# Police dog > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Police_dog > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Police_dog.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_dog > Source revision: 1345050592 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Dog trained and used for law enforcement}} {{hatnote group| {{for|dogs trained to guard property|Guard dog}} {{Other uses}} }} {{EngvarB|date=July 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} [[File:Sussex Police Dogs (9221050585).jpg|thumb|right|A [Belgian Malinois](/source/Malinois_dog) police dog during a demonstration in England]] [[File:Police dog attack.JPG|alt=|thumb|A [military police](/source/military_police) dog training]] [[File:FBI Police K9 (33511712043).jpg|alt=|thumb|An [FBI](/source/FBI) [Dutch Shepherd](/source/Dutch_Shepherd) police dog]] A '''police dog''', also known as a '''K-9''' (phonemic abbreviation of canine),{{Cite web |title=About K-9s |url=https://www.nationalpolicedogfoundation.org/about-k9s |access-date=22 May 2022 |publisher=National Police Dog Foundation |quote=K-9 or K9 (a homophone of canine)}} is a [dog](/source/dog) that is trained to assist [police](/source/police) and other [law enforcement officer](/source/law_enforcement_officer)s. Their duties may include searching for [drugs](/source/Illegal_drug_trade) and [explosive](/source/explosive)s, locating [missing people](/source/Missing_person), finding [crime scene](/source/crime_scene) evidence, protecting officers and other people, and [attacking suspects](/source/attack_dog) who flee from officers. The [breeds](/source/Dog_breed) most commonly used by law enforcement are the [German Shepherd](/source/German_Shepherd), [Belgian Malinois](/source/Malinois_dog), [Bloodhound](/source/Bloodhound), [Dutch Shepherd](/source/Dutch_Shepherd), and [Labrador Retriever](/source/Labrador_Retriever).{{cite web |date=3 September 2021 |title=What Do K-9 Police Dogs Do? |url=https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/what-do-police-dogs-do/ |access-date=22 May 2022 |work=[American Kennel Club](/source/American_Kennel_Club)}} In recent years, the Belgian Malinois has become the leading choice for police and military work due to their intense drive, focus, agility, and smaller size, though German Shepherds remain the breed most associated with law enforcement.{{Cite web |date=28 October 2020 |title=What Breeds Make the Best drugs Dogs |url=https://www.3dk9detection.com/news/what-breeds-make-the-best-drug-dogs |access-date=3 June 2022 |website=3DK9 Detection Services |quote=German Shepherd Dog. The typical breed associated with law enforcement work.}} Police dogs are used on a [federal](/source/Federation) and [local](/source/Local_government) level for law enforcement purposes in many parts of the world. They are often assigned to what in some nations is referred to as a K-9 Unit, with a specific handler, and must remember several verbal cues and hand gestures.{{cite web |title=K9 Unit: Duties and Responsibilities |url=http://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/2775.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803194237/http://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/2775.html |archive-date=3 August 2017 |access-date=22 May 2022 |publisher=New York State Department of Environmental Conservation |quote=They are expected to follow both verbal and hand commands of their handler.}} Initial training for a police dog typically takes between eight months and a year, depending on where and how they are trained, and for what purpose. Police dogs often regularly take training programs with their assigned handler to reinforce their training.{{Cite web |date=2021 |title=FAQs |url=https://www.northlandk9.org/faqs/ |access-date=22 May 2022 |publisher=AMSOIL Northland Law Enforcement K-9 Foundation}} In many countries, intentionally injuring or killing a police dog is a criminal offense.{{Cite web |date=26 October 2015 |title=18 USC 1368 – Harming Animals Used in Law Enforcement |url=https://law.onecle.com/uscode/18/1368.html |access-date=26 May 2022 |publisher=[United States Code](/source/United_States_Code) |via=OneCLE}}{{Cite news |date=26 August 2013 |title=Police dogs and horses to receive special protections in South Australia |work=[ABC News](/source/Australian_Broadcasting_Corporation) |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-26/police-dog-protection-laws/4912928 |access-date=25 February 2018}} ==History== ===Early history=== Dogs have been used in law enforcement since the [Middle Ages](/source/Middle_Ages). Wealth and money was then tithed in the villages for the upkeep of the [parish constable](/source/parish_constable)'s [bloodhound](/source/bloodhound)s that were used for hunting down [outlaw](/source/outlaw)s.{{Clarification needed|date=May 2022}} The first recorded use of police dogs was in the early 14th century in [St. Malo](/source/Saint-Malo), [France](/source/France), where dogs were used to guard [dock](/source/dock)s and [pier](/source/pier)s.