Police K9 Homepage
Southwind
Police Dog Training
A police K9 teams level of performance is directly related
to the quality of training that both the handler and dog receive.
High quality training, in frequent intervals, is what separates the
most proficient K9 teams from the "rest of the pack."
As a police K9 handler you will find that your training time is most
likely limited. Therefore, it is extremely important that you use
your alloted training time in the most efficient manner. Remember
that five minutes of quality training is much more effective than five
hours of just going through the motions.
Police K9 training is divided into two main categories: Initial
and In-Service Training. Initial training extends from selection
of the handler and canine through to the teams initial certification
and deployment. Initial training must always be performed under
the supervision of an experienced police service dog trainer.
In-service training covers the period from initial certification and
deloyment to a point when one of the team member's retire. It is
this in-service training period where many K9 teams, without the
benefit of an experienced trainer, begin to falter.
Many departments are now purchasing a fully trained dog and providing
only a few weeks of training for the handler. During these few weeks
of training the handler is usually taught how to work the dog but there
is little time devoted to teaching him/her how the dog works. The
handler is then expected to conduct in-service training with little or
no knowledge of the basics of police service dog training. The result
is all too often a K9 team that steadily decreases in proficiency.
Care must be taken to not only provide sufficient training time but to
also provide the handler, trainer, administrator and helper
with the knowledge to run a safe and effective police canine program.