What are the most common breeds used in police K-9 work?
Currently there are several breeds that are being used. Most police service dogs come from the herding breeds. Probably the most recognizable, versatile, and known herding breed used in police service work is the German Shepherd. There is also the Belgian Malinois and the Dutch Shepherd from the herding breeds that have become popular in the US due to their strength of character and strong working abilities. Retrievers such as Labradors have also made their mark in police service work due to their strong search and retrieve drives in the area of narcotic detection. Bloodhounds should also be mentioned for their tracking ability.

What type of training program is involved in getting a dog ready for the force?
A police service dog's training usually starts when they are puppies and it never really ends. Proper prey drive development and training in different environments is essential in developing a police k-9 candidate. As the dogs mature, they are trained and tested until they can enter into a training program that will further develop their natural drives. Police training programs are pretty extensive. Once they enter into a training program, the training can take up to 8 to 12 weeks to develop all the necessary skills so the dog will be ready to go to work.

Where do most of the dogs come from?
Most police dogs in the US are imported from Europe. We have several great kennels in the US though that are producing police service dogs that uphold a high standard of working ability, character, and sound structure.

What does a police dog do during an average day?
That depends a great deal on what the dog has been trained to do. Normally police dogs are categorized as dual purpose or single purpose police dogs. Single purpose police dogs are trained to perform a single function like tracking or narcotic detection. Dual-purpose police dogs are trained to perform a number of tasks such as tracking, handler protection, evidence searches, building searches, area searches, and criminal apprehension. A typical day in the life of a police dog would be responding to crime scenes or vehicle sniffs for drugs. A police dog's number one attribute is it's nose and the ability to be used as a locating tool to find things such as evidence, illegal narcotics, and suspects who pose a threat to the general public and law enforcement officers.

How old are police dogs when they are retired, and what happens to them then?
Normally a police dog retires around 7 to 9 years of age. There is really no time limit and retirement usually depends on the k-9's health and willingness to work. A lot of the dogs still want to work but their health was the determining factor for their retirement. The dogs well being should be the number one concern as to when a dog should be retired.

Luckily and in most cases the police dogs go to live with the handler and live out their retirement in the home and lifestyle they have known for most of their lives. Retirement of the k-9 is not always an easy step for the k-9. Being able to keep your partner with you where you know he (she) is being taken care of helps the transition from active duty for both the dog and the handler.

Do police dogs make good family pets?
This would depend on the individual dog. Most police dogs I have trained have come from families in Europe where they were brought up understanding the family as a pack and the hierarchy of it. Most police dogs are of sound temperament, character, and drives and are a credit to their breed. Each dog (not just police dogs) needs to be looked at as an individual and the determination needs to be made if the dog is acceptable. In my opinion all dogs with dominance issues or behavioral problems should not be a part of a family or ever become a police service dog.

What can regular dog owners learn from police trained or protection trained dogs, advantages compared to a regular obedience trained dog and how do they apply that to regular dogs?
Probably the best reason people have dogs is for companionship. Second would be that people want to be secure in their homes and want the added protection of a dog. Some dogs are very effective home protectors. The problem is that a lot of dogs do not have the inherited protection drives and training that will sustain it through a physical confrontation or high stress event. At the first sign of a break in, the dog will be looking for place to hide and stay away until the cause of the stress "burglar" has left the home.

Clicking to Success: Clicker Training for Beginners
7/26/2005

Clicker training is a form of operant conditioning. It’s a way to train your pets without punishments or harsh corrections. It’s building a path of clear communication between yourself and your pet. It builds trust, increases confidence, and results in a happy, eager-to-please pet who loves being with their person.

The typical clicker is a small hand-held rectangle made of plastic. You slip your thumb into a hole in the side and push down on a metal piece that makes a clicking noise. Clickers are typically available at any good pet supply store, small mom-and-pop dog shops, or the little corner pet store. You can also find them online at several sources. They come in a range of styles and shapes, with the typical rectangle box being the most widely available. They range in price from $1.50 to about $7.50. Price does not always reflect a difference in quality. read more...

Some of my favorite articles from the past month include:

The Civil War Hero Honored. (Union soldiers traded a captured confederate soldier their captured dog!)

Cloning Dogs (I can't imagine having two Jordans running around my house!

PETA: We'll kill 'em for you... (Was it wrong of me to expect People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to treat animals ethically?)

This is Little Danny. Danny is a 6 month old Terrier/Pug mix and is available for adoption in Pennsylvania. I don't know what you're waiting for... contact the PSPCA Central Counties Branch and give Little Danny a new home!

This little girl is Trixie. She's a one year old Terrier/Hound mix and she'll make a great pet. She's been spayed, is housebroken, and already knows plenty of tricks. Trixie can be found at the Dubuque Humane Society in Iowa.

This sporty girl is Zodiac. She's an English Foxhound in Ohio. Go read your horoscope... it'll tell you that you need a new woman in your life. The stars never lie! Contact Wood County Humane Society for more info.

Congratulations to Barney and his new family! Barney found a new home thanks to the hard work of the people at Southeast Bloodhound Rescue, Inc. If you live in the southeast and want to bring home a Bloodhound, be sure to contact SEBR!

		I'd asked everyone to send in their own funny captions to this pic in the previous newsletter. Thanks to everyone who replied. But I'm not going to print any of them here... Fact is, you people aren't that funny!
Hopefully you've all had a good month to work on your sense of humor and the submissions for this month's funny captions wil be... well, funny... Write a funny/silly/clever caption to the pic below and send it to chris@pupforum.com.

This pic was added to the member gallery by Bo_Jess. Just a good pic. These dogs look like best friends. I can picture the little guy hiding safely behind his big buddy and mouthing off to other dogs

I love my dog... I also love motorcycles... So I've found the perfect website: Dogs on Bikes!

I love my dog... I also like a good beer... So I've found the perfect website: Beer for Dogs!

I love my dog... I also love TV... So I've... well, you get the picture: Dog TV

Mark Rudd (United Kingdom)
Cedric Mitchell (Japan)
Jessie Wickersham (Texas, United States)