Police have used dogs to assist in investigative work in ways humans cannot for hundreds of years. While modern K9 units have come a long way from their roots in medieval Europe, the bond between dog and handler has remained crucially important.
If there isn’t a mutual trust between the two, the duo will not work as well as it should. Here are some reasons why the bond is so important:
Time Spent Together
A police dog is more than a partner. Unlike your human partner, who you bid farewell to after a shift and don’t see again until your next workday, your K9 will come home with you. You’ll spend more time with him or her than you will with basically any other person. All this time spent together should help the bond between handler and dog grow. That bond will also be handy in ensuring the dog knows when it’s time to work and when to relax at home, particularly if it will be around young children.
Important Work
A good bond between handler and dog means the K9 will know what it’s expected to do and will work more efficiently. And this isn’t just any line of work. A given day could involve sniffing for hard drugs, searching for a missing child or senior or even detecting a bomb. These are life-or-death scenarios that require the absolute closest attention to detail. A properly trained K9 with a good dog-handler bond will ensure that.
It’s a Dangerous Job
A K9 and handler do more than protect the public, they protect each other. When dealing with certain violent suspects, a handler may need his K9 to back him up or help him out. Mutually, their lives are on the line. If you’re a handler, you’ll want to know your K9 will have your back and you’ll have to do the same for it.
The development of the bond between handler and dog begins during training. Dog Trainer College can train both handler and dog in everything from scent detection to suspect apprehension. If you’d like to learn more about the courses we offer, call 800-795-4201 today.
