OGDEN — Ogden’s schools are a little bit safer this year thanks to the nose of a dog.

A Monday press release from the Ogden Police Department (OPD) stated that a specialized K-9 unit has officially begun its rollout into the Ogden School District.

“Piper, the K-9 assigned, is a two-year-old female German Shorthaired Pointer and only the second K-9 of her kind in the state,” the release said. “Ogden School District joins Granite School District in having this advanced firearms detection capability. Piper’s primary role is to detect firearms, ammunition and some explosive materials, contributing to the prevention of potential threats on school grounds.”

During a demonstration of Piper’s abilities for local media at Ben Lomond High School on Monday afternoon, OPD Officer Reed Mackley — K-9 handler and BLHS school resource officer (SRO) — said Piper isn’t confined to protecting BLHS.

“We go to every school in the district — that’s about 18 to 20 schools,” he said. “We try to hit them sporadically throughout each week.”

He said he only sees more such specialized K-9s coming to school districts across the state.

“I think it’s needed, frankly,” he said. “Granite School District started off the program in Utah and we’re following suit. It’s the school district’s way of being proactive and trying to make our schools safer.”

The release adds that Piper’s training has been continuous ever since she was brought on board.

“Piper received two months of intensive training at the Utah POST Academy and has been in active service since April 2024. Her role involves daily training sessions with Officer Mackley, in addition to formal training twice a month alongside other K-9 units within the Ogden Police Department,” the release said. “Piper is deployed across the district, frequently assisting with police calls to maintain her skills, and performing demonstrations for elementary schools, where she has become a favorite among students.”

Mackley said, so far, Piper has made no discoveries of malicious items on school grounds outside of training exercises.

He added that Piper, as a German Shorthaired Pointer, fits well into a school environment better than other breeds traditionally used for K-9 law enforcement duties.

“She’s not your prototypical looks police dog,” he said. “She’s not a pointy-eared German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois. She’s a hunting breed. It’s a good fit for schools. I don’t have to worry about her nipping someone or biting someone — she shouldn’t. We just use her for her nose.”

Mackley said Piper has become a welcome addition to the school district.

“The kids love her,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if we’re at an elementary school, junior high, high school — she’s a cute dog so people are just kind of drawn to her.”

BLHS principal Velden Wardle said Piper is a positive addition to the school and the district as a whole.

“Anything that we can do that’s preventative that helps reduce problems instead of reactive and trying to solve a problem after it’s already happened is a fantastic thing to do,” he said. “Just the type of dog she is and how students have reacted to her, so far, has been a very positive thing for the school.”