GRAY — The Office of State Fire Marshal has welcomed Cheeto, a 2-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, to its team of investigators.

Cheeto has joined Investigator Andrew Whitney, who completed his handling training in April. The two assume the spotlight now that trained canine Deacon is retiring and heading home with his handler, Investigator Mark Roberts, who is stepping away from the role.

Cheeto came from Paws with a Cause in Wayland, Michigan, where he had been designated for disability training, but showed promise for more active work.

He was shifted to the State Farm Arson Dog Training Program and taken to Yarmouth to train with Maine Specialty Dogs, under the guidance of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. Cheeto finished two months of training in March and Whitney joined him in April.

The two spent the entire month training together alongside 12 teams from across the country. Whitney said training was almost like boot camp. Through weekends and holidays, teams ran through countless exercises, including sniffing out some 60 accelerants, running through various scenarios and learning signals.

When training finished at the end of April, Cheeto joined Whitney at home — after the investigator’s family gave the OK to adding a third furry friend to the household, which furthered Whitney’s enthusiasm for becoming a handler.

Cheeto is a consummate professional that undergoes three daily training exercises, Whitney said. And while the dog leads a life different from his adoptive siblings, this does not put them at odds.

“They’ve just kind of accepted him,” Whitney said. “They’ve learned to tolerate each other.”

Cheeto’s training is specific to sniffing out accelerants used to start or spread fires. Without Cheeto, Whitney said, investigators would have to take dozens of samples to confirm or rule out accelerants. Having Cheeto on the case means only one or two samples might be needed.

“You kind of have to trust him because there’s no way to verify one way or another on a scene if accelerants (were used),” Whitney said. “I don’t really know from a scientific point of view how he’s doing, but I can say everything we’ve been doing is kind of, ‘well, we don’t really suspect there’s anything here, but let’s just check to make sure.’ His work has reflected that.”

With safety always a concern, Cheeto is kept on a lead during training and while on the job. Whitney said booties for paw protection are not used because they cause more injuries than they prevent. Dogs use their paws as sensors and shift their weight to prevent injury from sharp objects. Whitney said his role includes checking Cheeto after every case. 

Since June 1, Whitney and Cheeto have been out on six cases.

“I definitely have enjoyed the ones that we’ve done so far. He’s a great dog,” Whitney said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better dog.”

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