Police dogs, are dogs trained to work with the police in tracking or searching for people, or in detecting illegal substances by smell. A police dog, often referred to in North America as a “K-9” (which is a homophone of canine), is a dog that is specifically trained to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work, such as searching for drugs and explosives, border collie, searching for lost people, looking for crime scene evidence, and protecting their handlers. Police dogs must remember several hand and verbal commands. The most commonly used breed is the German Shepherd.
Specialize police dogs
- Sentry and Attack Dog – This dog is used to locate and subdue suspects or enemy, and to provide security for sensitive or controlled areas.
- Search and rescue dog (SAR) – This dog is used to locate suspects or find missing people or objects. Bloodhounds are often used for this task.
- Detection dog or explosive-sniffing dog – Some dogs are used to detect illicit substances such as drugs or explosives which may be carried on a person in their effects. In many countries, border collie Beagles are used in airports to sniff the baggage for items that are not permitted; due to their friendly nature and appearance, the Beagle does not worry most passengers.
- Arson dogs – Some dogs are trained to pick up on traces of accelerants at sites of suspected arson.
- Cadaver dogs – Some 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 Pioneering work was done by Dr. Debra Komar (University of Alberta) in Association with the RCMP Civilian Search Dog Association in this area. border collie , The result was the development of training techniques that resulted in near 100% accuracy rates. Her research has been published in the Journal of Forensic Anthropology.
Police dogs in United States
Police dogs are in widespread use across the United States. K-9 units are operated on the federal, state, county, and local level and are utilized for a wide variety of duties, similar to those of other nations. Although most Americans perceive these animals as attack dogs, border collie their duties generally include drug, bomb, and weapon detection and cadaver searches. The most common police dogs used for everyday duties are German Shepherds, though other breeds may be used to perform specific tasks.
On the federal level, police dogs are rarely seen by the general public, though they may be viewed in some airports assistingTransportation Security Administration officials search for explosives and weapons or by Customs and Border Protectionsearching for concealed narcotics and people. Some dogs may also be used by tactical components of such agencies as theBureau of Alcohol, border collie Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service.
Notable Police dogs in United States
Notable police dog breeds are:
- American Pitbull Terrier (search and rescue/tracking, attack dog, locating bombs, drugs.)
- Beagle (locating bombs, drugs. Used worldwide.)
- Belgian Malinois (protection, attack dog, locating IEDs, locating evidence, locating drugs, prisoner transport, human tracking.)
- Bloodhound (odor-specific ID, tracking, locating bombs, drugs, evidence.)
- Doberman Pinscher (protection, attack dog)
- Dutch Shepherd (protection, attack dog)
- Springer Spaniel (locating bombs, drugs)
- German Shepherd Dog (protection, attack dog, ground based tracking and air based tracking, locating human remains, locating drugs, locating IEDs, locating evidence)
- German Shorthaired Pointer (ground based tracking and air based tracking, locating drugs, locating evidence)
- Labrador Retriever (locating bombs, drugs)