PORTLAND, Ore. – As the Portland Timbers preseason training session came to a close Monday, the thumping sounds of balls being kicked and heading towards net was unexpectedly broken up by the sound of an excited yelp coming from the stands.
Timber, a 17-month old German Shepherd dog, and his Portland Police Bureau Canine Unit partner, Officer Jeffrey Dorn, visited Providence Park and met with a few players and team staff following the squad’s morning session.
It was an apropos visit, given that Timber was named in part after the club.
“Naming the dog is a family event for us and this is the third dog we’ve had,” said Dorn. “I have to give credit to my wife. She came up with it. We’re Timbers fans and my son plays for the Eastside Timbers. So it was kind of a natural fit when she threw it out and I was like, ‘That rings nice.’”
Though definitely a working dog, the Canine Unit often makes community visits to schools and other locations. Dorn and his family, who come to a number of games a season and follow the club avidly on TV, felt that the name “Timber” would not only represent the Northwest, but also be a way to connect with people who know the team and the city.
Officer Dorn is an 18 year veteran of the Portland Police force and has been with the Canine Unit for nine years. Dorn’s previous canine partner, Mick, was killed in the line of duty while helping him capture a suspect in a chase and shootout in Southwest Portland last spring. After a tremendous outpouring of support in memory of Mick, Dorn, who was also wounded in the incident, began training Timber in August and recently finished his patrol dog training with his new partner. In fact, Timber made his first capture last night.
While Timber is not your typical “house dog,” he does live in a kennel at the Dorn household and has strong relationships with the family’s three boys, aged three, 12 and 13. Ranger, Dorn’s first canine partner for eight years, also lives with the family in happy retirement in the family’s backyard.
Working in the force’s Canine Unit is a much sought-after assignment and Dorn was drawn to it pretty quickly because of the fully active element that involves the partnership of human and dog.
“It takes a lot of initiative and a lot of work to catch the people we’re trying to catch,” said Dorn. “A lot of the folks that we’re trying to catch are a little bit more elusive than your common shoplifter.
“As a police officer, it’s nice to follow through, take your hard work and catch the person who is responsible. I think that’s what we bring to the table is we go there and we’re now leading the charge to catch these people that took off.”
Energetic and friendly, Timber was happily watching the players Monday and wanted to chase down one of the team’s soccer balls. And no wonder: Dorn occasionally uses soccer balls to reward Timber as part of his canine training letting him chase them around.
“It’s pretty entertaining,” Dorn said with a smile.
