What is a K9 Dog? K9 Dog Breeds, Training & Duties

K9 or K-9 is another name for what is more commonly known as a police dog, while also being a homophone of the word “canine“.

What Kind of Dog is a K9?

A German Shepherd is one of the most common types of K9 security dogs and were the first ever dog to be chosen and used as a K9. However, there are many different breeds of dogs that provide police services.

K9 Dog Breeds

Here is a list of some of the popular K9 dog breeds:

• Belgian Tervueren
• Blood Hound
• Boxer Dog
• Doberman Pinscher
• Dutch German Shepherd
• German Shepherd
• German Short-haired Pointer
• Giant Schnautzer
• Labrador Retriever
• Rottweiler

K9 Dog Training

K9 police dog training takes ten weeks.

Obedience training is one of the most important lessons in police K9 training as it is vital that law-enforcement dogs can help protect and guard without causing disruptions and misbehaving. It is necessary for guard dogs to follow orders without hesitation, so that their customers receive optimal protection and security.

A lot of security dogs live with their handler, which assists in forming a stronger relationship between the handler and the guard dog, helping them to trust and care for each other. This is developed further as it is up to the owner to care for the dog, from feeding to grooming them.

Duties of K9 Police Dogs

Specialised police dogs are trained to perform multiple duties depending on their job role.

Specialist search dogs perform duties, such as:

• Finding drugs
• Searching for explosives
• Looking for lost people
• Discovering crime scenes

The security patrol dog’s main job role is to help protect the area they are guarding, while standing alongside their handler and following orders.

These mobile patrol dogs listen to their owner’s and handler’s every command while keeping a look out for any threat that may be made on the premises they are guarding. Their main aim is to both protect people from danger and to help protect their owners and handlers from any oncoming risks.

Advantages of Security Patrol Dogs

From being on guard at airports, to assisting at crime scenes and mobile dog patrols, there are an endless amount of advantages to having a police dog at your side.

Not only do they help put an end to any harm that could occur, but they also help prevent from problems happening.

This is because when the public see a police guard and a dog on duty, as it is seen as a threat, helping to possibly put an end to any plans people had in mind.

If you are in need of search or patrol dogs, give MEC Security a call today and we will be more than happy to offer a free quote and advice on the services we provide.