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K-9 Remco will be shuttled around by his partner, Officer Robert Rapp, in an upgraded 2010 Ford Explorer with a special cage and temperature sensor installed by All American Ford in Paramus.
The vehicle is the first that the department has received from an outside organization, which Police Chief James Batelli said will save taxpayers money.
Remco, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinoisa, was a donation, as well -- from the Mahwah Municipal Alliance.
"Right now we’re training every day pretty because we're pretty much together 24/7," Rapp told Daily Voice. "He’s part of the family to be honest. He's a very social dog."
The partners remain on call 24 hours a day and will respond immediately to the scene from wherever they might be.
"I do have kids at home and they're aware of his job," Rapp said. "When he comes home that's his safe haven. Then, when it's time to go to work, we get him out of the kennel and go."
The relationship is growing stronger, he said.
"We got him a couple of months ago and the first thing we needed to do was get a bond together," Rapp said. "In order to have a good canine team you have to get a good bond."
"It took time, but we definitely came a long way. He's a fantastic dog."
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