What Do Police Dogs Do?

Search & Rescue

Police dogs can be trained to locate missing persons or victims of natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes. These canines have an incredible sense of smell which allows them to track down people who may be lost or injured in areas where humans may not be able to get to them in time. When a police dog is deployed with a search team, they can cover much more ground than a human team alone, making them invaluable assets in these situations.

Missing People or Criminals On The Run

These dogs can find people in almost any situation—in dense forests, near water sources and on mountainsides. Their sense of smell is so powerful that they can track a person’s scent over long distances and through the most difficult of terrain. Search and rescue K-9s are often used by fire departments to locate victims during structure fires. They also help our police by sniffing out fleeing suspects who may be trying to evade capture.

Public Protection

Police dogs have been faithfully serving their communities with pride and dedication for years! Public protection dogs, ride around in style alongside their skilled handlers on rounds to patrol their patch – most often accompanied by the same handler until retirement. As an additional measure of safety, these pups even make appearances at local schools to share more about dog behaviour and educate children on how to stay safe themselves.

Drug Detection

Drug Detection is one of the most common tasks assigned to police dogs. Their keen sense of smell makes them ideal candidates for this type of work as they can detect even the slightest trace amounts of drugs hidden away in cars, homes, in luggage or on persons.  I love watching them in action at airports whilst travelling, however, have only ever seen them detect drugs whilst watching Border Force on TV.  The drug detection skills of these animals help make our streets safer by keeping illegal substances off the streets and out of our communities.

K-9s and their super sniffers can also detect explosives, firearms, and other contraband items such as stolen property and money laundering materials. This type of work requires an incredibly keen sense of smell — one that us humans simply do not possess!

Explosive Detection

These brave Police dogs are also often used to detect explosives and hazardous materials. This is an incredibly important job for police dogs because it allows them to safely search for threatening substances without risking the lives of officers or civilians. The K-9 teams must be regularly trained to keep their noses sharp so they can detect dangerous items quickly and accurately.

Environmental Protection

Public enforcement K-9s have become indispensable tools for environmental protection agencies as well. These dogs can detect poachers that illegally hunt endangered species or trespassers who illegally fish or hunt on protected lands or waters. They can also sniff out illegal logging operations that threaten fragile ecosystems or uncover illegal dumping sites where hazardous waste has been illegally disposed of into the environment. With their acute sense of smell, these heroic police K-9s make sure our land stays safe from harm while protecting endangered species at the same time!

Our Police Dogs are an essential part of public safety operations around the world. So next time you see a police officer with their trusty sidekick by their side don’t forget to give them a wave and say thank you.

Police Dog Training

Whether they’re detecting drugs, or explosives, or tracking down escaped suspects, these canine officers have a lot of training to go through before they can be ready to take on the job. Let’s take a look at what it takes to train a police dog from the puppy stage all the way up until they’re certified officers.

Finding The Right Dog For The Job

The first step in becoming a police dog is making sure that you are cut out for the job. Not every breed is suited for this type of work so our K9 units usually look for breeds like German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Labrador Retrievers. These breeds are known for their strength, intelligence, agility and obedience which make them perfect candidates for police work.

Once a breed has been selected then it is time to find the right pup. Each pup will undergo rigorous health tests and assessments before being chosen for police duty. It is important that each potential pup passes all of these tests with flying colours as their future career will depend on it.

Training Process – putting a pup through the paces!

Once the pup has been chosen then it is time for them to begin its training process. This process usually begins with basic obedience classes where pups learn commands such as sit and stay as well as how to properly walk on leash. After that, they move on to more advanced classes where they learn more complex commands such as tracking and scent detection. In addition to this, pups also learn search techniques such as searching buildings and vehicles as well as how to properly apprehend suspects when needed. Finally, pups will also receive special training in areas such as drug detection or explosive detection depending on their future role as police dogs.

Once all of this training is complete, usually 6 to 12 months of intensive training then each pup must pass an extensive certification test in order to become a certified police dog officer. This test includes everything from basic obedience and tracking skills to more advanced tactics such as suspect apprehension and search and rescue operations. Each dog must pass this test before they can officially join the office police pup pack!

Before being finally deployed into their new roles, police dogs needs to be taught their job accurately, with extreme attention to detail and accuracy. This training must take place in a controlled environment where variables can be regulated and monitored accordingly. Only then should the police dog face real-life situations, such as drug busts or recovery situations. It’s important for the police dog’s safety and effectiveness that these steps are taken to ensure the best result.

I salute our four-legged heroes!