NCJ Number
212628
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 29 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2005 Pages: 44-46,48
Date Published
October 2005
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Based on interviews with K-9 handlers, this article explains what to expect from working dogs and how they can be most effectively used by a department.
Abstract
Police dogs are highly specialized, and officers should be instructed in the type of K-9 team needed for particular situations. Police dogs are likely trained in one of seven operations: narcotics detection, accelerant detection, bomb detection, cadaver detection, trailing, tracking, or patrol (apprehension of suspects and protection of officers). The first rule of working with dogs is to know what kind of dog to request. The article distinguishes between the skills of "trailing" dogs, who follow the freshest scent regardless of who produced it, and "tracking" dogs, who follow a distinctive odor regardless of cross-contamination. Officer actions that impede and facilitate the work of these two types of dogs are discussed. Regarding breed and training, longer muzzled dogs, such as German Shepherds and Malinois, have greater senses of smell and better bites for controlling suspects. Departments must be concerned about the working conditions of these dogs just as they are about those of human personnel. This means being concerned about the weather conditions in which dogs work and ensuring that dogs are not overworked. The use of dogs to run down and control suspects carries the risk of suspects being injured and subsequent lawsuits. This is why handling officers must document any injuries sustained by suspects and other consequences of a K-9 deployment. Handlers must work with their dogs responsibly in order to avoid the risk of successful lawsuits.