well with Officer Carlos.

Through my adventures at the CIA, I've learned to bark in seven different languages. That’s a good skill to have at the CIA!

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Dean: Daydreamer

Hi! My name is Dean, and I am a black Lab. I was born on Sept. 26, 2006, I am an Explosive Detection dog. I was raised by prisoners in a program called “Puppies Behind Bars.” They taught me how to sit, stay, and fetch. After that, I went to train with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and that is where I met my partner, K-9 Officer Lloyd.

I love going to work every morning with Officer Lloyd. We have a long ride into work, but he always lets me sleep so that way I am rested for our busy day! My main job at CIA is to search vehicles for explosives. It’s important that I keep the employees at CIA safe.

When I get home from work, I love to chase my German shepherd sister around. Her name is Gabby. We take turns running all over the house and sometimes Officer Lloyd and his wife yell at us, but it’s still really fun! My favorite toys are my KONG, socks, and my rope. Gabby tries to take it from me, but I am much stronger! When I am not playing, I love to take naps. Officer Lloyd says I’m a sleepy head. Gabby and I love to curl up on the bed and snooze.

I look forward to going all over the world with Officer Lloyd. I love my new family and my job very much!

Dino: Big Dog on Campus

Hey everyone! I’m Dino. I am a German Shepherd. I am the biggest K-9 at the CIA. I weigh 110 pounds! I was born in Europe. I came to the United States when I was still a puppy. Now, I am an expert in explosive detection, tracking, protection and obedience. To me, working at the CIA is so much fun!

I love to talk, so I always let my partner, Officer Dennis, know when I sense that something is out of place. My job is very important to me. When I wake up in the morning, I wait by the front door until it’s time to leave for work.

At home I love to play. I have a big toy box that I can dig through, until I find just the right toy. I am very protective of my family. I sleep by the door, so I am the first to know if someone tries to get in.

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Gerro: What’s in a Name?

My name is Germaine Sebastian Bartholomew Otis Darcy. That’s a mouthful, isn’t it? Call me “Gerro,” all my friends do.

I help sniff out trouble for the CIA. My partner, Officer Clancy, and I have won several medals at competitions. My parents are really proud of me. My family has a tradition of helping humans. My great, great grandfather served in the Army in World War II in the original “K-9 Corps.”

My dad helped me over the “ruff” spots in training, and I graduated at the top of my class. When I met Officer Clancy, he was a little puzzled by my long first name. He felt a lot better when he found out I go by Gerro. He already had two other German Shepherds like me named Christy and Roxy. They told me that he’s a really good guy. We all get along great, and I love playing catch and other games with my sisters.

Working with Officer Clancy is a lot of fun. But we do a lot of serious work. We work together so much that we can almost read each other’s thoughts. And that’s why we’re so good in competitions. I don’t like to brag, but we’re a pretty good team.

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Joey: Super Sniffer

Hello! My name is Joey. I am a Belgian Malinois. I look a lot like a German Shepherd, but I’m a little smaller. (And I think I’m cuter!) I was born in the Netherlands on Sept. 14, 2000. I speak two languages: English and Dutch.

Now, I work at the CIA with my partner, K-9 Officer Clancy. I love going to work with my dad. Because I have a super nose, my job is to detect explosives and the materials that make up explosives. I search cars, buildings, stadiums, trains, or any place that a bomb could be hiding.

We have to practice a lot, but I like that. I know how to track people over long distances.  I also know how to protect my partner from bad guys. I also was taught agility. That is a fancy word for jumping and crawling over fences and other obstacles. This helps keep me alert. I need to be focused when I’m at work.

All the fun starts once I get home after a busy day. I get to chase my favorite tennis ball in the front yard with Officer Clancy’s family pets. Kole is a Newfoundland and Nikki is a German Shepherd. This year I learned how to swim. Officer Clancy put a pool in the back yard. Now I can jump in and fetch my favorite toys. Kole likes to swim with me, but Nikki is still learning. Sometimes Kole and Nikki ask me how my day went, but I can’t talk about it because it’s a secret.

I get so excited when I know it’s time to go to work. Sometimes, I’ll jump into my partner’s arms. Occasionally, I can even catch my mom off guard and I’ll jump in her arms, too. She is pretty good at catching me. It’s not always easy, because I weigh 65 pounds! My mom thinks that I’m a very important pooch. I tell her it’s no big deal. It is because I trained really hard and I have a great nose.

I think that I’m pretty lucky. I get to travel all over the world and help protect people.

Maggie: The First Lady of the Corps

My name is Maggie and I was the first female K-9 Corps officer.

I’m a 5-year-old Labrador Retriever and I’ve worked here for four years. Have you met my brother, Dallas? And have you met Whisper, the only other girl in the corps? Things were a little strange when I first got here since I was so young (I was only 1) and since I was the only girl. The other dogs teased me at first and said I couldn’t do the job as well as them.

But when Officer Paul and I trained in bomb-sniffing, we were the best in our class. All the other dogs saw how well I could do the job and they’ve been my friends ever since. Officer Paul and I have had some really exciting assignments. I really can’t talk about all of them, but if you’re ever at our headquarters, I’ll try to dig up some of the files and we can bone up on them.

My favorite thing to do away from work is play with Officer Paul’s two boys. We play tag and hide and seek. I’m really good at hide and seek. On weekends, I love to watch “Cops” on TV, especially when they have dogs on the show. My other favorite show is “Lassie.” Now that was a lady that could get the job done, too.

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Mark: Getting the Job Done

Hello, my name is Mark. I am a Belgian Malinois. I was born in the Netherlands on May 21, 2000. In the Netherlands, I was trained to be an attack dog. When I was 2 ½, I moved to America to work as a bomb dog with the Central Intelligence Agency. How exciting!

