Police K9 Homepage
Southwind
Police Dog Helpers
Those of us who have been training or working police service
dogs for any length of time understand the importance of a
good helper within the unit. A good helper will not only
make your training less difficult but also much more
productive.
Two things are certain; the quality of training is directly
related to your teams performance in the field, and the
performance of the helper is directly related to the
quality of your teams training. If our goal is to perform
reliably in the street then we must insure that our helpers
are properly selected and trained.
Helpers should be selected through a testing process that
insures that only the most capable and reliable officers
are chosen. A basic training course must be provided
and should include both classroom and field exercises.
Communication between the handler and helper during
training is nearly as important as communication between
the handler and K9 during deployments. The helper should
be properly instructed by the trainer and/or handler
before each training exercise. This will insure
consistency during training which is a key to canine
learning. It will also help insure the safety of the
helper which is a key to getting them back for future
training sessions.
The helper must be provided with high quality protective
gear and training should always be conducted with the
safety of the helper in mind.