{{Cite web |title=Police K-9 Unit |url=https://cfpd.centralfallsri.gov/divisions/uniformed-division/k-9-unit/ |access-date=26 May 2022 |publisher=Central Falls, Rhode Island Police Department}} By the late 14th century, bloodhounds were used in [Scotland](/source/Scotland), known as "Slough dogs" – the word "Sleuth", (meaning [detective](/source/detective)) was derived from this.{{cite encyclopedia |title=sleuth (n.) – Etymology, Origin, and Meaning |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/sleuth |dictionary=[Online Etymology Dictionary](/source/Online_Etymology_Dictionary) |quote=a figurative use of that word, which is attested from late 14c. in its original sense of 'bloodhound{{'-}}}} Between the 12th and 20th centuries, police dogs on the [British Isles](/source/British_Isles) and European continent were primarily used for their tracking abilities.{{Cite web |last=Peña |first=Melvin |date=1 July 2014 |title=Police Dogs: Just the Facts |url=https://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/police-dogs-dog-breeds-k9-unit-law-enforcement |access-date=26 May 2022 |website=[Dogster](/source/Dogster)}} The rapid urbanization of [England](/source/England) and France in the 19th century increased public concern regarding growing lawlessness. In [London](/source/London), the existing law enforcement, the [Bow Street Runners](/source/Bow_Street_Runners), struggled to contain the crime on their own, and as a result, private associations were formed to help combat crime.{{Cite book |last=Beattie |first=J. M. |title=The First English Detectives. The Bow Street Runners and the Policing of London, 1750–1840 |publisher=[Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press) |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-19-969516-4}} Night watchmen were employed to guard premises, and were provided with firearms and dogs to protect themselves from criminals.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}} ===Modern era=== [[File:Bloodhound from 1915.jpg|alt=|thumb|Bloodhounds used by [Sir Charles Warren](/source/Sir_Charles_Warren) to try to track down the serial killer [Jack The Ripper](/source/Jack_The_Ripper) in the 1880s.]] [[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-14381, Berlin, Polizeipatrouille am Wahltag.jpg|thumb|German shepherd in use by [Schutzpolizei](/source/Schutzpolizei_(Nazi_Germany)) officer and [SA](/source/Sturmabteilung) auxiliary during the [German federal election, March 1933](/source/German_federal_election%2C_March_1933), shortly after the [Nazi seizure of power](/source/Nazi_seizure_of_power)]] thumb|Police dog carries out orders communicated through a radio strapped to her back, Alexandria, Sydney, 1939 One of the first attempts to use dogs in policing was in 1889 by the [Commissioner](/source/Commissioner) of the [Metropolitan Police](/source/Metropolitan_Police) of London, [Sir Charles Warren](/source/Sir_Charles_Warren). Warren's repeated failures at identifying and apprehending the [serial killer](/source/serial_killer) [Jack the Ripper](/source/Jack_the_Ripper) had earned him much vilification from the press, including being denounced for not using [bloodhound](/source/bloodhound)s to track the killer. He soon had two bloodhounds trained for the performance of a simple tracking test from the scene of another of the killer's crimes. The results were far from satisfactory, with one of the hounds biting the Commissioner and both dogs later running off, requiring a police search to find them.{{cite web |url=http://www.casebook.org/press_reports/atchison_daily_globe/881017.html?printer=true |title=Casebook:Jack The Ripper |publisher=Atchison Daily Globe |date=17 October 1888 }} It was in [Continental Europe](/source/Continental_Europe) that dogs were first used on a large scale. Police in [Paris](/source/Paris) began using dogs against roaming criminal gangs at night, but it was the police department in [Ghent](/source/Ghent), [Belgium](/source/Belgium) that introduced the first organized police dog service program in 1899.{{cite web |url=http://www.angelplace.net/dog/GentPolice/GentPolice.htm |title=The Origins of Police K-9 |access-date=17 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218132213/http://www.angelplace.net/dog/GentPolice/GentPolice.htm |archive-date=18 February 2013 |url-status=dead }} These methods soon spread to [Austria-Hungary](/source/Austria-Hungary) and [Germany](/source/Germany); in the latter the first scientific developments in the field took place with experiments in dog breeding and training. The German police selected the [German Shepherd Dog](/source/German_Shepherd_Dog) as the ideal breed for police work and opened up the first dog training school in 1920 in Greenheide.