K-9 Crime Fighters
Police K-9 Qualities
Police K-9's are generally obtained from vendors who import them from Europe.
European-bred dogs are used and bred for working purposes since the inception of the
particular breed, so fewer of those dogs have lost their inherent working abilities.
All European dogs are not guaranteed to be perfect, so when selecting a new dog, the
handler and the trainer examine the dogs available and make a decision based primarily
on an evaluation of temperament followed by a check for physical soundness.
The trainer looks for a dog who is not easily rattled. Adaptability is a huge consideration in
that the dogs must be comfortable moving in and out of unfamiliar environments. A good
prey drive where the dog enjoys chasing moving "prey" and searching for hidden objects is
important, and a good fight drive where the dog is calm and confident, but able to attack on
command is necessary. Aggression stemming from confidence is desired, but a dog
attacking out of excessive defensiveness (fear), biting because he is out-of-control, or
otherwise unnecessarily hostile are unacceptable.
The ultimate police K-9 would possess the following qualities:
European-bred dogs are used and bred for working purposes since the inception of the
particular breed, so fewer of those dogs have lost their inherent working abilities.
All European dogs are not guaranteed to be perfect, so when selecting a new dog, the
handler and the trainer examine the dogs available and make a decision based primarily
on an evaluation of temperament followed by a check for physical soundness.
The trainer looks for a dog who is not easily rattled. Adaptability is a huge consideration in
that the dogs must be comfortable moving in and out of unfamiliar environments. A good
prey drive where the dog enjoys chasing moving "prey" and searching for hidden objects is
important, and a good fight drive where the dog is calm and confident, but able to attack on
command is necessary. Aggression stemming from confidence is desired, but a dog
attacking out of excessive defensiveness (fear), biting because he is out-of-control, or
otherwise unnecessarily hostile are unacceptable.
The ultimate police K-9 would possess the following qualities:
- High Confidence / Fight Drive
- Stability
- Strong Prey Drive
- Adaptability
- Good Health
Last updated August 9, 2006
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| German Shepherd showing defensive behavior (which is not a desired quality) towards DJ, who has adopted a threatening posture to see how the dog will react during testing. |
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