K9 Officers

[Tragic Image]

I've always wondered what it takes for some one to venture into the K9 Officer world?

Is it a priviledge? A highly sought after position?

What are the requirments for becoming one?

Is the Officer allowed to have other animals at the house?

Are the dogs specifically trained for one talent or another?


Thanks! and I look forward to the responses.

[Jwood562]

I want to be one in my dept. I am being a decoy right now every chance I get, so that means getting in the bite suit, hiding in dirty buildings for searches and being around the squad as much as possible learing how the dogs work.

it is a sought after position but the only way to get there is decoying because when a postion opens you have a huge advantage by already knowing how the dogs work and train and also having put in hours getting bit and dirty as a decoy. (this true with at least my dept).

I am not too sure if other animals are allowed with the police dog or not???

We also have dogs that are specifically trained, some have multiple talents.

regular patrol dog which does searches when bad guys are contained, some sniff drugs, some sniff firearms, and some sniff explosives. we also have bloodhound trackers.

most of the dogs are malinois (sp?) and some germans

hope this helps

[Tragic Image]

Thanks, Thats good info.

Those bite suits don't look too appealing..... but the idea of training a dog like that sure is. I would suck at hiding from the dog though, cause I'd probably be laughing cause I'd feel like a goofball.

[BigDogatPlay]

K9 is, generally, very much a sought after position. Often with very stiff competition. Sometimes, as happened to a friend of mine, in a smaller agency (~20 sworn) no one was interested in doing it. My friend was interested so, he got the dog. That got him cross trained into SWAT. His German Shepherd was Schutzhund and cross trained for dope.

Officers who are reasonably aggressive in their patrol tactics are the ones who get the best look for K9. Working with the K9 team both in the field and in training is a good place to start. Most agencies want you to have at least a few years on the job, have demonstrated the ability to work independently with minimal supervision and not have issues with improper use of force. The dog is bred and trained to be ultra agressive when you want him to be, and the officer needs to be able to strike a good balance between that aggressiveness and controlling the dog so that it doesn't act out of turn, and not use the dog as a weapon indiscriminately.

You can have other dogs, usually, but cats or other small fur bearers are out. The dog can and will interpret them as prey and may act accordingly.

Belgian Malinois dogs are the most common these days. I have one who, I think, bilged out of someone's training program and wound up a neglected stray. I also have a Belgian Tervuren which is essentially the same dog but with a very long double coat.

These dogs are incredibly intelligent, they can be trained in any of the disciplines and in multiples. They are intensely loyal, more so than German Shepherds, and are both faster and more agile. I've owned Belgians for many years. They are great dogs for the work.

[Shawn L]

I'm a K9 handler at a University and it's a blast. I train with the local PD and they can work a dog until the retire if they want, so there is a long list of Officers waiting to get into the K9 team. So if you want to get on a team the best thing is to try and help with the team like Jwood said.

[696k]

So you want to be a K9 Handler...

Let me start by saying it was the best job I have ever had in my 29 years on the job. I got my first dog in 1990 and promoted out in 2009. I drove a Malanois for 7 years and then a little Shepherd. My first dog was cross trained for dope which he did ok at, however we also deploy in SWAT. He was a super tactical dog. His last bite was on a barricaded suspectIt was a great way to got out on retirement. The second dog was ok at best and was transferred to another handler when I left the Detail.

For us you need to learn how to be a cop first. Don't expect to get a K9 slot your first shot either...figure a good solid 5 years of patrol experience. Learn how to be an agitator for the K9 unit (there are numerous classes available) let them see how you work with the dogs. A lot of folks think it's just a "cool" detail. It is but you will work your a** off if you want to be successful. It's like having another child in the family. You can't go hang with the guys after work. You drive a black and white and you have to take your dog home and feed and groom him. Everybody in your neighborhood will know you're a cop.

The work is long and hard and you will eventually get bit. There are two kinds of handlers. Those that have been bit and those who will be bitten again. Accept it and don't sweat it. A lot of us old handlers wear our scars proudly. Technology has helped with electronic collars now but you still need to be fearless and willing to get in close and personal with your K9.

At home they are NOT a pet. It is a work dog. Some handlers try to make it into fluffy the puppy at home. A mistake I think. Your family needs to be trained how to act around the dog. They are pack animals and you are the Dad or Mom and the only one they will truly work and listen too...My wife could feed my dog and let him out of the kennel and put him away at night. But she and the kids never forgot he was a Police Dog first.

People do love K9 teams. They can be marvelous PR tools. But you need to know your dog. Some are great for PR work and others not so much...all in all they are amazing tools. In my agency we had a K9 shot on a SWAT entry. It took the bullet meant for the entry team. They are life savers.

I think the greatest thing about being the K9 handler is you lead from the front. You go where your dog goes. Period. In attics, under houses, into abandonded buildings, across country if you can think of a place a badguy can be that's where you'll be. You name it and if your dog can go so will you...

When my first dog died I gat a card from a Patrol Officer. It simply said,
"We always knew if your dog didn't find him, he wasn't there..." I still train dogs to this day and I'm a judge for the NPCA as well as a POST evalulator.
Once it gets in your blood it's hard to walk away.

Good luck and if you have more questions feel free to PM me.

[Tragic Image]

Wow guys, great stuff!

Its excellent to get to read your stories! Please post more!

[lrdchivalry]

I have been in K-9 for almost 8 years and loving it. I have a Belgian trained for narco/concealed human detection. As others have said it is hard work that encompasses alot of responsibility. I have to look after myself, my k-9 partner, a patrol car and issued narcotics for training. I also have to maintain training, vehicle reports and since our k-9's are housed in a government kennel I have to maintain the cleanliness of my partner's run.

Out of all the uniformed positions I think that K-9 is numero uno.

[Tragic Image]

I have been in K-9 for almost 8 years and loving it. I have a Belgian trained for narco/concealed human detection. As others have said it is hard work that encompasses alot of responsibility. I have to look after myself, my k-9 partner, a patrol car and issued narcotics for training. I also have to maintain training, vehicle reports and since our k-9's are housed in a government kennel I have to maintain the cleanliness of my partner's run.

Out of all the uniformed positions I think that K-9 is numero uno.

Is it safe to assume that you perform your duties for a federal agency?

[yzErnie]

Dogs are a fantastic asset to the patrol guys. We unfortunately lost all of our dogs because of a couple of poorly thought out issues. The handlers sued the dept for extra compensation for doing a job they volunteered for and the executive staff sald, not a problem, the dogs are gone. So, through K-9 retirements we eventually lost every one. I hope no other dept has had to experience having dogs and then losing them. Did I say they are great for the patrol guys?

[BigDogatPlay]

The handlers sued the dept for extra compensation for doing a job they volunteered for and the executive staff sald, not a problem, the dogs are gone.

Proving once again the old saying about when you're up to your neck in poop, keep your big mouth shut.

Sad.... predictable from exec staff, but sad.

[Steyrlp10]

Our K9 Pete was half yellow Lab, half Golden Retriever. He was a sweetie and was trained as a dope dog. He worked the streets for almost seven years before he retired and was a Western States champ for three years running.

His daughter is going to be 16 in a few weeks. Her nose is as good as her dad's -- to the point where I find a "crime scene" in the house where she had located some "cookies" and destroyed the containers.

In our house, Pete got along with our 20 y/o cat and the kids. He always knew when we were getting close to the PD whenever I took him for car rides; he'd wake up and look out the window, recognizing all the buildings, plus barking at would-be bad guys.

[lrdchivalry]

Is it safe to assume that you perform your duties for a federal agency?

Correct.