Starting or even managing a police K9 unit can be a very daunting task for even the most skilled administrator. Not to mention that a K9 unit can be one of the highest liability areas of any law enforcement agency. Often I find that a great deal of Chiefs or Sheriffs that either have or want to start a canine program know very little about it. With this said, there are several things that any administrator should consider, concerning their canine program.

1. Choosing the Right Police Dog Handler

Choosing the correct handler to make up a K9 team can be one of the most difficult tasks for any administrator. Handlers should be willing to make a commitment to the life of the dog. Officers should also want to be police dog handlers for all the right reasons. Unfortunately, I have worked with officers in the past that only wanted to be dog handlers so that they would get a take home car, get a raise, a promotion, etc. These handlers never work out. Handlers don’t necessarily need prior experience with dogs either. Some of the most productive handlers that I have ever trained had never had a dog before and their police dogs were the first dogs that they ever owned. However, a prospective handler should be the type of person who won’t be offended by the sight of dog hair on their uniform or not be willing to clean up a little dog vomit occasionally.

The most important thing to look for in a prospective police dog handler is a healthy dose of common sense. A handler with little or no common sense is bound for failure and probably a civil suit.

2. Choosing the Right Dog

Choosing the correct dog for your needs is as important as choosing the correct handler for the job. First of all, consider what your agencies purpose for the dog team will be. If your primary focus will be drug interdiction and street-level narcotics details, then a dual purpose dog may not fit your needs. Dual purpose dogs take considerably more time in training and maintenance. However, dual purpose patrol dogs can be a valuable asset in areas where they will be needed. If for example, your dog team will often be working in schools, etc. you should be sure that the dog is very social, so as not to be a liability.

Be sure that the dog you are purchasing is “clear in the head”. What I mean by this is that the dog is social and has a stable temperament. I have met dog teams and worked with handlers where their dog has bitten far more civilians and police officers than criminals. These dogs would not be considered “clear in the head”. A lot of vendors will sell dogs that have nice drives and great work ethic, but simple are not sound mentally. These dogs are generally less expensive to purchase and are abundant in kennels. These dogs are also typically handler aggressive at least to some extent. I can assure you that if a handler is afraid of their dog, a healthy relationship will never develop and the dog team will never function to its full potential.

3. Proper Management

Proper management and supervision of a police canine unit is crucial to its success. A majority of police canine units that fail do so because of poor or no supervision and management. If you are not personally supervising your police canine team(s), you should be sure that someone in your chain of command is. You should also be sure that the person managing the unit has had the proper training and understands how to do so adequately. DO NOT allow K9 handlers to supervise themselves. Unfortunately, I have seen this all too often. Actually, I have met administrators that did not know whether or not they had a single or dual purpose dog. In order to properly manage and K9 unit there are certain things that any supervisor or administrator should consider:

Ensure that your handler(s) and dogs are properly trained.

Be sure that handlers are training to nationally recognized standards.

Supervision should be properly trained. (They should not be educated only by the handlers they supervise. Information is often edited to suit certain needs)

Dog teams should be re-certified at least annually.

Supervision should regularly check to be sure that proper records are being kept.

Supervision should document all bite incidents. (Whether accidental or intentional)

Dog teams should be allowed ample training time each month.

Ensure that dogs teams have the proper resources and equipment for training.