Canines and their partners?

[syrnypolice]

I was just wondering…as a canine cop, does your police dog live with you? Or do the dogs live at the station? I was curious to know if the bond between the officer and their canine was developed simply from working together or if you play together as well.

[corporal716]

All the k9 cops where I worked lived with their dogs. They were like part of the family. When the dogs retired they lived out the rest of their lives with the officer.

[dragonspider]

I think MOST K-9 officers and their dogs live together, but I have seen a few departments on TV (not NYPD Blue, but real stuff) where the dog lives at the station, or a kennel. I'm not a dog trainer, but I'd think the officer and the dog would build a much stronger relationship by living and working together... There are probably some statistics out there on this somewhere...

[Drew27k9]

Right now I have a black lab trained in narcotics detection and he lives in the house with me and the family. My two prior dogs were dual purpose (patrol/narcotics) and they lived at my house, but they were outside in the kennel.

[K9Cop]

I was just wondering…as a canine cop, does your police dog live with you? Or do the dogs live at the station?

My current partner (Malinios - Patrol/TTD/Narcs) lives in the house with me. My former partner (Rotty- Patrol, Tracking, Narcs)preferred his kennel. Really depends on the dog, the officer/family and the department's views. When I was a Military Working Dog Handler - there was no choice in the matter - the dog resided at the MWD Kennels. You'll find that handlers/trainers/pd's have their own reasonings pro and con for whether to kennel or keep their partners in the house. I think I had just as strong a bond and working relationship with my former partners as I do with my current one.

I was curious to know if the bond between the officer and their canine was developed simply from working together or if you play together as well.

I do both and try to incorporate the two together. There is actually a fine line between work and play when it comes to Police K-9's or any dogs for that matter. We might think it is work when we find drugs - but most Narc Dogs think it is a game (kinda like hide and seek on a different level) - find the dope and they get their reward (ball, kong, towel, praise etc).

[syrnypolice]

Ok I see, is there any danger of ruining the dogs training by being around family members, like being fed food from the table, or being scolded by a different person. Not necessarily these things but anything else that could mess up a dogs training by living at home? Its just that I have heard that a dogs training is very fine tuned and some things can mess that up.

[Jynkxxie]

O.k. I have not read all of this, however K9 I have a question for you. Can you protect your dog? Or should I say partner, and to what extent?

[Hightower]

Ok I see, is there any danger of ruining the dogs training by being around family members, like being fed food from the table, or being scolded by a different person. Not necessarily these things but anything else that could mess up a dogs training by living at home? Its just that I have heard that a dogs training is very fine tuned and some things can mess that up.

Police canines are incredible animals. Sometimes, it is like they are an actual human being. Many dogs seem to know the difference between work and home. Some handlers will take off the dogs badge when at home to give the clue that they are not at work, then put the badge back on the dog when they are leaving for work. Other dogs seem to pick up on the handler wearing a uniform. They pick up on the clue that if their handler is wearing a uniform, it's time to go to work. You can see an actual change in some of the dogs when they realize it is time to go to work.

I am not saying that all dogs are this way, but many of them are. Personally, I don't keep my dog in the house. Most of the time he stays in the kennel. I do not feed him table scraps, he eats only dog food.

Hightower

[syrnypolice]

Police canines are incredible animals. Sometimes, it is like they are an actual human being. Many dogs seem to know the difference between work and home. Some handlers will take off the dogs badge when at home to give the clue that they are not at work, then put the badge back on the dog when they are leaving for work. Other dogs seem to pick up on the handler wearing a uniform. They pick up on the clue that if their handler is wearing a uniform, it's time to go to work. You can see an actual change in some of the dogs when they realize it is time to go to work.

I am not saying that all dogs are this way, but many of them are. Personally, I don't keep my dog in the house. Most of the time he stays in the kennel. I do not feed him table scraps, he eats only dog food.

Hightower

Are you K9 LE? It’s just that I hate when I get answers about detailed police work from non-LE.
If you are that’s fine, just want to make sure. I see a lot of crap flying around this forum and I just want good sound information, that’s all.
No offense intended.

[syrnypolice]

Are you K9 LE? It’s just that I hate when I get answers about detailed police work from non-LE.
If you are that’s fine, just want to make sure. I see a lot of crap flying around this forum and I just want good sound information, that’s all.
No offense intended.

Ok sorry, I just looked at your profile. Your occupation says you are a police officer, I just dint see a Verified LE.

[oscarmitre]

I'm not directly involved with police dogs but I handle the training of police officers in the Dog Operations Unit (among other units) and I work with them now and again. This is in South Australia but I would imagine the practice is constant. The dog lives with the handler and family. However - and what Hightower has posted is in line with practice here - they are not treated as a pet. I have heard a DOU officer say that the dog is a member of the family but not a pet. No table scraps, no begging at the table - they are trained to behave properly. They play with the kids (everyone has to have some fun) but they are not house pets.

And they are not approachable - I can tell you from personal experience. If you're not their handler then don't go near one without the handler giving you permission :D

[K9Cop]

Ok I see, is there any danger of ruining the dogs training by being around family members, like being fed food from the table, or being scolded by a different person. Not necessarily these things but anything else that could mess up a dogs training by living at home? Its just that I have heard that a dogs training is very fine tuned and some things can mess that up.

Hightower made some very valid points and comments. As he stated, the first thing that I do when we arrive home is take off my partners collar and badge. He is cued by this procedure that he is off duty. No different then when I place his tracking harness and long line next to a vehicle - he is cued that I don't want him to search for dope - I want him to obtain scent from the area and track the suspect. I don't even use the same commands at home that I do when we are working - "go lay down" he knows that I'm not asking him to drop like a rock the instant I say it, like he is required to do at work when I give him the command to "oft". He will not listen to anyone else's command but mine and one alternate person that I trained with him to listen to in case I am injured and unable to command him....... to allow say EMS to render aid to me. He will not work for this person (narcs, ttd, patrol) but he does trust this person enough to come to him (out for him as well) when commanded, place a leash on him and will go into a crate or car for him. My personal opinion, and I personally know of some handlers who will give a different opinion, is the only way to "ruin" all the training and work a team has accomplished is by the handler not being consistent in what he expects from his partner on or off duty - laziness on the handlers part. Just my two cents......

[K9Cop]

O.k. I have not read all of this, however K9 I have a question for you. Can you protect your dog? Or should I say partner, and to what extent?

Sorry I use partner instead of dog alot - helps some of the citizens we come in contact with understand a little better that he is not my dog or pet.

I'd like to answer the first question with an affirmative, but I know from experience that as much as I would like to, just like human officers, I can't always protect him/them from everything. Can I protect him if it is reasonably possible - yes. If I am legally justified to send him for an apprehension, and the suspect is assaulting my partner I can use a reasonable amount of force to subdue/stop the suspect. Some say that the biggest mistake handlers make is treating their partners as pets (that would definitely be a disservice to the K-9 and the team). My opinion on the biggest mistake that some handlers make is believing that their partner will save their life, when in actuality the K-9 will hopefully give you enough time so that you can save your own life or another officers .....and hopefully their life as well.

[Hightower]

Ok sorry, I just looked at your profile. Your occupation says you are a police officer, I just dint see a Verified LE.

Yep, I am a cop and a K9 handler. The only reason that I am not listed as verified is because I prefer not to go through the process that this board has set up for verification.

Hightower

[Stump]

I'll throw my two cents in here only because I work for the same area you live in, NY. All departments here take the dogs home. That is one of the requirements to be a K9 officer - being able to provide a good home for da puppy. The canines are retired into their partner's home if the officer wants them (I've never heard of one that didn't!).