Police K9 Homepage
Southwind
Police Dog Handlers
Those of us who have ever been lucky enough to handle a police service
dog have memories that will last a lifetime. Watching a room full of
children who are eagerly anticipating a demonstration, hitting the
jackpot on a car stop and meeting a suspect who thought he/she had
already eluded capture are just a few of the rewards associated with
this profession.
What some outside the police K9 world fail to realize is that there is
a great deal of time and effort involved in making all of this
possible. What some police departments fail to realize is that there
is a difference between being able to handle a police service dog and
posessing the knowledge and experience necessary to train a police
service dog. This presents a problem when you consider the fact
that many new handlers are responsible for conducting their own
in-service training. Some agencies simply do not have the resources
available while others fail to realize the importance of continuous
training for their new canine unit members.
Unless a handler has a thorough knowledge of case law, the basics of
police service dog psychology and the K9 learning process as well as
the concept of modular training then he/she should seek expert guidance
in structuring of their in-service training program.
New handlers have more than enough to learn without being expected to
perform the duties of an experienced police dog trainer. Among other
things, handlers must become proficient at communicating with their
partners. Handlers should understand that canine communication is
completely non-verbal and they should consider the dog's body as the
window to it's mind. This manner of communication works both ways and
the dog is constantly receiving signals even though we may not intend
to send them.
Handlers must understand that a new police dog out on the street is no
different than a new police officer fresh out of the police academy.
The handler must also understand that reliable performance on the
street is directly related to consistency and balance during the
training process.
Handlers should constantly strive to increase their knowledge in the
area of police service dogs and work to have total control over their
assigned tool/weapon.
And finally, handlers should not be expected to learn how to be a
police officer while also learning how to be police canine handlers.
Handlers must be police officers first. They must be experienced and
tactically sound officers with the ability to quickly adapt their
training to the new role that they will now assume for their respective
agencies.
Southwind offers a thorough handler training and certification
program which would be of benefit to even the most experienced police
K9 handler. Please contact us if you would like more information about
our training programs.