{{cite web |url=http://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/en/what-we-do/dog-section/history-the-police-dog |title=History of the Police Dog |access-date=17 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530081830/http://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/en/what-we-do/dog-section/history-the-police-dog |archive-date=30 May 2012 |url-status=dead }} In later years, many [Belgian Malinois](/source/Belgian_Shepherd) dogs were added to the unit. The dogs were systematically trained in obedience to their officers and tracking and attacking criminals. In Britain, the [North Eastern Railway](/source/North_Eastern_Railway_(United_Kingdom)) Police were among the first to use police dogs in 1908 to put a stop to theft from the docks in [Hull](/source/Kingston_upon_Hull). By 1910, railway police forces were experimenting with other breeds such as Belgian Malinois, [Labrador Retriever](/source/Labrador_Retriever)s, and German shepherds.{{cite web |url=http://www.btp.police.uk/about_us/our_history/the_dog_section.aspx |title=The Dog Section |publisher=[British Transport Police](/source/British_Transport_Police) }} In 1910 Major [Edwin Hautenville Richardson](/source/Edwin_Hautenville_Richardson) of the [Sherwood Foresters](/source/Sherwood_Foresters) wrote to every chief constable espousing the use of dogs for police work, after his having reviewed their use in the military, and in France and Germany as above.{{Cite news |date=2 December 1910 |title=DOGS AS POLICE AIDS |work=Morning Post |pages=5}} Resulting from this, [Philip S Clay](/source/Philip_Stephens_Clay) [Chief constable](/source/Chief_constable) of [Nottingham City Police](/source/Nottingham_City_Police) petitioned his [Watch committee](/source/Watch_committee) for £5.0.0d for a dog from Major Richardson, which was granted. On 26th October 1910 the dog arrived in the city, to assist officers patrolling at night,Nottinghamshire Archives Office CA/CM/91/16 ''Watch Committee Minutes'' 14 Sep 1910 - 31 Oct 1912. thus making the first territorial use of a specially-trained police dog in the UK.{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=David |title=With Courage and Trust: 20 Years with Police Dogs |publisher=Scarthin Books |year=1994 |isbn=9780907758785 |location=England |pages=40-42}} == Training == thumb|Belgian Malinois being trained to attack Popular dog breeds used by law enforcement include the [Airedale terrier](/source/Airedale_terrier), [Akita](/source/Akita_(dog)), [Groenendael](/source/Groenendael_dog), [Tervueren](/source/Tervuren_dog), [Malinois dog](/source/Malinois_dog), [Bernese Mountain Dog](/source/Bernese_Mountain_Dog), [Bloodhound](/source/Bloodhound), [Border Collie](/source/Border_Collie), [Boxer](/source/Boxer_(dog)), [Bouvier des Flandres](/source/Bouvier_des_Flandres), [Briard](/source/Briard), [Cane Corso](/source/Cane_Corso), [Bullmastiff](/source/Bullmastiff), [Croatian Sheepdog](/source/Croatian_Sheepdog), [Doberman Pinscher](/source/Doberman_Pinscher), [German Shepherd](/source/German_Shepherd), [German Shorthaired Pointer](/source/German_Shorthaired_Pointer), [Golden Retriever](/source/Golden_Retriever), [Labrador Retriever](/source/Labrador_Retriever), [Rottweiler](/source/Rottweiler), [English Springer Spaniel](/source/English_Springer_Spaniel) and [Dogo Argentino](/source/Dogo_Argentino). Training of police dogs is a very lengthy process since it begins with the training of the canine handler. The canine handlers go through a long process of training to ensure that they will train the dog to the best of its ability. First, the canine handler has to complete the requisite police academy training and one to two years of patrol experience before becoming eligible to transfer to a specialty canine unit.{{cite web|url=https://www.criminaljusticedegreeschools.com/criminal-justice-careers/k9-officer/|title=How to Become a K9 Officer: Career and Salary Information|website=Criminal Justice Degree Schools|access-date=16 April 2019}} This is because the experience as an officer allows prospective canine officers to gain valuable experience in law enforcement. However, having dog knowledge and training outside of the police academy is considered to be an asset, this could be dog obedience, crowd control, communicating effectively with animals and being approachable and personable since having a dog will draw attention from surrounding citizens. For a dog to be considered for a police department, it must first pass a basic obedience training course. They must be able to obey the commands of their handler without hesitation.