North Dakota K-9 Bodhi wins national narcotics detection title

Bodhi did not win by luck or by flash. The Ray Police Department K-9 swept the U.S. Police Canine Association’s National Detector Dog Certification Trials in Atlantic City, then backed it up with times that showed exactly why high-drive dogs only become useful when the handler channels the engine instead of fighting it.

Greg Pinski and his Belgian Malinois finished first in narcotics detection at the May 3-6 trials, held at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City and hosted by Stockton University Police Department on Stockton University’s Atlantic City campus. The USPCA, founded in 1971, bills itself as the nation’s largest and oldest police canine association, which is why this title carries real weight. In that kind of field, accuracy and composure decide everything.

The numbers tell the story cleanly. Bodhi and Pinski searched five cars and two interior-room scenarios under 10-minute limits. Bodhi cleared the vehicle portion in 1 minute and 9 seconds, then finished the room search in 1 minute and 35 seconds. Second place finished 78 seconds behind. That is not a photo finish; it is a statement.

For civilian owners of hyperenergetic dogs, the lesson is simple: drive is only useful when it is paired with control. Bodhi’s prey drive and temperament gave him the raw material, but six years of partnership with Pinski turned that energy into a repeatable performance under pressure. The same dog is the only K-9 serving both the Ray Police Department and the Berthold-Carpio Police Department, and that kind of workload demands more than enthusiasm. It demands a dog that can lock in, ignore distraction and keep searching when the clock is running.

Pinski said the department is “incredibly proud” of the accomplishment, and the win marked a historic result for Ray and Berthold-Carpio. Bodhi’s background adds another layer: he was imported from Holland and purchased with funds seized from drug dealers, a reminder that this is working dog sport with direct public-safety roots. Pinski also joked that Bodhi does the hard work while he is “the dummy behind the leash,” which sounds funny until you remember how much handler discipline matters when the dog is working at this level.

That is what made the Atlantic City result so striking. Bodhi’s title was not just about having a fast, high-drive dog. It was proof that focus, stamina and trainability can turn raw energy into a national standard.