K-9 Hero in Danelo Cavalcante Capture, Expert Explains Intense Dog Training

The K-9 that subdued escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante after 2 weeks of searching had a massive area to hunt … but it certainly wasn’t an impossible feat, according to a Canine expert.

Expert Michael Gould joined us on “TMZ Live” Wednesday, talking to us about the process K-9s like the one that found Cavalcante have to go through to locate an escapee — and according to him, the recent capture was played out pretty well.

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 over time attributed to the pup being able to eventually 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 a dog off.

As we reported, Cavalcante, who is a convicted murderer, was arrested Wednesday 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.