How To Train German Shepherds As A Police Dog
Police force training begins when German Shepherds are still puppies. It is a rigorous process that first requires a lot of department or government funding. Successfully training a German Shepherd police K-9 unit costs the police department between $15,000 to $20,000.
Because of the high cost, many police departments rely on community funding when adopting a new police pup. The prices might seem high when you look at them from afar, but when police departments adopt these German Shepherds, they become a part of the team!
Training begins at around six weeks old and lasts anywhere from one to two years long. German Shepherds are trainable, eager to learn, and have massive knowledge retention. The earlier a police officer begins training their K-9 puppy, the more efficient they will be in the field.
The high intelligence of this breed allows the German Shepherd to learn even the most complex things. German Shepherds absorb information quickly, which allows them to act confidently, not impulsively like many other breeds.
Why Pitbulls Are Not Police Dogs
The American Pit Bull Terrier has been bred for hundreds of years to be non-aggressive toward humans and to bite-and-hold when they do attack something. That is not what we want in a police dog. In a police dog, we want a dog that is somewhat suspicious or aggressive toward humans under the right circumstances.
Bonus: Mixed And Unexpected Breeds
There are certainly exceptions, additions, and even surprises to this list of popular K9 breeds. Many mixed breeds and shelter rescues have become successful members of various police forces around the country. And especially when it comes to detection or search and rescue, many different breeds can be used if they have the right temperament,Day says. The only ones hes seen struggle a bit are short-nosed breeds like Bulldogs or Frenchies.
Motivation is the biggest key, adds Parsnow. Weve trained all kinds of different dogs for detection work. In fact, right now we have a Dachshund, and he does it just fine. You wouldnt expect him, but he has all the characteristics for a detection and trailing dog. If a dog has those characteristicsthe prey drive, the hunt drive, the sociability, the want to possess a toythen the dog can do the job, she says, regardless of its size, breed or lineage.
Recommended Reading: German Shepherd Homeowners Insurance
Handguns Shotguns And Rifles
The first practical police firearm, the multishot revolver, was patented in 1835 by Samuel Colt. In the 1850s the British gun manufacturer Beaumont-Adams introduced the self-cocking double-action revolver. In contrast with the Colt, which needed to be cocked before firing, the double-action revolver could be fired by just a direct pull on the trigger. This allowed for quicker fire, at the expense of precisely aimed shots. In the United States and throughout the British Empire, the double-action revolver became, with few exceptions, the police sidearm of choice for more than a century.
In Western-style democracies, the standard police sidearm is strictly a defensive weapon. For offensive operations such as gunfights, more powerful firearmse.g., shotguns and riflesare necessary. Shotguns are capable of firing a variety of ammunition, including buckshot, slugs, tear gas, baton projectiles, and grenades. The pump-action shotgun, which was widely used in police departments from the early 20th century, began to be replaced by the semiautomatic shotgun in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Search And Rescue Is A Part Of Police Or Military Work
The trainability of German Shepherds is invaluable with search and rescue work. Dogs not only must have a keen nose but also have to be able to distinguish living beings from cadavers and human scent from animals.
In some cases, the dog needs to single out one person. Accuracy directly correlates with training.
Search and rescue operations can involve a huge array of different situations. Catastrophes like earthquakes or terrorist attacks often come to mind, but many searches occur in the wilderness. Rescue operations also include avalanches and boating disasters.
Although Saint Bernards are the classic picture of a dog rescuing survivors from avalanches, a German Shepherd can also perform this duty.
According to Animalden.com, the German Shepherd again is the breed that excels at work like search and rescue, in good company with other herding breeds like the Border collie, as well as the Doberman Pinscher, Newfoundland , Labrador and Golden Retrievers, Schnauzer, and Rottweiler.
According to cuteness.com, dogs can detect someone buried up to 40 feet underground, and a few sources specify rescue canines can find people under 15 feet of snow.
Don’t Miss: Who Would Win In A Fight German Shepherd Or Pitbull
Purchase From European Breeder
Police officers typically purchase their German Shepherd puppies from Europe because of the strict pedigree requirements. In the United States, these requirements are not as strict and have led to breeding less powerful dogs. Purchasing from a European breeder is more expensive, but these dogs are fit for police work and will train easier in the long run.
How To Know A Responsible Breeder
If the breeder is responsible, he or she will want to meet you. They will ask questions to know if the puppy is a good match for you. When you meet, they should be happy to show where the puppy was raised and introduce you to your puppys parents. Make sure that both parents and their litter are healthy before buying a dog from them.
