German Shepherds Might Make Good Police Dogs For The Following Reasons
They bond well with their owner/handler
They are obedient
The working lines are bred to have strong nerves, and a stable temperament making them good for high risk and high tension activities
They are one of the most intelligent dog breeds and can perform difficult tasks ;detection and tracking in particular
They are loyal
They are protective
They have a high working ability
They are physically capable athletic and strong, along with good stamina able to attack, apprehend, protect and focus or patrol for long period
Why A German Shepherd
People do often wonder why a German Shepherd is used as a police dog? What are the characteristics that make a German Shepherd eligible, appropriate, and most suitable to be trained as a police dog?
First and the foremost thing is the large and giant size of a German Shepherd that is enough to horrify a criminal. The strong and muscular body of a German Shepherd is an indicator of its internal strength and power.
Secondly, German Shepherds are famous for their excellent work and stay calm under pressure. They are the most intelligent, sharp, and trainable dogs. They love to work and can do extremely good work in high-stress situations.
German Shepherd Police Dog Temperament
Not all German Shepherds make great police dogs. The best German Shepherd police dog usually has control over their temperament , high intelligence/obedience, and of course a high drive to learn and accomplish tasks to a high standard.
East and West German working;line GSDs usually make the most flexible GSD police dogs for their high work drive and working line pedigree.
Show Line German Shepherds can perform well in tracking and detection, but may not have the drive or temperament for protection type police work. Read more about Show Line German Shepherds.
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Can A Doberman Beat A German Shepherd
The Doberman has a bite force of 245 pounds while the GSD has a bite force of 238 pounds. Based on their bite force, the Doberman could win in a fight. However, the GSD has a thicker coat which can lessen the impact of the bite force. The GSD could also win if you start training him to fight at a young age.
Reasons Why German Dog Commands Are Helpful For Police Officers
There are several reasons for why the German dog commands are used in police dog training; here are some of those:
Uncommon Language: Most countries do not use the German language that well other than Germany. This is a massive plus for those countries. Criminals can sometimes influence the dog; however, if the dog is trained with German commands, it can be challenging for them to do so.;
There are several cases in which criminals have easily stopped many English thought police dogs.;
Uniqueness: Many cops like the essence of the German phrases. Because of this, many of them stick to the German dog commands.;
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Search And Rescue Training
Dogs that are trained in search and rescue training have the specific objective of finding missing persons, usually in inhospitable environments. Some of their areas of coverage will include rescue after natural disasters, tracking missing persons, wilderness tracking, and mass casualty events.;
An example of a time when search and rescue dogs were used was on September the 11th, 2001, when the attack on the Twin Towers occurred in New York City. Many first responders attended the scene to help out where they could, but humans were not the only people that responded to the scene. There were also search and rescue dogs present after the towers fell. These dogs searched through the rubble without hesitations.
Unfortunately, some of these dogs, as well as their handlers, passed away on this day. However, their bravery will be remembered forever. These search and rescue dogs worked tirelessly to find people on this awful day, and were able to remain focused on the task at hand, despite the dangers that they faced.
One particular dog that you may be interested to learn about is Trakr, which was a search and rescue dog that was able to locate the first survivor to be found. He worked so hard and selflessly that he collapsed from a combination of smoke inhalation, exhaustion, and burns, after searching non-stop through the rubble for 2 days.
What Language Are Military Dogs Trained In
These European dogs learn the training commands in their native language, typically Dutch or German. So, instead of completely retraining the dogs using English words, which would be time-consuming and confusing to the dogs, their new handlers just learn to use the commands in the dogs native language.
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Why Are Pit Bulls Not Used As 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.
Police Dogs And Its History With German Shepherds
Police dogs are in some countries known as K9 or canine. They are dogs with specials skills. Trained to assist police officers in duties that include: searching for drugs, locate missing people, attack when ordered by a police officer, find evidence at a crime scene and finding explosives. The basic training includes learning and remembering several verbal commands and hand gestures.
The most often used breed to assist policemen is the German Shepherd, but you may also see the retriever breeds often being used.
World War I broughtThe german shepherdout West, they were active in both world war 1 and 2
Lawlessness, due to rapid urbanization, was a growing concern for the public of London in the 19th century. The existing law enforcement at that time was too small and the problems too large to be dealt with. Commercial companies prosper well in combat against crime. Groups of night watchmen and security guards were formed and provided with firearms and dogs to protect themselves.
