There is a saying that goes, “Even the toughest man has a heart of tenderness.” That particular saying can also be applied to animals, especially domesticated and trained canines. A K9 dog working for a police department is a perfect example. When he is on duty, Sonny, a German Shepherd, looks domineering and heroic, and always on high alert. However, when he goes off-duty, he immediately switches to ‘family mode’ and tends to his younger human sister at home.
“It took 5 years for Sonny to share his toys with me, but my daughter didn’t even need to say a word, and he took the initiative to share his toys with her,” Sonny’s handler and father, Cpl. Jason Frey said.
Sonny works as Officer Jason’s partner at the Clinton Police Department in Connecticut. When he sees Jason put on his uniform, he immediately switches back to work mode and jumps into the police car to get ready for work.
“When I put on my uniform, and Sonny sees me, he’s in police mode. He gets in the car and is ready to work. When we get home, he changes mode, and it’s family time,” said Cpl. Jason Frey. “We have had to face numerous negative scenarios, and there is no doubt: if there is anyone who could take me to that situation, it would be him. There’s no doubt that I trust Sonny with my life, and he trusts me with his.”
Additionally, Sonny is also a smart and caring dog, always staying beside Jason in silence, listening to his plans and work instructions, helping relieve Jason’s work pressure, and letting his dad praise him as a great work partner. When the new baby, whose name is Reagan, arrived home, Sonny learned to be a loving older brother to her. When he and his father come home from work, he switches to ‘nanny’ mode and plays with his younger sister.
“You would see him coming and putting his head on my wife’s belly while she was sitting. You can really feel that something is changing. The day we brought my daughter home, it was absolutely a dream,” Jason said.
Before their daughter was born, Jason and his wife, Lainey, focused more on Sonny, and he was also quite dependent on them. Jason was worried that Sonny might be jealous when the baby arrived. However, it was he who doted on his younger sister the most. Quite surprised, Jason said: “My daughter can lie on him and play with his paws, ears… it doesn’t matter, Sonny just quietly lets his sister do whatever she wants, without any resistance.”
Jason laughed and said that Sonny used to keep his toys to himself, and his dad spent 5 years trying to convince Sonny to share his toys with him. However, he was different when it came to Reagan. He did not hesitate to share his toys with her. Initially, Jason thought that Sonny would be jealous of his daughter when she arrived. Now, he is jealous of his daughter. 😆
Sonny has his own space in the Frey household wherein he can rest and not be disturbed when he comes home tired from work. Now that his sister has arrived, he is always excited to come home and play with her, switching to ‘big brother’ mode when he arrives.
“I had this perfect home life with him where we both had our routines and now, we’re bringing this big change to the family. We didn’t know what it was going to be like because you can’t really train for that,” Jason said. “In the middle of the morning, she wakes up and cries, while Sonny just wants to get out of his box and go to his room so we can be there. The transition could not have been more seamless. Sonny made our family stronger.”
Jason Frey shares their daily family activities with Sonny on social media. Everyone is amazed that a usually majestic and serious police dog becomes a loving and compassionate brother to their daughter, Reagan. Jason also shared the big news that the family is about to welcome a second daughter. Sonny will have more sisters to tend to and love. Being a good older brother, Sonny also teaches Reagan how to become a good big sister.
▼ Here is a video of a heartwarming interaction between Sonny, Jason, and Reagan:
Images credits: © Jason Frey @clinton_police_k9/Instagram
