Perhaps the most popular discipline of the police dog is suspect apprehension. Not only do they now receive a pension plan but they also get to retire and reside with their original handler. CNN's Gary Tuchman sees how police dogs are trained to track and apprehend suspects. It’s important that the dogs have a relationship with handlers and their families, but police dogs are not pets. As well, every week at least three of the four dogs train together as a unit. For hundreds of years, herding breeds have been bred to have the physical strength and intelligence needed to work with their owners to herd livestock — qualities they also need to restrain a dangerous person. Thank you for another excellent, informative read about those amazing working dogs out there. Not just police dogs: all working dogs know when they are on the job and when they are not. This is to set a good foundation that trainers and handlers can work on to mold their dog into any specialization that may be required. Common rewards include balls, ropes, toys, a tug or a throw. The program is focused on teaching the dog and the handler to work together and to understand what their roles are. Police dogs in Nottinghamshire, England, now have the opportunity to retire with a form of security since their government forces now offer £805 over the span of three years to cover any additional medical costs. Hi i would love to become a police dog trainer do you know if you have to become a police officer to become a police dog trainer? Some forces have breeding programs, but these are a significant commitment of both people and funding. “We will respond to everything from stolen auto calls, if we believe that the suspect is going to potentially dump the car and bail. According to the National Police Dog Foundation, most K9 units do not take in dogs from the public. Generally speaking, this isn’t something all dogs are able to do, and that’s why we usually see just a few specific breeds being trained as police dogs. A K-9 unit is a team that stays together 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Follow Julia on Instagram here. That Mutt is a participant in affiliate advertising with Amazon, Chewy and Darwin’s. Thanks for another fascinating read! Police service dogs usually work for approximately five or six years. Police officers have been accompanied by dogs since the 15th century, when parish constables took their pet dogs on night patrols. For hundreds of years, herding breeds have been bred to have the physical strength and intelligence neede… Having worked with the dog every day for years, the handlers understand their dog’s needs, find outlets for their energy and help them transition to their new life. Hopefully this doesn’t happen too often as a dog wouldn’t be all that old upon retirement, generally speaking. The decision of when to retire a dog is driven by their overall health and well-being. Training dogs for police work is the responsibility of the service. These dogs are extremely helpful to our nation’s … Dogs have been working as K-9 officers for many years, but some are known as perfect police dog breeds. Dogs also have to work with other officers outside of the K9 unit and with the general public. Your email address will not be published. Human law enforcement officers need to be a special type of person, and police dogs must be a special type of dog. The handler was involved right from the beginning for those disciplines,” says Fab. Attending special events. We were the service. “Our dogs assist our tactical units. Through the training course, the officers learn to understand their dogs. In the case of search and rescue, dogs can be trained to find living victims and the remains of deceased humans. When you find the article helpful, feel free to share it with your friends or colleagues. These impressive animals come from generations of dogs specifically bred to perform the complicated tasks that police dogs are required to accomplish. What does police dog mean? Being part of the K9 unit is a big commitment for the officers. This often takes the form of a run or a game (like looking for a hidden item) incorporated into a run. They are able to search through rubble after a devastating explosion, earthquake, or other disaster. Although certain breeds with especially keen senses have been used for special purposes—such as detecting caches of illegal drugs… These dogs are treated well and receive maximum care and respect, just like a regular human police officer. K9 dogs do the same work of police dogs, such as finding drugs, search for explosives, identifying the lost people and looking for evidence of crime scene. Do they use only males, or do they also use females for police service dogs? Each day, the officers and police service dogs are called to various situations. The ability of dogs to cover large areas in a relatively short period of time provides a great resource when looking for victims. Hamilton Police Service has only lost one PSD in line of duty when it attaché a gunman trying to shoot the handler. “We want to be able to say we trained this dog from the start for these specific tasks. Police dogs live with their partners. Today, the unit is made up of four dogs and four officers (you can read their profiles here). 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