German Shepherds as Police Dogs
The German Shepherd Dog (GSD) is the number one breed choice for police dog work. The breed was first selected for police work in Germany in the 1920s; the German Shepherd Dog was trained in obedience and tracking to assist officers. The German police force recognized the GSD for their intelligence, loyalty, good temperament, trainability, and endurance.
Today, the German Shepherd Dog is respected the world over for its excellence in police work. In the United States, police dogs are often known as the K-9 unit. They are respected members of the force and are admired for their work. They have become so ubiquitous for their police and military that the German Shepherd Dog is often referred to as "police dogs" by the general public, whether they are working dogs or just family pets.
German Shepherds take on several different roles in the police force. One of their jobs is as a public order enforcement dog. These GSDs are trained to chase and hold suspects until their handlers command them to stop. The dogs are specially trained to not bite the suspects, but to ensure they do not escape. The GSD's high intelligence level, excellent response to training, and "threatening" demeanor makes them perfect for this job.
Tracking is another specialty of the German Shepherd Dog. They use their strong sense of smell and unending endurance to search for people and objects. Nose work can also be applied to illegal substance detection. The GSD's excellent sense of smell allows them to be trained for detecting drugs or explosives. The dog and their handler will work together to find substances on a person or their belongings. This work is useful at airports, borders and in schools for drug detection. They can also be used to find missing persons, either by tracking the scent of the person or by detecting the odor of a decomposing body.
Some police dogs are purchased or donated to a police department as adults, but it is preferable to start training with puppies. The training programs that German Shepherd Dogs are taken through require skill, dedication, and a lot of hard work. Police dog training consists of teaching the dog to either "bark and hold" or "bite and hold" depending on the local laws and departmental policies are. There has been a long standing debate over which method works best, because while it is harder for a suspect to escape a "bite and hold", the "bark and hold" method is safer and places fewer liability risks on the department.
When using "bark and hold" methods, the dog will pursue a suspect until he catches up to them. Once he has caught up with the suspect, he will try to intimidate and contain the person by circling around the suspect and barking repeatedly. The dog will not stop this until his handler arrives and gives him the release command. The dog is trained to only bite the suspect if they try to escape after the dog has implemented their "bark and hold" method, or if their handler gives them the command to do so.
With the "bite and hold" method, the dog is trained to pursue the suspect and then bite and hold him once he is in range. The dog will hold a bite on the suspect until given a release command by his handler. This method has fallen out of favor with many police departments because it is more dangerous for the dog. While the dog bites down on the suspect's leg or arm, the suspect is able to inflict damage on the dog, usually by stabbing it. Police dogs are a large investment for a police department and are loved by their handlers. Losing a dog in this kind of situation is usually deemed not worth the risk except in special circumstances.
German Shepherd Dogs, which are trained as police dogs, are often given commands in a language other than English. This prevents suspects from knowing what the dog is about to do, or from trying to release the dog from its pursuit. The other reason for this is to help the dogs focus on the commands. Using words that will not be heard in an everyday conversation keeps the dog from misinterpreting a word in a casual setting as a command, preventing accidental injury to civilians.
Today, the German Shepherd Dog is respected the world over for its excellence in police work. In the United States, police dogs are often known as the K-9 unit. They are respected members of the force and are admired for their work. They have become so ubiquitous for their police and military that the German Shepherd Dog is often referred to as "police dogs" by the general public, whether they are working dogs or just family pets.
German Shepherds take on several different roles in the police force. One of their jobs is as a public order enforcement dog. These GSDs are trained to chase and hold suspects until their handlers command them to stop. The dogs are specially trained to not bite the suspects, but to ensure they do not escape. The GSD's high intelligence level, excellent response to training, and "threatening" demeanor makes them perfect for this job.
Tracking is another specialty of the German Shepherd Dog. They use their strong sense of smell and unending endurance to search for people and objects. Nose work can also be applied to illegal substance detection. The GSD's excellent sense of smell allows them to be trained for detecting drugs or explosives. The dog and their handler will work together to find substances on a person or their belongings. This work is useful at airports, borders and in schools for drug detection. They can also be used to find missing persons, either by tracking the scent of the person or by detecting the odor of a decomposing body.
Some police dogs are purchased or donated to a police department as adults, but it is preferable to start training with puppies. The training programs that German Shepherd Dogs are taken through require skill, dedication, and a lot of hard work. Police dog training consists of teaching the dog to either "bark and hold" or "bite and hold" depending on the local laws and departmental policies are. There has been a long standing debate over which method works best, because while it is harder for a suspect to escape a "bite and hold", the "bark and hold" method is safer and places fewer liability risks on the department.
When using "bark and hold" methods, the dog will pursue a suspect until he catches up to them. Once he has caught up with the suspect, he will try to intimidate and contain the person by circling around the suspect and barking repeatedly. The dog will not stop this until his handler arrives and gives him the release command. The dog is trained to only bite the suspect if they try to escape after the dog has implemented their "bark and hold" method, or if their handler gives them the command to do so.
With the "bite and hold" method, the dog is trained to pursue the suspect and then bite and hold him once he is in range. The dog will hold a bite on the suspect until given a release command by his handler. This method has fallen out of favor with many police departments because it is more dangerous for the dog. While the dog bites down on the suspect's leg or arm, the suspect is able to inflict damage on the dog, usually by stabbing it. Police dogs are a large investment for a police department and are loved by their handlers. Losing a dog in this kind of situation is usually deemed not worth the risk except in special circumstances.
German Shepherd Dogs, which are trained as police dogs, are often given commands in a language other than English. This prevents suspects from knowing what the dog is about to do, or from trying to release the dog from its pursuit. The other reason for this is to help the dogs focus on the commands. Using words that will not be heard in an everyday conversation keeps the dog from misinterpreting a word in a casual setting as a command, preventing accidental injury to civilians.