At the CIA, I met my partner, K-9 Officer Mike. We instantly became best buddies! Together we learned how to sniff out and find bombs. (Well, I’m the one finding them. Officer Mike just tags along to reward me with my toy when I do a good job.)

After a hard days work, Officer Mike and I head home. I like to go on long walks with Officer Mike through the neighborhood. It’s cool because some of the kids forget to pick up their toys.  I’m always on the hunt for tennis balls to add to my ever-growing toy collection. A dog can never have too many toys! Toward the end of the day, Officer Mike serves me dinner, which is followed up by my favorite treat, a “Snausage.” Things at home will be very exciting and crazy as my momma, Officer Mike’s wife, is going to have a baby girl soon! I’m excited for the new addition to my family.

I will always do my best to protect my family and the people of the CIA.

Nikky: Changing Channels

I’m Nikky, and maybe you’ve seen me on TV.

I used to be in commercials and movies. I did a lot of my own stunts. I can even speak a couple of languages. It just seemed natural to work for the CIA K-9 Corps. I’m a German Shepherd, and I’m originally from Holland.

I had a tough time here at first because I didn’t understand English so well. My first language is Dutch. I had to prove myself to my partner, Officer James, and I did. One day, I was chasing a bad guy. I chased him so hard that I fell off a 15-foot bridge. I wasn’t injured, but I could tell the other K-9s really respected my effort. I recently won two medals at a United States Police Canine Association Patrol Dog competition.

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Orry: The Big Dog

I’m Orry. I’m easy to pick out because I’m the biggest dog here. I weigh 100 pounds. When I first got here, a lot of the other dogs were afraid of me. They didn’t need to be. I love other dogs and people and, well, just about everyone.

My full name is really Orlando. I’ve always been a big German Shepherd. I was adopted by a kind couple who loved me a lot. Other dogs teased me because I was adopted. But I think they teased me because I scared them a little. But my new parents loved me. They told me that being adopted made me special because they got to choose me. They told me that there are different kinds of families, and all that matters is the love.

Officer Lawrence is my partner, and he’s my family now. He’s a big guy, too, and he loves to exercise with me. We swim in the pool and play water basketball. In the winter, we have snowball fights. I have a big advantage because I love eating the snow he throws.

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Ranon: Tricks for Treats

Hi! My name is Ranon. I am a Belgian Malinois. I was born in Holland. I have been trained to find explosives, catch bad guys, and protect my partner. I am proud that I can help catch the bad guys.

When I am not at work, my partner, K-9 Officer Jimmy takes me swimming at the lake. I like to do tricks because Officer Jimmy will give me treats. If you see me working, ask Officer Jimmy if it’s OK before you come pet me and say “hi.” And I do have one final piece of advice, “Be safe and always report suspicious activity to the police.”

See more pictures of Ranon in his photo gallery.

Reno: Work Hard to Play Hard

Tiwaz: Old Dog Teaching ’Em New Tricks

I’m Tiwaz, and I’m the oldest member of the CIA K-9 Corps. I’ve been at the CIA for six years. I’m 8 years old, the same age as Gerro. Everybody thinks I’m older than Gerro. But that’s only because I’m a black German Shepherd and my gray hairs show up more.

I have traveled all over the world in my job with Officer Dave. I love to go wherever they need me. I just wish the planes flew a little slower and lower so I could hang my head out the window. These days I stick closer to the CIA headquarters to help train the new dogs. Officer Dave always reminds me that I have to be a role model for the younger dogs. If you have a younger brother or sister, you probably know how that feels. They look at you to see how you do things and how you act.

I’m retiring soon, and Officer Dave says I’ll get a gold bone. But what I really want is to make sure all the “pups” carry on the great traditions of our K-9 Corps.

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Whisper: Making a Name for Herself

They’ve called me “Whisper” since I was in school. I was very quiet when I first started training. At Explosive Detection School, my teacher told me to speak up and not whisper all the time.

I took that advice and pretty soon I was one of the loudest dogs in the class. Everyone thought it was funny to call me Whisper then. I finished at the top of my class in detecting explosives. I can find 19,000 different types of explosives.

My partner, Officer Ron, laughed when he heard my name because I’m pretty loud these days. Officer Ron says he can always tell where I am when I’m with the other corps members, not just because I’m the only yellow Labrador, but because of my loud voice.

Officer Ron and I have placed in the top five in several national and regional competitions. We’re really good in the detection tests. That’s one time I get quiet and let my nose do all the work … well, until I find something. Then I let everybody know! No more whispering for me.

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Zoltan: A Breed Apart 

My name is Zoltan. I am a male Belgian Malinois.  I was born on Nov. 19, 1998, in Eastern Hungary.

I began training when I was a year old. I know three different languages: English, German, and Dutch.

I first worked as an Explosive Detection dog with the Cincinnati Bengal’s football team. But I was happy when I found out I was going to work with my new partner, K-9 Officer Mat, at the CIA.

When Officer Mat picked me up for the first time, I was really nervous. When I got to my new home, I met his wife, and my new mommy, Maria. I also met their family dog, Bailey, a little hot dog who likes to play a lot.

Officer Mat and I worked very hard during our training together. If I did what I was told, I would be rewarded with a lot of love and a tennis ball. I love tennis balls so much; I’ll even rip off my partner’s pocket to get to one. He gets so mad at me when I do that, but I just can’t help myself! My partner and I are together 24 hours a day. We have so much fun and he is my best friend. I will do anything to protect him.

I love working for the CIA and protecting the people who protect this great country.  

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