Media Credit: Katrina Perry Ten-year veteran UTPD officer Jason Taylor poses with Robby, his 75-pound partner in fighting crime, Monday morning. Robby, a five-year veteran Belgian Malinois, is one of two police dogs working with UTPD.

At the front lines of UT's sometimes volatile crime scenes, two canines named Robby and Maatje trot, sniff for bombs and prepare to apprehend anyone who may pose a danger.

As recently as Monday, when a bomb threat was placed at the University Teaching Center, Robby was there, diligently smelling each and every classroom for one of 18 explosive odors he has been trained to seek. Robby, a 75-pound Belgian Malinois, found no bomb, and the building was eventually declared safe for classes to resume.

Officer Jason Taylor, Robby's partner, handler and caretaker, said Monday was busy for the two. They had to respond to the two major incidents of the day, the bomb threat and the body discovered on campus near San Jacinto and 24th streets. Robby and Maatje are a major asset to the department, Taylor said.

"The dogs are huge deterrents," Taylor said. "I've been in several calls that were going bad that as soon as Robby showed up, it changed the whole nature of the contact. The officers don't get hurt, and the people we're dealing with don't get injured. It's just a better outcome for everyone."

Because of the dogs' extensive training in tracking and apprehending suspects, Taylor said criminals will often give up with much less of a fuss, because they know they will not be able to outrun the dogs, nor would they be able to effectively hide from officers.

Robby, a five-year veteran of UTPD, and Maatje, who has been with the department for two years, are both Belgian Malinois. They were born in Holland, where a large portion of police dogs are bred. In Europe, dogs are bred for utilitarian purposes as opposed to aesthetics, and instead of being honored for appearance - as in dog shows - they compete in skills-related competitions, Taylor said.

Because of these breeding practices, purebred Belgian Malinois often can look very different from each other. Robby has a wiry fur coat, while Maatje's fur is matted and slick. Taylor said the appearances have little impact on the dogs' work.

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