Mastering Police Dog Training: 10 Expert Steps for Success

Just last week, I was discussing with my friends about the malinois dog and the great job it does for the police. It was an interesting time.

We also talked about other dog breeds that are used as police dogs and their amazing achievements.

Mary then suggested I write an article on how to train police dog. And here we are.

In this article, you will learn

• What Is A Police Dog?
• What Type Of Training Does A Police Dog Receive?
• How To Train Police Dog – 10 Points To Keep In Mind
• Are you ready? Let’s get started!

What Is A Police Dog?

It is not far from its name; a police dog is a dog that is trained specifically to serve the police (or any other law enforcement personnel).

The training usually involves mastering relevant verbal cues and hand signals.

Responsibilities assigned to a police dog may include finding missing people, looking for drugs/explosives, discovering evidence of a crime scene, and attacking individuals targeted by the police.

Due to their intelligence, strength, and other excellent qualities, the following dog breeds are mostly adopted as police dogs:

• German Shepherd
• Belgian Malinois
• Bloodhound
• Dutch Shepherd
• The retriever breeds

Did you know? Police dog units are often referred to as K-9 in English-speaking countries. And K-9 was coined from the word canine. Cool, right?

Also, killing or injuring a police dog intentionally is a criminal offence in many countries.

Furthermore, police dog training begins at the puppy stage. And a successful training begins from choosing the right breed and taking advantage of its inbred talents.

In choosing a puppy to train as a police dog, look out for the following qualities: smartness, calmness, obedience, and vigilance.

Next, we will look at the different training a police dog receives.

Keep reading!

What Type Of Training Does A Police Dog Receive?

1. Obedience Training

This is a foundational training for all police dogs. Here, the dog is trained to obey his handler’s commands without any hesitation.

The goal is for the handler to be able to control the dog’s aggressiveness and to what extent it attacks a suspect.

Usually, the commands are given in the native language of the dog. For one thing, the dog grew up hearing those commands. Secondly, it is easier for the officer to learn those native words as compared to retraining the dog with new commands.

ii. Endurance/Agility Training

Here, the dog is trained to last. In other words, the dog is trained to do his job irrespective of the distractions.

Jumping walls and climbing stairs are popular activities in this training. Also, the dog is trained to be accustomed to the buzz of city life. A police dog cannot afford to be shy around people.

iii. Specialty Training

Remember we mentioned the different duties of a police dog earlier? Good. In this training, a police dog is trained on how to perform a particular task(s).

It could be to search for drugs, sniff bomb/gun, track missing persons/suspects, etc., or a combination of roles

iv. Drug Training

Have you seen where a police dog is sniffing out drugs before? It does appear like they are addicted to the drugs themselves, doesn’t it?

Well, they aren’t. The thing is, during their training, police dogs (drug sniffers) are trained to associate the smell of drugs with their favourite toy.

This toy is a white towel embedded in marijuana, which the dogs use to play tug of war.

Whenever they find the towel by digging it out of drugs, they are rewarded with a game of tug of war.

You can now see why they are eager to go sniffing during a dog search.

Note: Other drugs apart from marijuana is also used on the towel until the dog can sniff out a good number of illegal substances.

For bomb-detection dogs, various chemicals used to manufacture explosives are placed in the towel.

1. Continuous Evaluation  

What happens here is similar to what we do at schools or other institutions of training.

Evaluation tests are carried out at different training stages to be sure that lessons are being learned and goals are being met.

As officers train police dog, he will be evaluated at each step of the training. If he fails the test, he will repeat the training until he is ready to move on to the next one.

In the course of the training, different scenarios are created to enable the dog master to work under stress and in a noisy environment.

Examples are firing of guns, running around of fake bad boys in a supposed attempt to escape, banging on doors and screeching of cars, etc.

Moving on, we will see how to train police dog.

Tag along!

How To Train Police Dog – 10 Points To Keep In Mind

1. Play With Your Dog

A training that will be successful is one that the dog enjoys. While you are training your dog, ensure that he is having fun.

Dogs learn instructions faster when they know they will be rewarded. And one of the best rewards they look forward to is playtime with their handlers.

Imagine when you make training as fun as playing. The outcome will be superb.

Also, allow your dog to make decisions on his own. He will learn faster if he is allowed to do what he wants once in a while.

Sometimes, he may desire some behaviour from you, just comply as it will lead to successful training sessions.

2. Motivate Your Dog

This point is similar to the previous one. Your dog needs the motivation to learn. I mean, don’t we all? (LOL)

Use lots of rewards – toys, treats, pampering, playtime, etc. to encourage cooperation as you train police dog.

3. Observe And Reward Changes

You are probably thinking, rewards again? Yes, they do play a huge role in helping your dog master instructions.

Map out some time from your training sessions to just sit and watch your dog. Note the different ways he responds to commands.

Once you notice any new reaction, reward that singular act.

4. Blend Work And Playtime

Remember the old saying, all work, and no play makes Jack a dull boy. I used it a lot in high school whenever my parents wanted to know why I wasn’t reading.

To train police dog is not an easy task, no doubt about that. However, you should always include play/relaxation time during a training session.

It energies you for more work.

5. Don’t Allow Patterns

Trust me, the last thing you need as you train police dog is patterns.

Patterns may pose a challenge when you are trying to introduce new lessons

So, when you notice your trainee is forming a pattern, don’t fail to disrupt it.

Always mix things up. Train your dog to attempt one other command where you notice a particular behaviour is becoming routine for you both.

6. Challenge Your Dog

As your dog builds skills and focus, heighten the difficulty of his training. Take him to a noisy environment and give him commands. Also, increase the duration for a particular lesson.

7. Train Consistently

Practice, they say, makes perfect. If you intend to train police dog, bear in mind that it is not a hit and run stuff.

Consistency is key for you to achieve your goal. Train your dog every day. This will help him master the commands you are giving him.

Maintaining the same training time and rewards will also lead to excellent outcomes.

8. Breaks Are Non-negotiable

Police dog training is hard work both for you and your dog. You need to take breaks.

Give yourself ample time to rest. You need it to recuperate and strategize. Your dog needs some rest too.

9. Know Your Dog’s Energy Level And Maximize It

Think about vehicles. There are different kinds, some can convey heavy loads while others can’t. It depends on each one’s capacity.

Similarly, all dogs do not have the same level of energy. Understanding your dog’s energy level will help a lot in the training process.

You can then design the training to match your dog’s needs.

10. End Every Session On A Positive Note

Though it is tasking and exhausting, still, training time should be a fun time for you and your dog.

So, always end each session on a positive note and then gladly anticipate the next one.

Conclusion

This is where we’ll draw the drapes on our discussion on how to train police dog.

Should you feel like it at any time, adopt your chosen breed and follow the tips shared in this post to train police dog.

Now, I’d love to hear from you:

Have you trained a police dog before or witnessed a training session? What was it like?

Do you have plans for training one? Which breed would you go for?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments section right now.

I do hope you enjoyed reading this article. Please share it with your friends, thank you!