From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Police dog getting ready to search a vehicle for
drugs
A police dog is a dog that is trained specifically to
assist police and similar law-enforcement personnel with their work.
They are also known in the United States as police K9s (a
play on words; a homophone for canine).
The term is sometimes used in the common parlance of several
countries to refer to any German Shepherd Dog because of the long
history of the use of the German Shepherd by the police and
military; in some nations German Shepherds are the only dogs used by
those forces. In the post-industrial era German Shepherds have often
been depicted as police dogs in television, movies and police dog
memorials. This breed is often still used, as are Rottweilers and a
few other breeds.
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Contents
- 1 Chasing and holding
- 2 Other law-enforcement uses
- 3 Police dogs in the United Kingdom
- 4 External links
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Chasing and holding
Police dogs are used as part of security
operations
Most often, police dog refers to a dog who has been
trained to guard their handler, and to find, chase, intimidate, and
hold suspects who are attempting to elude the police. Modern police
dogs are not vicious animals; most are trained to enjoy their work,
with chasing and grabbing introduced to them as tricks or games that
can be played only when the handler (a police officer) gives the
appropriate command. The dog's goal is not to bite; it is to grab
and hold on at all costs until the handler gives the release
command. This means that the dog grabs hard, and a fleeing suspect
can be bitten when attempting to avoid or fight off a dog and the
dog is attempting with full speed and energy to grab the suspect.
Most handlers, if possible, give the suspect a verbal warning that
the dog will be set loose if they do not immediately halt, and this
is often sufficient deterrent that the dog is not needed.
Some police dog units prefer to start with a pursue and bark
tactic, where the dog barks to alert the handler to his whereabouts
and to intimidate the suspect and keep him from running until the
police arrive. In this case, the dog usually grabs and holds only
when the suspect does not hold still after the dog's verbal warning.
Others feel that the bark first, bite later strategy is not
effective and prefer to always use the chase and hold strategy.
Most of these dogs live in their handlers' homes and interact
with their family and friends on a regular basis to ensure that they
remain social and pleasant animals. This does not mean that it is
acceptable to approach a police dog to pet it or play with it while
it is on duty.
A police dog and handler train and work as a team, because they
must trust each other and understand each other completely when
working in stressful, even dangerous, and often rapidly changing
situations. Police dog teams have been accused of using excessive
force in some cases, so it is critical that the human be able to
manage a difficult situation wisely, to use the trained dog only as
appropriate, and to be able to control the dog completely so that
the dog can be called off instantly when the situation warrants.
Belgian Malinois as K-9 unit
In recognition of the valuable role these animals play in police
duties and the dangers they face, there have been a number of
measures to ensure their protection. These include outfitting dogs
with bulletproof vests to protect them from guns and some areas have
passed laws that make attacking a police dog a felony (in New
Jersey, after a police dog was killed on the line of duty, the NJ
General Assembly attempted to pass legislation that would treat the
murder of an on-duty police dog as the same as the murder of an
on-duty police officer, allowing the state attorney general or
county district attorneys to pursue the death penalty).
Other law-enforcement
uses
Law enforcement also uses dogs for tracking suspects or finding
missing persons or objects, or for detecting drugs or explosives.
Bloodhounds are often used for the former, although most breeds have
an outstanding sense of smell and can be trained to follow scent
trails or to detect certain kinds of odors.
Some dogs, called cadaver dogs, are trained in detecting
the odor of decomposing bodies. Dogs' noses are so sensitive that
they are even capable of detecting bodies that are under running
water.
For some sniffer dogs in environments where it is perceived that
a criminal may attempt to kill the dog to prevent detection, a
bodyguard dog is assigned with the sniffer to intimidate and, if
necessary, attack anyone who would attack the sniffer.
Police dogs in the United
Kingdom
General purpose police dogs in British police forces are usually
German Shepherds. 'Passive' drugs dogs (used to sniff people as they
pass to determine whether they are carrying drugs, but not to
actually touch them) are often Labradors, known for their placid and
friendly nature. 'Active' drugs dogs (which search for drugs in
locations instead of on people) and explosives dogs are usually
Springer Spaniels, known for their inquisitiveness, intelligence and
enthusiasm. General purpose dogs and passive drugs dogs are usually
trained to search for objects as well.
Handlers and their dogs must be licensed by the Home Office,
following a thirteen-week course. They are licensed as a team and
handlers cannot work each others' dogs unless they undergo a
licensing course with the other dog as well (which only lasts six
weeks if both handler and dog are already fully-trained).
