[David Frost]

<<<The K9 Unit is a Specialised function and this aspect needs to be acknowledged and not down played.>>

Agree. All functions of the canine are handled by the canine unit. Our training division trains the people, we train dogs and dog teams. To be more specific, the training division trains the Troopers in all police related functions. The canine unit trains the dogs and Troopers in all canine related functions. Fleet takes care of all vehicles, although the canine unit director establishes how the canine transport units are set up differently than the regular road cars.

<<<revolving process” of a dog in the dog unit:>>>

All of our dogs are procurred as adult dogs, untrained. The canine training staff selects the dogs and assigns them to handlers. We don't breed or raise pups. To us it doesn't matter if it's a handlers 1st or 4th dog. The training is the same and the handler is expected to meet the specific objectives for that regimen of training. The handler will still go through the full course of instruction with the new dog. Depending on the functions the dog is being trained for, this could take anywhere from 10 to 18 weeks.

<<<Just like knives they need regular sharpening with an eight hour a week re-training program,>>

In service training is required, by General Order. In service training is 16 hours a month. All training is documented and reviewed by the training staff on a monthly basis. A written quarterly review is conducted on all teams. Each team recieves an annual practical evaluation and certification. Any team falling below the prescribed proficiency standards is removed from service and entered into a retraining course.

DFrost

 

[David Frost]

<<<<Perhaps a state-run program for breeding & raising police dogs could be the answer (one for each state)?>>> It just isn't cost effecient. The military and a large university both have breeding programs. At best, only 50% of the pups they produce will make it as a working dog. While the military certainly has more of a budget than most law enforcement departments, it's also a question of manpower, facilities etc. It just isn't feasible. In the early 70's the military tried the same thing. Selected breeding and rearing. All conducted initially at the Land Warfare Laboratory at Aberdeen Md. It was cancelled as well. Primarily because of cost vs. production. Most departments I'm familiar with don't buy puppies because it's a crap shoot on whether or not they'll make it through training. It's obvious in the number of imports that are purchased by both the military and civilian law enforcement.

<<< think Military dogs should be raised differently, there should be no surprise that they aren't suitable for civilian work. >>>>

I don't know why this should be. Having been in both the military working dog program (23 years) and civilian law enforcment dog programs (17 years) {{ damn I'm getting old}} I fail to see the difference in what is expected from a dog in the military and one in civilian law enforcement. In the 60's, I can understand with the use of the Sentry dog, but I fail to see the difference today.

DFrost

 

[David Frost]

<<<But his long ago experience in the military was not much like today's mission.>>>

My point exactly. Up until about 1968, the military used the Sentry Dog exclusively. The sentry dog was unlike anything the military has today. The only two things we were concerned with relative the sentry dog was it's ability to "scout" (air scent) and bite. The rest was fluff. Obediance was minimal. There were no requirements for off-leash anything but bite. Release was, the vast majority of the time, obtained by choking the dog off. Most certainly would not release on command. In late 69 early 70, the military embarked on a program to train nothing but patrol dogs. Many of the sentry dogs of the day were placed in a program to retrain them to the patrol dog standards. The military dog school, for all intents and purposes stopped training sentry and went to patrol. Thier patrol dog school was patterned after the patrol dogs of Metro Wash. DC canine unit. Thier instructors were the ones that came to Texas and taught the instructors of the military. There is very little difference in the military dog of today and those used civilian police departments. At least as far as learning objectives go.

DFrost