WHATI - They are two of the hardest-working RCMP officers in the NWT.

It's been 50 days since they had a day off. Their scheduled eight-hour shifts regularly stretch to 16. They are so busy fighting crime all over the NWT that the only time they have to talk to a reporter is over the sound of the RCMP plane engine on the way to Whati.

Sgt. Mark Hicks, RCMP dog handler, stands with police dog Lasse, in front of the RCMP plane in Yellowknife. The duo are preparing to fly to Whati. - Erika Sherk/NNSL photo

Despite the demands of the work, Sgt. Mark Hicks loves his job. It has a lot to do with his partner. The G Division dog handler has been teamed with Lasse, a Danish-born German Shepherd, for nearly a year now.

On this February day, the RCMP plane, a Pilatus PC12, whisked them off to Whati for their first visit to the town of 450. At just 163-kilometres northwest of Yellowknife, it is a short jaunt for the pair, who are based in the territory's capital.

Yellowknifers haven't seen the sable-coloured canine on the streets much during the past year. It literally comes with the territory, as Hicks and Lasse cover 33 communities and more than one million square kilometres.

"This particular area, the NWT, is very, very, very busy for one dog," said Hicks. "We're basically working every single day."

Lasse loves the job as much as his partner, if not more so, according to Hicks. Though the seven-year-old dog may not be able to speak for himself, his body language says it all. Understanding a whole range of spoken commands (in both English and Danish), hand signals, and sounds, Lasse reacts almost instantaneously to any command.

Told to kennel up, Lasse springs off the ground into his special kennel in the back of the police plane.

"You can tell he's used to this," said Hicks with a laugh.

Later, in Whati, Lasse sits quivering with anticipation, quietly whining for something to do.

"He loves to work," said Hicks. "It's what he was bred to do."

Lasse is the first full-time service dog the territory has had since 1975.

Hicks and Lasse helped track down drugs in Hay River in July, leading to the arrest of 16 people, and they were instrumental in seven marijuana busts in Inuvik in June. More recently they were in Fort Liard to help track down a suspect in a shooting.

Normally their trips are to bring Lasse to sniff out drugs or a suspect (or myriad other duties) but today's visit is more lighthearted - a young boy in Whati is being awarded for the winning submission in a contest to name 10 RCMP puppies born last year.

On the plane, Hicks' eyes lit up as he talked about his job as Lasse quietly waited out the ride in his kennel.

Though busy, Hicks said he wouldn't want any other job.

He always knew he wanted to be a dog handler and he's been doing it for 22 of his 27 years with the RCMP.

In 1985, he was selected for training after years of volunteering for the dog service in his free time. It has been an adventure, said Hicks.

The job is a 24/7 partnership, and though spending that much time with another colleague could get annoying, Hicks has nothing but praise for his Lasse.

"It's one-handler, one dog," said Hicks. "Lasse doesn't work with any other handler, and I don't work with any other dog."

Even after Lasse retires, he'll stay with Hicks. After working so closely for so long, Hicks said, it's RCMP policy that the dogs stay with their handlers after retirement.