Terre Haute canines make national TV

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Danny Parker helped start the Terre Haute Police Department's Canine Unit. Several years later, the department boasts six officers and six canines, much thanks to Parker's work and talent.

After spending some time with THPD, Parker found his "dream job" training dogs every day for military and police forces across the globe. He works near Peru, Indiana at Vohne Liche Kennels , the largest canine training facility for police and military in the U.S. The location recently found themselves at the center of a new world.

Parker and his colleagues now star in the new reality show " Alpha Dogs ". The series premiers on National Geographic Wild Friday evenings at 9:00 p.m. EDT.

"We train dogs to do detection work, narcotics, explosives, cadaver dogs, cell phone dogs, money dogs," Parker explained. "It's all for state, federal and local police departments and military."

At the Terre Haute Police Department, Parker is known for his nearly perfect sense of match making.

"He has a real blessing with dogs believe it or not," Terre Haute Canine Officer Ryan Adamson said.  "He picks dogs, he knows dogs well." According to Officer Adamson, after sharing a few personality traits about himself, Parker manages the rest. "Danny will pick 10 dogs. He'll write a dogs name on his board that he thinks you'll pick, and he's right."

Parker is an expert in his field and has a heart for dogs, but he even admits his passion started in Terre Haute.

"The THPD Canine Unit is my heart and soul, and it always will be," said Parker.

As for the newly added television aspect of his job, Parker says the team doesn't take it too seriously.

"We all as a family have never done it for fame or fortune," Parker explained.  "It's the love of what we do with those dogs, and what we're able to do out on the street."

"We may be shown on TV as the stars of this show, but we're not really the stars. We're not the heroes. We're the ones that supply these guys with the tools that they need to go out and protect their community."