Also Check: Can A Chihuahua And A German Shepherd Mate
How Long Does Police Dog Training Take
The amount of training police dogs require may vary depending on their job and jurisdiction, but typically the minimum that police dog training requires is eight months. In general, a dog is considered ready to be an active part of the police force after a minimum of eight months of training. However, specialty fieldwork can extend their training longer than a year.
In hindsight, training a German Shepherd to be a K-9 police unit does not take long. However, complex roles like explosives sniffing or cadaver sniffing may increase the time it takes to train.
Learning time varies for each task, dog, and trainer. Police often choose German Shepherds because they have no difficulty picking up on things the first time around, no matter their temperament.
Because K-9 pairs are already required to meet monthly training quotas, it can be beneficial to complete specialized training during this time. Officers can select which training is most beneficial to them, or their department may assign them a specialty based on necessity.
In many cases, narcotics and explosives detection are highly recommended additions. Not all dogs get additional certifications. However, it does make them more useful in the field. Certifications like explosives or narcotics detection make an officer and their unit more valuable.
Therapy Dogs In Action
Therapy dogs can bring comfort and joy to the suffering, and can even be used to assist families with the grieving process after the loss of a loved one. The animals can help eliminate the adverse effects of loneliness and feelings of anxiety in the elderly, can bring comfort to hospitalized children or children who have lost their parents. They are used to help calm individuals who have lost their homes to disaster and bring joy to the lives of those who cannot leave their homes due to illness or injury.
Many colleges and universities utilize the services of therapy dogs to help students overcome the anxieties suffered by their students during exam time. Known as, Therapy Fluffies, the dogs were first introduced at the University of California in San Diego Office of Student Wellness in 2009. Since that time, the practice, founded by Torrey Trust, has expanded across the United States and into Canada.
Don’t Miss: Who Would Win In A Fight German Shepherd Or Pitbull
Who Is More Powerful German Shepherd Or Rottweiler
It depends on several factors, but the most important one is the training of these dogs.One would reasonably assume that a Rottweilers size and greater jaw power would give it an edge over a German Shepherd in any encounter with another dog, but this isnt always true. This is because training can strongly affect what motivates these animals to do anything at all motivation tends to trump size when determining success in animal encounters. The Rottweilie will also need fantastic obedience training if its going to be effective against other dogs or even larger prey like bears that the shepherd might have the advantage against.As for intelligence, scientists found that while some individual shepherds are smarter than some individual.
Read Also: How Much Food Should I Feed My German Shepherd Puppy
German Shepherds Are Healthy
German Shepherd are one of the healthiest dog breed. They can live to up to 13 years if they are properly cared for. German Shepherds love to exercise, thus they are free from weight problems. German Shepherds are prone to several health risks such as hip and elbow dysplasia which later lead to arthritis, degenerative myelopathy and others diseases, but the risk of suffering from these diseases is greatly reduced if proper nutrition and veterinary care are given.
Read Also: Why Does My German Shepherd Look Skinny
Read Also: When To Start Training Your German Shepherd
Will A German Shepherd Naturally Protect You
The German Shepherd has a natural protective instinct that does not waver. His deep desire to protect his owner and family is unmatched, and the GSD is even known to put his life in danger to save others. In addition to naturally protecting their human family, German Shepherds are known to protect the home as well.
Dont Miss: Who Would Win In A Fight German Shepherd Or Pitbull
St Century A Golden Era For German Shepherd
After His glorious history, the entire world started to know him. This Dog has been used as a family pet, guard dog, service dog, and many more functions.
Best K-9 Police Dogs And Service Dogs
German shepherd dogs Have been Considered One of the Best For K-9 Police Forces. German shepherd Dogs help them to detect drug dealers, find lost people and track criminals.
German shepherds are also used to detect explosives.
German Shepherd Dogs are Also used As service dogs. In world war 2 many soldiers had lost their visual capacity. German shepherd dogs were trained to be their eyes and help them to walk and do some daily tasks.
Nowadays German shepherds are used in many service points to help disabled people to do their daily tasks.
You May Like: When Do German Shepherd Ears Go Up
Are German Shepherds Easy To Train
German Shepherd is easy to train. German Shepherd can learn a command just in 5 to 10 repetitions.
German Shepherd loves to train and exercise. It is intelligent, and it will follow you unconditionally.
You will enjoy to train and play with your German shepherd.
He can make your life better and more enjoyable.
Training Your German Shepherd As A Guard Dog
Every dog breed possesses natural tendencies and skills. These tendencies come with their genetics. German Shepherds are guard dogs by nature, regardless of if theyve been trained or not. If they see something out of line, or peculiar, they will usually bark, altering someone of the situation. For this reason, German Shepherds are often chosen as police dogs since its easier to train them in this way.
