Detection Dog Spotlight: Stephen Rice and Annie

On a typical afternoon, Stephen Rice and Annie search the entry points of an iconic American skyscraper where deliveries, contractors, vehicles, and equipment move in a steady stream. In that kind of environment, this detection team depends on discipline, repetition, and trust.

Annie, a yellow Labrador retriever, is a key part of that work. Young and highly motivated, she has an intense sniff drive and a natural curiosity that keeps her engaged in the search. Stephen, her handler with Allied Universal® Enhanced Protection Services, harnesses Annie’s instincts into focused, reliable performance.

Annie is not the kind of detection dog that needs to be pushed into the job. She wants it. Stephen says her strongest trait is her desire to sniff everything in front of her, and that is what makes her effective during long searches in busy environments. Although she is eager, her composure helps her stay fully engaged in the role.

“She genuinely wants to search everything,” Stephen says. “That’s what makes her so good. My job is to keep that energy focused in the right direction.”

Built for the Work

That role suits Stephen’s background. He served in the Army Reserves while studying criminal justice at Liberty University, often completing coursework while deployed. His criminal justice studies gave him a better understanding of structured security operations and how to stay methodical under pressure. His military duties reinforced discipline, structure, and readiness, values he now relies on every day as a handler.

He had not partnered with dogs professionally before joining Allied Universal, but he was drawn to the challenge of learning what motivates dogs, and how training connects directly to performance. That became especially important when he was paired with Annie.

Handlers and dogs are matched in part by temperament and energy level. In Annie’s case, the fit came together quickly. Stephen describes her as calm and content off duty, then immediately “switched on” and ready to work once she arrives at her post. She likes to keep moving and using her nose.

That balance gives Annie a distinctive working style. She is led by her sense of smell, but she also takes direction from Stephen well. She is alert without being chaotic, and that consistency helps in settings where distractions are constant, Stephen says.

Locked In, On Duty and Off

Training is woven into daily life. Stephen uses calm parts of the shift to keep Annie sharp. And on days off, he does sustainment training with inert aids, placing them around vehicles or in public places where Annie must work through competing smells. He purposely makes the searches harder by using trash cans and other scent-heavy areas. The point is to keep Annie locked in on her task in various environments.

“One thing about Annie is that she doesn’t quit on a search,” Stephen says. “If she thinks something is there, she wants to stay with it and work it out.”

That kind of focus stands out most clearly on response calls. In addition to screening items at their post, Stephen and Annie are called when something unattended or suspicious needs to be cleared. Those calls do not always end with a confirmed threat, but they still show how the team works together. Stephen remembers response calls where Annie alerted to something that required a closer look. In those moments, her focus and persistence stood out, even when the item was ultimately cleared as non-threatening. The value was in her consistency — engaged, responsive, and doing exactly what she was trained to do.

Off duty, Annie reveals another side of herself, and it helps explain the bond between her and Stephen. At home, she can go from stretched out on the couch to instantly ready if Stephen suggests going outside. After late shifts, she often still has enough energy to play while Stephen is ready to wind down. He humors her for a bit, then the two settle into their routine. Sometimes, that means Annie curls up next to him while he watches television before bed.

That rhythm matters. Living and working together has helped Stephen learn Annie’s habits, her idiosyncrasies, and the small cues that tell him where her attention is going. Annie, in turn, has learned how to read him and the situation around her.

That is what makes the partnership work. Annie brings the nose, the drive, and the determination. Stephen provides the structure and support to help her do the job well. Together, they bring the trust, discipline, and consistency that strong detection work depends on.