Europe was the first to start using the German Shepherd as a service dog on a large scale. The police of Paris used them to track down ravaging gangs and fight against them.
In 1899 the police department of Ghent, Belgium started a police dog service program. They were the first with a large organized program.
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What Is The Best German Shepherd Food
Here are The Dog Food Advisors best dog food brands for German shepherds for July 2021.
- Dr.
- Merrick Grain-Free Large Breed Real Chicken and Sweet Potato.
- Instinct Raw Boost with Real Duck.
- Victor Purpose Nutra Pro Dog Food.
- Iams ProActive Health Large Breed.
- Taste of the Wild Southwest Canyon.
- Orijen Puppy Large.
How A Police Dog Is Chosen
Choosing a police dog usually requires looking for a dog that has a high natural prey drive, and breeders will sometimes begin testing and training entire litters of puppies when they are just 6 weeks old. During this time, they are looking out for puppies that display signs of this kind of drive.
Another technique that breeders can use to select dogs that will be suitable for police training involves a ball that will be rolled underneath a couch or other object. Puppies will usually attempt to get it, based on their natural instincts, but there are some puppies that will lose interest and give up on the ball if they are offered something that they find to be more interesting.
A puppy that has a natural prey drive will be very persistent in trying to get the ball, and it will not give up until it has the ball in its possession. They will be focussed on the target until they achieve the result they are hoping for. This is something that you could try at home with your puppy to see how they respond. This is a great way to gauge how much of a natural prey drive your puppy has.;
This can even become useful in the future when it comes to introducing your German Shepherd to other people and animals. If your dog does have a higher prey drive, then you will know that you may need some extra caution when you are socializing them.;
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Popular Dogs For Police Work And How They’re Trained
It’s no secret that German Shepherds have been the most popular police dog for many decades , and they deserve this title for a good reason.
But many other potential police dog breeds are now also trained to be a part of K-9 units in different countries, but the breed range is especially expanding in the west.
There’s no single path for a dog to become a police K9 unit.
Some dogs are raised from puppies to become police dogs, and others are taken from and re-trained from service dogs.
Sometimes police officers in the U.S. even bring dogs from other countries, particularly Germany and Netherlands, and continue training these bilingual dogs for police work here in the United States.
There’s no official entry barrier, and different approaches are taken to bring in new police dog breeds and train them for different tasks.
But this matter is taken seriously by law enforcement â after the full police work training, the dog will then even have to take the oath the same way as a human police officer would.
The handler will affirm on the dog’s behalf and have the dog bark in affirmation of the oath.
Retirement for police dogs varies around the world. Most dogs retire if they get seriously injured and will not heal fully. They also commonly retire when they reach old age or if they get too sick to work.
It is also common for pregnant or nursing dogs to retire or take a leave of absence.
Working dogs have been protecting and serving us for many years.
Which Dog Is Better Doberman Or German Shepherd
Which Dog Is Better Doberman Or German Shepherd?
Which dog is stronger than German shepherd? Rottweiler
Why do police choose German shepherds? German Shepherds were naturally bred to work. German Shepherds are typically intelligent , they quick to train, obedient and loyal, athletic and healthy, and even-tempered. All of these traits make German Shepherds ideal candidates for police work.
Who would win Doberman Vs German shepherd? In a real fight the Doberman might be the winner, because Doberman is a very aggressive and powerful breed of dog that has the ability to fight against a German Shepherd. And a Doberman has stronger bite force of 245 PSI compared to German Shepherd with a bite force of 238 PSI.
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Active And Passive Alert
The German shepherd dog is also taught Active and Passive methods to alert their officers. The active ones include barking and digging in heals while tracing a drug. The passive ones may involve sitting or standing straight while picking the intended scent. You sure dont want your German shepherds foot to mess up a wire with too much active posturing if there is a hidden bomb in question!
Belgian Malinois Vs German Shepherds As Police Dogs
German Shepherds used to be the standard for police dogs, but recently Belgian Malinois are replacing them in many police departments.
For instance, in the Los Angeles Police Department and the US Military, 75% of dogs are Belgian Malinois.;
There are a lot of reasons that Belgian Malinois make a good fit for police work and why they are replacing German Shepherds.