{{cite book |last=Mason |first=Walter Esplin |url=https://archive.org/details/dogsofallnations00masorich/page/115 |title=Dogs of All Nations |pages=115-117 |via=[Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive) |year=1915 |publisher=[Panama–Pacific International Exposition](/source/Panama%E2%80%93Pacific_International_Exposition) |location=San Francisco, CA}} This allows the officer to have complete control over how much force the dog should use against a suspect. Dogs trained in Europe are usually given commands in the country's native language. Dogs are initially trained with this language for basic behavior, so, it is easier for the officer to learn new words/commands, rather than retraining the dog to new commands. This is contrary to the popular belief that police dogs are trained in a different language so that a suspect cannot command the dog against the officer.{{Cite web|url=http://people.howstuffworks.com/police-dog3.htm|title=How Police Dogs Work|last=Grabianowski|first=Ed|date=3 May 2004|website=How Stuff Works|access-date=10 May 2017}} Dogs used in law enforcement are trained to either be "single purpose" or "dual purpose". Single-purpose dogs are used primarily for backup, personal protection, and tracking. Dual-purpose dogs, however, are more typical. Dual-purpose dogs do everything that single-purpose dogs do, and also detect either [explosives](/source/Explosive_material) or [narcotic](/source/narcotic)s. Dogs can only be trained for one or the other because the dog cannot communicate to the officer if it found explosives or narcotics. When a narcotics dog in the United States indicates to the officer that it found something, the officer has probable cause to search whatever the dog alerted on (i.e. bag or vehicle) without a warrant, in most states.{{Cite web|url=https://sitstay.com/blogs/good-dog-blog/police-dog-training-101|title=Police dog training 101|work=SitStay |access-date=2 November 2018}}{{Cite web |date=8 September 2016 |title=The K9 Unit {{!}} Police Dogs and How They are Trained |url=https://www.soundoffsignal.com/k9-unit-police-dogs-how-they-are-trained/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327090430/https://www.soundoffsignal.com/k9-unit-police-dogs-how-they-are-trained/ |archive-date=27 March 2019 |access-date=10 May 2017 |website=SoundOff Signal}} In suspect apprehension, having a loud barking dog is helpful and can result in suspects surrendering without delay.{{Cite web |last=Peralta |first=Jessica |date=27 November 2019 |title=Longtime Westminster police officer, K9 decoy gets new partner — finally |url=https://behindthebadge.com/longtime-westminster-police-officer-k9-decoy-gets-new-partner-finally/ |access-date=11 May 2022 |work=Behind the Badge}} == Specialization == Police dogs can be specialized to perform in specific areas. *Apprehension and [attack dog](/source/attack_dog)s – This dog is used to locate, [apprehend](/source/Arrest), and sometimes subdue suspects. * [Detection dog](/source/Detection_dog)s – Trained to detect [explosive](/source/explosive)s or drugs such as marijuana, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, or methamphetamines. Some dogs are specifically trained to detect firearms and ammunition.{{Cite web |last=Hardesty |first=Greg |date=5 February 2020 |title=Meet K9 Iggy, the Orange County Sheriff's Department's first gun-detecting dog |url=https://behindthebadge.com/meet-k9-iggy-the-orange-county-sheriffs-departments-first-gun-detecting-dog/ |work=Behind the Badge}} * Dual purpose dog – Also known as a patrol dog, these dogs are trained and skilled in tracking, handler protection, off-leash obedience, criminal apprehension, and article, area and building search. * [Search and rescue dog](/source/Search_and_rescue_dog)s (SAR) – This dog is used to locate suspects or find missing people or objects. Belgian Malinois, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Bloodhounds can all be used. ==Retirement== {{globalize section|date=January 2022}} Police dogs are retired if they become injured to an extent where they will not recover completely, [pregnant](/source/pregnant) or raising [puppies](/source/puppy), or are too old or sick to continue working. Since many dogs are raised in working environments for the first year of their life and retired before they become unable to perform, the working life of a dog is 6–9 years.{{cite web |last=Hartov |first=Oren |title=Proactive Deterrence |url=http://www.bpdnews.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/K9COPMag_BostonPD.pdf |publisher=K-9 Cop Magazine |access-date=2 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531002846/http://www.bpdnews.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/K9COPMag_BostonPD.pdf }} thumb|Belarusian Border Guards patrolling the Poland-Belarus border with working dog. However, when police dogs retire in some countries they may have the chance to receive a pension plan for their contribution to policing. In 2013, a pension scheme for police dogs in [Nottinghamshire](/source/Nottinghamshire), [England](/source/England) was introduced, wherein the police force offered £805 over the span of three years to cover any additional medical costs; the dogs were also allowed to be adopted by their original handler.