There is much debate among law enforcement personnel these days about whether police K9s should still be trained to alert on Marijuana. With the recent legalization of the narcotic in some states – and other states threatening to do so – the question is certainly a valid one. We will tell you up front that… Read more »
Category: Police Dogs
Selecting a Police K9
Correct selection of a K9 is a major component of the successful K9 team. Many departments end up running inferior K9 units because they fail in this very important part of the program. Choosing the wrong dog will cause the department to continually “spin their wheels.” First, firmly establish your goals for the K9 unit/team. … Read more »
Patrol dog won’t engage the suspect
So you’ve got a patrol dog that won’t engage a decoy/suspect? Man, is that ever frustrating! What’s up? A dog’s failure to engage a suspect can cause an unsafe environment for the officers at the scene. Furthermore, the handler then becomes so engrossed with the dog’s poor performance that he loses focus on what else… Read more »
When Does Protection Training Begin?
You want a protection dog, right? So when should training begin: 8 weeks, 8 months or ??? It’s a common question. Simply, training should begin before the pup is even born. Yes, I know, a trick answer. But truly, if you want a solid protector, your dog’s parents should have the character traits you desire… Read more »
Problem Solving
Just like in any other unit in law enforcement, problems can arise with K9 teams. It could be the dog or the handler, or even an ignorant, bull-headed, anti-K9 Chief or Sheriff. Let’s look at some problems, particularly that may show up in the dog’s behavior. One of the common areas of need in many… Read more »
Problems Created in Training
Many of the problems that officers see on the street is a direct result of problems created in training. Good training leads to good results. Bad training leads to poor results. If your level of training is raised, you will see better performance in the field. By the way, don’t just show up for training… Read more »
Police Dog Training
How the police dog is trained matters greatly. Great police dog training will enhance the team while poor training habits will weaken the team. Just like muscle memory in firearms training, both the handler and the dog will resort to the habits that have been developed in training, whether good or bad, whether helpful or… Read more »
Police Dog Training Records
Record keeping is critical to team improvement as well as legal protocol. This article deals primarily with training records of the K9 team. Police dog training records provide a record of performance. Training records can help to guide our training. If the handler/trainer sees a particular problem in a repeated exercise, one or the other… Read more »
Police Dogs Certification
Certification of Police K9 teams are to show a minimum standard of proficiency of said team. These can include Obedience, Patrol, Trailing, Detection and more. The courts have NOT established that the K9 team must be certified by a nationally recognized organization. Currently, any certification given by a reputable official will be recognized in the… Read more »