Some breeds are overly aggressive and hard to control, while others are meek and mild-tempered. German Shepherds are the perfect mix to train to be a guard dogs.
Still, your German Shepherd will need the correct training to ensure they listen to commands and arent a danger to themselves or others.
There are a few critical pieces of equipment you will want on hand when beginning any training such as a German Shepherd harness, a German Shepherd leash, and some dog treats for rewarding.
You May Like: How Many Puppies Can A German Shepherd Have First Litter
What Is The Difference Between Therapy Dogs And Service Dogs
Therapy dogs serve different roles than assistance or service dogs. Service dogs are used for the blind and others who need physical assistance to function better because of a disability. These animals have a legal right to accompany the people they assist in most areas, and are legally protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Therapy dogs, on the other hand, are not used to provide physical assistance to the disabled and are not designated in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
It is not illegal for hospitals and other institutions to limit or prohibit therapy dogs from accessing their patients. However, they may allow them, if policy permits. Those institutions that do allow the animals usually have strict requirements that must be met by the animals and their trainers before they are allowed onto the property and to have contact with patients.
The Job Of A Police Dog
Police officers have a difficult and dangerous job that provides different scenarios every day, and they are sometimes faced with life or death situations. These types of situations will usually involve people that are intent on causing harm to them or another person. Even though police officers are armed with a variety of defensive tools for these situations, like a gun, taser, or baton, this isnt always going to be enough for every situation.
They may be faced with multiple aggressors, or there may simply come a time when the officer is taken by surprise and ends up in a tricky situation. In different circumstances, a police officer may have to conduct a search in an area that is too narrow, or that is difficult to access. As well as this, there will be certain situations where the thing that is being searched for cannot be detected by human senses.
These are just some of the situations where the police dog will come in to save the day, and this is especially common with German Shepherd dogs. As well as many other things, they are one of the most effective and efficient tools that a police officer can utilize when needed, and they just love to help out and do a good job.
Also Check: Fun2draw German Shepherd
German Shepherds And Other Pets
To help them be calm and patient, it’s best to socialise your German Shepherd with other dogs and pets from a young age. Some can be a bit bossy with other dogs as they get older but with proper care, training and socialisation this is unlikely to become a problem. If youre having issues with your German Shepherd around other pets, the best thing to do is get advice from a trainer or behaviourist.
German Shepherds are usually fine with other family pets they have grown up with. If they havent grown up with a cat or other smaller pets, though, they may have the urge to chase them so any introductions later in life should be done very carefully.
Training Your German Shepherd For Maximum Effectiveness As A Police Dog
Training a German Shepherd as a police dog is a very detailed and complex process that starts with the police dog handler. The handler first needs to go through police academy training. When he finishes the trianing he needs one to two years experience as a patrol officer to gain experience in law enforcement, before he can apply for transfer to a canine unit. The handler needs to go through a long training process that makes him capable of handling a trained dog.
Having experience with dog training outside the academy is considered a pre. This can be any kind of obedience, crowd control or effective communication training with dogs.
Some believe that police dogs are deliberately trained in another language to mislead a suspect as he cannot understand the commands the office gives to the dog. This is a misbelieve as dogs in Europe are trained in their native language because they where taught commands in the native language during basic training school.
After completing the basic training it is easier to continue training new commands in the native language than to continue in another. To complete the training the dog needs to pass an obedience training course. In this course, he will learn to follow commands without hesitation, with accuracy and impossible to be distracted by external sources. If he passes the course he will be considered a police officer and part of the police department.
You May Like: Can A Chihuahua And A German Shepherd Mate
German Shepherds Can Have Problems With Emotional Support
German Shepherds can become capable as emotional support animals, but they shine in duties that require physical assistance. Any type of animal can provide an emotional boost because the bond is often what creates a feeling of comfort and peace.
Emotional support animals do not have to undertake any particular tasks.
Shepherds tend to form strong attachments to one person and can become attuned to negative feelings in their owner, like anxiety and fear. Negativity can manifest in some GSDs as aggression towards the person or thing perceived to have caused the angst.
The same issues that arise with emotional distress can also affect German Shepherds in a psychiatric support role.
A Shepherd can perform brilliantly in both roles, but she requires excellent socialization and an unflappable or unreactive personality. Psychiatric support requires proactive intervention by the assistant animal.
Other Law Enforcement Breeds
Not all dog breeds in law enforcement are part of the military and police force. Other dog breeds may not have the physical capabilities for field operations, but have other special skills.
Here are the other dog breeds that help with law enforcement just not with militaries and police K-9 forces. They deserve just as much recognition!
You May Like: Collar For German Shepherd Puppy
Recommended Reading: Can Pitbulls Eat Tomatoes