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Is a detection dog the same as a k9 police officer? I don't think they ever say. I think with the right training and supervision any breed of dog can be a police dog.
It isn't clear what her role is. I get the sense that she is used to alert to scents, so maybe isn't a full-fledged K9, but maybe I am missing something.
I do want to give kudos to Poughkeepsie which used to be very - um- well, let's just say, not progressive or forward-thinking. The Animal Farm Foundation is new since I left that area, but it also seems to be doing good work and raising public awareness in the mid-Hudson valley area.
Is a detection dog the same as a k9 police officer? I don't think they ever say. I think with the right training and supervision any breed of dog can be a police dog.
Some police K9s work as detection dogs only whereas others work as tracking and/or patrol dogs. Some do it all.
No, not every breed can. Size is required for the obvious reason. Other factors are the motivation and drives (prey and fight) necessary to be trained for detection work, tracking, bite work and patrol duties. Not all breeds have these...think breeds designed as companions, hunting breeds with their soft mouths, breeds with delicate jaw/head structures and breeds for whom hard-biting and hanging on is completely foreign to their genetics.
Airport detection work (and the like) is a different story. Breeds with a gentle demeanor and appearance can be advantageous when working in a crowded public setting. Certainly all breeds can be taught scent work and maybe even detection work but the short nosed (brachycephalic) breeds would have trouble working in various weather and terrain conditions. The only exception I can think of would be Boxers but they are not extremely short-nosed.
I am sure there are rare individuals within most breeds that might have the drives and motivation necessary for police work but without the size and bite force strength of the larger working breeds all that expensive training would be down the drain with one good foot stomp from the bad guy or even an unintentional injury from it's handler during an apprehension.
I've often thought pit bulls would make great dogs for various kinds of police work. They have very stable temperaments and tend not to be as high-strung as German Shepherds and Malinois. Every once in a while, you hear about a police dog flipping its lid and going after a kid or pet, etc. But for all you hear about pit bulls attacking people, have you EVER heard of a pit bull that has been rigorously trained by an experienced handler doing that? I haven't.
In the dog sports world there are quite a few pit bulls, and they tend to be among the most stable dogs. A well-trained pit bull is an incredibly reliable animal.
Some police K9s work as detection dogs only whereas others work as tracking and/or patrol dogs. Some do it all.
No, not every breed can. Size is required for the obvious reason. Other factors are the motivation and drives (prey and fight) necessary to be trained for detection work, tracking, bite work and patrol duties. Not all breeds have these...think breeds designed as companions, hunting breeds with their soft mouths, breeds with delicate jaw/head structures and breeds for whom hard-biting and hanging on is completely foreign to their genetics.
Airport detection work (and the like) is a different story. Breeds with a gentle demeanor and appearance can be advantageous when working in a crowded public setting. Certainly all breeds can be taught scent work and maybe even detection work but the short nosed (brachycephalic) breeds would have trouble working in various weather and terrain conditions. The only exception I can think of would be Boxers but they are not extremely short-nosed.
I am sure there are rare individuals within most breeds that might have the drives and motivation necessary for police work but without the size and bite force strength of the larger working breeds all that expensive training would be down the drain with one good foot stomp from the bad guy or even an unintentional injury from it's handler during an apprehension.
You are right. I should have qualified my statement to indicate the importance of size and jaw power.
This is an interesting thought. I am way not in the school of thought that there "are no bad pitties, just bad trainers", but that said, most pittie mixes are pretty good dogs. And I think they are pretty good at a lot of the things I would think you'd want for a K-9 dog.
Not sure that they would be the best tracker, but who knows? And individuals vary.
My question would leap to "why do the K-9 training schools go almost exclusively to the large herding breeds?" E.g. GSD, Malinois, Tervuren. They have to pass an "exam" to prove their ability when training is done. Is there some part of that exam that tends to rule out PB mixes?
Is a detection dog the same as a k9 police officer? I don't think they ever say. I think with the right training and supervision any breed of dog can be a police dog.
The officer in the video says she is "patrol certified", making her a K-9 officer, and she can be used for scent work, tracking lost adults and children.
Is a detection dog the same as a k9 police officer? I don't think they ever say. I think with the right training and supervision any breed of dog can be a police dog.
Yes detection dogs are considered K9 Police officers. While they are not a traditional breed, Pit Bulls have been used from time to time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hiero2
My question would leap to "why do the K-9 training schools go almost exclusively to the large herding breeds?" E.g. GSD, Malinois, Tervuren. They have to pass an "exam" to prove their ability when training is done. Is there some part of that exam that tends to rule out PB mixes?
Because that's what they (those breeds) are bred to do. While they are considered herding breeds they have been extensively bred for police/military/protection/ect work for a long time. It's not about ruling out other breeds, Pits and many other breeds are not bred for it. A Pit Bull mix probably hasn't been selectively bred for anything. It is the same reason you typically see hounds tracking game, retrievers retrieving, border collies herding, ect. Other breeds can do these things too but people usually are going to select the one which is more likely to give the needed and best results.
Randomly bred, backyard bred, ect Shepherds are also not selected.
........My question would leap to "why do the K-9 training schools go almost exclusively to the large herding breeds?" ........
Because it is actually very difficult to get a dog to bite a human, to really bite and grip and not just nip. The training is costly and if you are going to spend that much time and money, you start with a dog that has the best chance of completely the training successfully.
They don't just use all large herding breeds. Many dogs of those breeds will not bite. The training goes to dogs who have a long pedigree of schutzhund or ring sport ancestors. Even some of those dogs don't make it.
A well bred pitbull should have a very strong genetic bite inhibition. From a genetic standpoint, they should not bite humans. It would be difficult to get them to bite and grip. If you could get one to bite reliably, they bite too strong. The police want a suspect held, not have his arm broken.
Many breeds will defend their family. That is not the same thing as being ordered out to bite a stranger, every time, reliably.
Adding, in the training, the dogs don't bite humans. They learn to play tug with a padded sleeve and the sleeve is eventually moved onto an arm. Some dogs, who show great promise with the sleeve, will never switch to a bare human arm. They are playing a game, not fighting.
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