By Audrey Wong DAILY REPUBLIC FAIRFIELD –

There are times when police Officer Mike Poppe thinks his partner is still in the back seat of the squad car.

Then Poppe realizes his partner is retired and at home playing with his two other dogs or watching the cat.

Poppe's former partner, an 8-year-old German Shepherd named Tasso, retired in December after developing hip problems. Most police dogs serve to an older age, but Poppe wanted Tasso to have a better quality of life.

'I owe it to him to let him be a dog for awhile,' Poppe said.

Life for a police canine is demanding. Poppe recalls times when he hoisted Tasso over a fence so the dog could pursue a criminal. The dogs work the same long hours with their handlers. When the dogs are off, their handlers don't pay much attention to them so the dogs will work harder to please when they're on duty, Poppe said.

During his career of nearly seven years, Tasso caught 29 suspects and convinced more than 100 suspects to surrender because they didn't want to be bitten, Poppe said. Tasso once sniffed out methamphetamine and $50,000 cash in a car.

Poppe always mentions the time about five years ago when Tasso saved him and possibly the life of his attacker. A large boy struck his mother and sister, and both wanted him arrested.

Although the teenager was just 14, he was almost 6 feet tall and nearly matched Poppe's 190 pounds. The boy fought with Poppe, gouged the officer's eyes, grabbed the officer's baton and then struck Poppe in the head with it.

As the two struggled on the ground, Poppe could have reached for his gun. He instead pressed the remote that opened the door of his patrol car and released Tasso.

Tasso charged full force at the boy and knocked him off Poppe. The boy then grabbed Tasso in a choke hold and punched the dog's face. Tasso bit back.

After police arrested the suspect, he told officers how he assaulted Poppe.

'He said, 'The dog and officer did a good job, I was going to kill him,' ' Poppe recalled.

Tasso can show aggression on command, Poppe said, but the dog has a friendly temperament. Poppe once showed Tasso to an elementary school and 750 students petted the dog. The 89-pound canine will stare at Poppe's cat but never chase it, even when the feline swats him on the nose.

After Tasso retired, Poppe returned to patrol. He sometimes forgets and leaves his car on when he steps out, thinking his four-legged partner will guard it. He also still thinks he can't transport suspects because he has a dog in the car. But at least Poppe no longer has to deal with all the dog hair.

Despite the inconveniences, several officers are applying for Poppe's former position working with a canine partner. There is no other job where officers get a partner willing to die for them, Poppe said. He hopes police officials decide to replace Tasso because dogs are an asset to the force.

Police officials are discussing the possibility of adding another canine and are looking at their budget. There is no rush to do so because no training schools are available at this time, Deputy Chief Paul Bockrath said.

As a retiree, Tasso no longer has to sleep in the kennel. He can enjoy life in Poppe's home and lie on the soft carpet. But there are moments Poppe wonders if Tasso misses his old life.

'He runs to the front door with me when I go to work,' Poppe said. 'I think he wants to leave with me.'

Reach Audrey Wong at 427-6951 or awong@dailyrepublic.net.