Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I am only 16 and I do not know the exact steps I have to take to get there. Also- Are officers with K9 partners only ever assigned to drug situations? What else are the dogs used for? Sorry if I seem ignorant- I am still researching... Thank You!!

I am only 16 and I do not know the exact steps I have to take to get there. Also- Are officers with K9 partners only ever assigned to drug situations? What else are the dogs used for? Sorry if I seem ignorant- I am still researching... Thank You!!
K9-MALY uses his dog to irritate and injure his fellow officers.:D
Speaking from personal experience, I have 3 years in and still have very little chance of getting a dog. Your best bet is to concentrate on becoming an officer first and then worry about specializing. By the time you get a few years under your belt you may find another job that you want. Good luck.

You need to become a good street officer first ( expect 3 to 5 yrs) and than you can apply for the K9 position. The position is competitive, you need to show that you are the best available to get it.

You need to become a good street officer first ( expect 3 to 5 yrs) and than you can apply for the K9 position. The position is competitive, you need to show that you are the best available to get it.

So the best thing you can do is get out there and search a good Ring- club. (Mondio- French-Belgian) and start working a dog

Greetings

Johan

I am only 16 and I do not know the exact steps I have to take to get there. Also- Are officers with K9 partners only ever assigned to drug situations? What else are the dogs used for? Sorry if I seem ignorant- I am still researching... Thank You!!

All of the dogs at our airport are EOD detection. DEA and TN Highway Patrol have the drug-sniffing ones.

You can have drug dogs, EOD, Cadaver, and search/rescue just to name a few. Like the others have advised, it is a sought after position. Expect several years on patrol before considering it. ;)

I'm not a K-9 officer, but have a suggestion. In my area, and perhaps yours, there are civilian search and rescue outfits. These are private individuals who obtain dogs, train them for search and rescue operations, and then volunteer their time (I think at times they may be paid as well). This would be a great way to gain experiance with training/raising dogs, and would be a great reference item on job applications you may make in the future. Just a thought. :)

I am only 16 and I do not know the exact steps I have to take to get there. Also- Are officers with K9 partners only ever assigned to drug situations? What else are the dogs used for? Sorry if I seem ignorant- I am still researching... Thank You!!

That's great that you want to be a K-9 Officer! You have a long road to travel though. :)

In five years, when you are able to become a Police Officer, you are going to want to be the best that you can be. You will have to work the streets as a patrolman for several years, before you will be able to apply for a K-9 position.

Once you apply for the position, you will have to be better than the numerous other Officers that have applied for the same position to secure it.

There are several things that are looked for in a K-9 handler, that a lot of people (including Police Officers) do not have!

The only advise that I can give you is always do the best that you can do at everything that you do.

The K-9 that I handle is trained and certified in Narcotics and Patrol. The K-9 can locate illegal drugs (anywhere), apprehend suspects, search buildings, search areas, track people, locate evidence and articles, and etc....

K9-MALY uses his dog to irritate and injure his fellow officers.:D

Is there something you would like to share? :D