ROCKY is the kind of dog always on duty. So he sprang to attention when an alleged robber jumped into the back yard of the territorial police dog. Rocky, in true Inspector Rex style, was immediately on the case.

The five-year-old german shepherd chased the hapless intruder through the back yard and down the street - eventually bailing him up until help arrived. Handler Neil Smith, who was in the shower at the time, said Rocky had caught his fair share of alleged criminals before but never had it been under such unusual circumstances.

"He's earned a special treat for sure," he said.

Mr Smith said the alleged robber was very unlucky. One house over and he would only have had to evade a small shitzhu named Harry.

"It's uncanny, isn't it," he said. "Some blokes just have no luck."

The drama had started earlier in the day when a store owner was opening his Upper Mt Gravatt business and noticed a man armed with a knife coming into his store about 7am.

He confronted the would-be robber, threw a full cup of coffee at his head and threatened him with a large butcher's knife he grabbed from a knifeblock.

Still brandishing the knife, he chased the man out of the store and through the surrounding streets, yelling at locals to call the police. The fleeing man then jumped straight into the back yard where Rocky lived with his handler.

Neighbour Sharon Forrest said the police officers who arrived thought Rocky was just a local dog and were yelling at him to "Go boy, go get him boy" as he gave chase.

Ms Forrest said Rocky bailed up the man next to a neighbour's fence.

When the police handcuffed him, Rocky jumped into the police car next to the suspect.

Mr Smith said Rocky was one of the most excitable dogs he had trained.

"He's pretty territorial of his house and yard, he would have been defending me and the rest of the family," he said.

"He's been on holidays for a while, so he would have loved a bit of action."

Mr Smith, a dog squad officer for 17 years who is on long service leave, said Rocky had been in the service for about three years.

A 30-year-old Acacia Ridge man was held in custody overnight and will appear in Brisbane Magistrate's Court this morning.
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Source - Brisbane Courier Mail - Original Article: CLICK HERE

By Leanne Edmistone
October 31, 2008 11:00pm