{{Cite journal|url=https://uottawa-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do?tabs=detailsTab&ct=display&fn=search&doc=TN_proquest1462264395&indx=1&recIds=TN_proquest1462264395&recIdxs=0&elementId=0&renderMode=poppedOut&displayMode=full&frbrVersion=&query=any%2Ccontains%2CEnglish+police+force+sets+up+retirement+plan+for+dogs&dscnt=0&search_scope=default&scp.scps=scope%3A%28UOTTAWA_SFX%29%2Cscope%3A%28UOTTAWA_III%29%2Cscope%3A%28UOTTAWA_DSPACE%29%2Cprimo_central_multiple_fe&mode=Basic&vid=UOTTAWA&onCampus=true&institution=UOTTAWA&queryTemp=English+police+force+sets+up+retirement+plan+for+dogs&bulkSize=50&prefLang=en_US&vl(freeText0)=English%20police%20force%20sets%20up%20retirement%20plan%20for%20dogs&vl(284248662UI0)=any&group=GUEST&dstmp=1542088550607|title = English police force sets up retirement plan for dogs|journal = Pensions & Investments|volume = 41|issue = 24|pages = 8|year = 2013|last1 = Olsen|first1 = Kevin}} In many countries, police dogs killed in the line of duty receive the same honors as their human partners.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sheriffs.org/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/K9%20Burial%20Protocol.pdf|title=K-9 Burial Protocol "The Rocky Protocol"|date=22 May 2014|work=[National Sheriffs' Association](/source/National_Sheriffs'_Association) |access-date=16 May 2017}} ==Accusations of brutality and racial partiality== {{globalize section|date=April 2023}} A 2020 investigation coordinated by the [Marshall Project](/source/Marshall_Project) found evidence of widespread deployment of police dogs in the U.S. as [disproportionate force](/source/disproportionate_force) and disproportionately against people of color. A series of 13 linked reports found more than 150 cases from 2015 to 2020 of K-9 officers improperly using dogs as weapons to catch, bite, and injure people.{{Cite web |last1=VanSickle |first1=Abbie |last2=Stephens |first2=Challen |last3=Martin |first3=Ryan |last4=Kelleher |first4=Dana Brozost |last5=Fan |first5=Andrew |date=2 October 2020 |title=When Police Violence Is a Dog Bite |url=https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/10/02/when-police-violence-is-a-dog-bite |access-date=20 February 2023 |website=The Marshall Project}} The rate of police K-9 bites in [Baton Rouge, Louisiana](/source/Baton_Rouge%2C_Louisiana), a majority-Black city of 220,000 residents, averages more than double that of the next-ranked city, [Indianapolis](/source/Indianapolis), and nearly one-third of the police dog bites are inflicted on teenage men, most of whom are Black. Medical researchers found that police dog attacks are "more like shark attacks than nips from a family pet" due to the aggressive training police dogs undergo. Many people bitten were not violent and were not suspected of crimes. Police officers are often shielded from liability, and federal civil rights laws don't typically cover bystanders who are bitten by mistake. Even when victims can bring cases, lawyers say they struggle because jurors tend to love police dogs.{{Cite web |last=Remkus |first=Ashley |date=2 October 2020 |title=We Spent A Year Investigating Police Dogs. Here Are Six Takeaways. |url=https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/10/02/we-spent-a-year-investigating-police-dogs-here-are-six-takeaways |access-date=20 February 2023 |work=[The Marshall Project](/source/The_Marshall_Project)}} ==Usage by country and region== {{Main|Worldwide usage of police dogs}} ==See also== {{portal|Dogs|Law}} {{Wiktionary|K-9|K9|position=right}} * [Detection dog](/source/Detection_dog) * [Dogs in warfare](/source/Dogs_in_warfare) * [Nosework](/source/Nosework) * [Working dog](/source/Working_dog) ==References== === References === {{Reflist|2}} === Works cited === {{refbegin}} * {{Cite book|last=Allsopp|first=Nigel|title=K9 Cops: Police Dogs of the World|publisher=[Simon & Schuster](/source/Simon_%26_Schuster)|year=2012|location=[Newport](/source/Newport%2C_New_South_Wales), Australia|isbn=978-1-921-94181-8}} {{refend}} ==External links== {{Commons category|Police dogs}} * [http://www.npca.net/ National Police Canine Association] (US) * [http://www.uspcak9.com/ United States Police Canine Association] * [http://www.napwda.com/ The North American Police Work Dog Association] * [http://lacpca.com/ Los Angeles County Police Canine Association] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924143829/http://lacpca.com/ |date=24 September 2013 }} US * [http://www.vapolicek9.com/ Virginia Police Canine Association] US * [http://www.americanworkingdog.com/ American Working Dog Association] {{Dog nav}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Police Dog}} Category:Police dogs Category:Working dogs Dog, Police --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Police dog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_dog) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_dog?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.