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The 6-year-old German Shepherd who works in narcotics and criminal apprehension with the Maywood Police Department, delivered special news to his handler and family this weekend (scroll for video).
Maywood Police Sgt. Chris Nichols, his fiancé Julia Perry, and 7-year-old son Landon gathered in the backyard of their North Jersey home where a friend had placed training drugs under one of the four boxes — two pink and two blue.
Then, they watched as Ryker led Sgt. Nichols around the boxes. In seconds, Ryker scratched a box. A pink one.
It's a girl!
"Dogs are a huge part of our lives," said Nichols, who has been a police K9 handler for 15 years, and brought Maywood its first Bloodhound, Zoey, in 2016.
"We wanted to do something that wold incorporate the dogs, my son, and everyone in our lives."
Perry, though, was the one who came up with the idea for the gender reveal. She had seen a similar video several years ago, and knew it would perfect for her growing family when the time came.
In fact, police dogs are what led Nichols and Perry to each other.
Nichols had been called in for a K9 assignment one day while he was off-duty, but on his way home, got into a minor crash with the dogs in the car.
Perry, who had been working for another law enforcement agency, gave them a lift back.
Little did she know, Nichols and his dogs would become her family.
"The dogs have been such an important part of our life," she said. "When I saw the video, I knew it would be the perfect gender reveal for us."
When the family found out they were expecting a baby, they made it happen.
When asked if there was a chance Ryker could get it wrong, Nichols said:
"Drug dogs don’t know how to lie. Ryker only knows to scratch when he smells those specific odors: Meth, heroin, crack, cocaine, and ecstasy. Scent distractors, like laundry detergent or food, all smell the same to him until he comes in contact with the five [drug] odors."
Nichols trains Ryker and his sister, Phoenyx — Maywood PD's second police K9, a Bloodhound — regularly to keep up their certifications. The DEA provides them with the training drugs, and Nichols hides them around the borough monthly for Ryker to find.
Ryker, Maywood PD's first and only German Shepherd, has assisted the DEA with a handful of cases, and helps surrounding departments with any type of K9 needs, Nichols said.
At the end of the day, Ryker and Phoenyx clock out with Nichols, and go home to Perry and Landon together.
The entire family is looking forward to meeting their baby girl later this year.
"I'm really excited," Landon tells Daily Voice.
"The dogs have always given me lots of love and cuddles, but definitely have been giving more lately," Perry added. "It seems like they know what's up — at least a little bit."
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