The K-9 that subdued escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante -- to end a 2-week long manhunt -- had a massive area to search, but one law enforcement expert says the pup is the perfect officer for the job.
Michael Gould used to train K-9's for NY police departments, and he joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to explain the training thsese 4-legged officers go through to locate an escapee -- and he says Cavalcante's capture played out almost perfectly.
Michael says dogs go through a lot of training to learn to pick up on a human scent, and he tells us why Cavalcante waiting out in the woods for an extended period made it possible for the pup to sniff him out.
We also talked with Michael about the potential of a dog subduing a suspect like Cavalcante, and turning to deadly force if its trainer isn't nearby.
While he thinks it's natural for people to resist while being chomped on, a simple voice command from the trainer could call off a dog.
As we reported, Cavalcante, who is a convicted murderer, was arrested Wednesday morning by SWAT teams and a Border Patrol Tactical Unit in Pennsylvania after 14 days of hunting. The K-9 left a minor bite wound on his scalp while he tried to break free.
Cavalcante scaled a wall at Chester County Prison at the end of August -- climbing over razor wire and running across a roof before jumping to the ground below to make his escape.