However, German Shepherds are still a good option for police work as well. Here are some comparison points between them.
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Most Common German Shepherd Behavioral Problems
Before we dive into the most common behavioral problems associated with German shepherds, I think its important to look at where the breed has actually come from.
Over the last century, German shepherds have been used for tracking, search and rescueespecially for the police and protection and guarding. So, its no surprise that a lot of the issues are in this exact area.
They have been intentionally bred for traits such as fierce loyalty, intelligence, and strength.
This leads to one of the first common problems for German shepherds, which revolves around aggression and the need to protect. Its very possible that an untrained German shepherd would be likely to bark or lunge at other dogs or people, especially on his own property.
Its not at all that this type of dog is being mean or nasty. In fact, from the dogs point of view, he believes hes just doing his job of protecting his family or territory.
Its a very, very common problem, and, at the end of the day, it is what the German shepherd has been bred to do a lot of the time.
The good newsthis behavior can be untrained. Or even better yet, if youre working with a German shepherd puppy or a young German shepherd, you can easily avoid this behavioral problem. And in case you are wondering, this does not automatically mean, that if you ever really do need help, that they wont rise to the occasion!
Once again, with some basic training and a good sturdy harness, this behavior can be easily prevented.
How Can You Train Your German Shepherd As A Working Dog
Training is very important for a German Shepherd Dog. It can be done for work purpose or as a family dog. Training is what will teach your German Shepherd How to behave and what not to do and a lot more.
German Shepherd Dog needs to learn how to live in between different people and how to react to a certain type of situations.
As Valuable this training will be for you, it is even more important for your Dog.
German Shepherd dog needs to be active most of the time. If you cant find him something to do then he will do it himself.
It does not matter if you want your shepherd to be a working dog or a normal family dog.
It is very important to teach him some basic commands. This will prevent the damage he can cause to your belongings, your house, and other people.
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Why Do Police Use German Shepherds And Not Pitbulls
Now to further answer your question the main reason departments use German Shepherds and specifically Belgian Malinois is because they are a dog with features that are very efficient in all features and not just one instinct. Bloodhounds for instance are used to track but dont necessarily have a fierce temperament.
How Do The Police Buy Or Obtain German Shepherd Police Dogs
It depends on the country and the police departments policies as to how they obtain their German Shepherd police puppies and dogs.
Victoria Police in Australia for example have their own police dog breeding program at the Police Dog Squad Training Centre.
This enables the Victoria police to monitor the birth of the puppies, ensure their health through the first 8-12 weeks, enables the dogs to get familiar with the sights and sounds of the police department, and of course be put through police training and assigned to a handler or owner if successful.
If the dogs are deemed not suitable for training or fail training, they are re-homed with the right dog owners as determined by the department.
Other police departments in America for example sometimes do not have budgets assigned for police dogs and have to rely on public and corporate donations to buy from respected working line breeders.
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Do Police Dogs Cost A Lot
The cost of a police dog can range anywhere between around $8000 to $11,000, but this price does not include any training. The cost of training a police dog for things like patrol detection, and tracking can range from anywhere between $12,000 and $15,000. When you add all of this together, the total cost of a police dog can range between $20,000 and $26,000.
How Long Does It Take To Train A Police Dog
The amount of time that it takes to train a police dog is dependent on how the dog is going to be used. Often, when a police department receives a dog, it has already been foundationally trained in protection and obedience.
From there, the dog goes on to train with its handler for a specific application. The length of the training is dependent upon the application that the dog is being trained for.
Initial patrol training takes several weeks. And from there more specialized training can take place. For example, the Glendale, California Police Department trains some of its dogs in explosive detection, and this training takes 3-4 weeks.
After the foundational training, the dogs and handlers are required to maintain a schedule of ongoing training to keep their skills sharp.
Other types of training take different lengths of time. However, just like the continuing education required by many other jobs, police dog training requires an ongoing commitment from the dog and its handler.
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Detection And Explosives Training
You might have heard of certain police dogs that are referred to as sniffer dogs, and these are the dogs that are trained in detection and explosives. They will be trained to sniff out things like explosives, blood, money, illegal drugs, and even electronic devices. Cadaver dogs will also fit into this category.