Police Dogs

Tess&Coco · 02-09-2007, 05:22 AM

In the UK police dogs are trained (nowadays) using reward-based methods. Springers are extensively used as search dogs and are ALWAYS rewarded at the end of a search, real or practise, even if they don't find anything. They always finish by being "successful". What could be better for an active dog than to spend hours every day on an activity they love with a handler they respect?

Of course, finding drugs isn't the only thing that police dogs are trained for, and different tasks are trained for with different methods. For example a "man dog" will be trained almost exclusively to bring a running target to the ground. I don't know enough about how these dogs are trained to comment, but I do know that in the 30 years that my husband was in the UK police force, often working very closely with different types (i.e. trained for different tasks) of working dogs and their handlers, the training methods used changed vastly, and certainly in the earlier part of his career he was aware of some fairly brutal training methods. Having said that, the training of human officers has changed radically too, away from a very militaristic style of training that some people may consider "cruel" too!

I'm also sure that the stories that are in the public domain about cruel training methods are the most extreme examples, and are exaggerated by the "urban myth" tendency.

And yes, Alpha, I have read about dogs being trained to sniff out cancer. I am completely in favour of dogs being trained to use their instincts and skills and I am sure they find it incredibly satisfying.

lovemygreys · 02-09-2007, 07:21 AM

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Not to go off topic completely, but did anyone hear that dogs have been trained to detect cancer?!?! They are more accurate than all of the technology us humans have developed.

Those dogs are amazing....I saw a mini-schnauzer on TV that could do that.

Another question to the original poster, since they seem to know SO much about police dog training that they can deem it "cruel." - Police dogs can sniff out multipe drugs...I suppose they get them addicted to ALL of them? And you do realize that these drug-sniffing police dogs are also used to search for humans. I suppose they turn these crack/pot/meth/heroine addicted dogs loose to search for someone's 80 yr old Grandma who wandered into the woods. Do you see how your assertion just makes no sense at all?

iwantmypup · 02-09-2007, 09:21 AM

srry forgot to mentiobn that i do know anywhere they give a reward....after the searches

FranMan · 02-09-2007, 09:35 AM

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Originally Posted by DOBERMAN_07

I laughed so much from that commercial

What are the names of those ads. I want to find them on youtube.

DOBERMAN_07 · 02-09-2007, 11:35 AM

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Originally Posted by FranMan

What are the names of those ads. I want to find them on youtube.

I searched but found nothing

Tess&Coco · 02-09-2007, 12:25 PM

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Originally Posted by iwantmypup

srry forgot to mentiobn that i do know anywhere they give a reward....after the searches

Not sure exactly what you meant by this... may I ask where you are getting your information?

Chloef_2799 · 02-09-2007, 12:40 PM

Two of the dogs that I see regularily are retired police dogs. One is a GSD who is 12 years old and has arthritis so I see her once a week. She was used is tracking/chasing down criminals. She did that job until she was 8 years old. I also see a pitbull mix who was a drug sniffing dog at an airport. She is 10 years old and I see her once a week also. Next time they come in, I will ask their owners (who were also their handlers and work partners) what they think about this and if they have ever heard of it also. Me personally....I think it s a load of buloney and you should do some research into the training methods utilized by Police Assocoations and breeders of police dogs before you say they are cruel. Both of the dogs I mentioned are the sweetest dogs I have ever met...and they exhibit no signs of addiction or past abuse.
I was watching Animal Planet some time ago and I saw a dog (golden retreiver, who if I remember correctly lives and works in Toronto area?????) who is a mould snifing dog and there are pest control companies who even use beagles to sniff out cockroaches and termites. I have also heard of cancer sniffing dogs. It is absolutly amazing what dogs can do for us. I have seen shows on how they train police dogs and horses. I am sure there are people who train these animals with questionable ways, but they would never hurt the animals and get away with it. My cousin in a mounted officer in Toronto and it took her five years to become a mounted officer because you have to know SOOO much about the animsla before you can work with them and you have to have a genuine love of the animals. Now I ask you, would anyone who loves animals so much stand by silently if they thought their partner was being mis-treated?
Dogs like to work for us (well most do anyways, with my dogs, that is debatable, lol). And most breeds love to please and work for people so I think police dogs, and search and rescue dogs and even dogs used by fire investigators to search for the causes of fires are amazing animals who are NOT mis-treated. A mis-treated animal wouldn't work so willingly and act so happy go-licky if it was mis-treated.

Tess&Coco · 02-09-2007, 12:45 PM

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Originally Posted by Chloef_2799

Two of the dogs that I see regularily are retired police dogs. One is a GSD who is 12 years old and has arthritis so I see her once a week. She was used is tracking/chasing down criminals. She did that job until she was 8 years old. I also see a pitbull mix who was a drug sniffing dog at an airport. She is 10 years old and I see her once a week also. Next time they come in, I will ask their owners (who were also their handlers and work partners) what they think about this and if they have ever heard of it also. Me personally....I think it s a load of buloney and you should do some research into the training methods utilized by Police Assocoations and breeders of police dogs before you say they are cruel. Both of the dogs I mentioned are the sweetest dogs I have ever met...and they exhibit no signs of addiction or past abuse.
I was watching Animal Planet some time ago and I saw a dog (golden retreiver, who if I remember correctly lives and works in Toronto area?????) who is a mould snifing dog and there are pest control companies who even use beagles to sniff out cockroaches and termites. I have also heard of cancer sniffing dogs.
Dogs like to work for us (well most do anyways, with my dogs, that is debatable, lol). And most breeds love to please and work for people so I think police dogs, and search and rescue dogs and even dogs used by fire investigators to search for the causes of fires are amazing animals who are NOT mis-treated. A mis-treated animal wouldn't work so willingly and act so happy go-licky if it was mis-treated.

Well put!

Love the phrase "happy go-licky". Going to use it and pretend it was mine!

Chloef_2799 · 02-09-2007, 12:47 PM

LOL, it was a typo but I decided it sounded good, so I left it, hehehe

Tess&Coco · 02-09-2007, 12:50 PM

Sometimes typos are the best!

CrzyBritNAmerica · 02-09-2007, 02:16 PM

A little off topic...but in regards to police dogs, did anywhere hear on the news this morning that a man bit (yes I did say bit) a GSD police dog???? I couldn't believe it! Apparantly two dogs and the policemen were cornering these two guys and one jumped down a small cliff and into the hands of the cops, but the other guy pulled a knife on the dog, but ended up biting it and needless to say was bitten back and then caught. I believe the dogs were fine though! God I hope anyway. But seriously if I was in a situation where a trained police dog was meant to be cornering me (seriously don't think I'll ever be in the situation), but if I was I CERTAINLY would not bite the dog! I'll have to look up more and see if it's all true since it was on our local radio...

iwantmypup · 02-09-2007, 05:00 PM

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Originally Posted by Tess&Coco

Not sure exactly what you meant by this... may I ask where you are getting your information?

i have heard that they do get rewards after they sniff out a sent . From a friend of mine

tirluc · 02-09-2007, 05:00 PM

ok, guys......i think i need to put my girls in rehab.....they are getting addicted to agility, tennis balls, and, oh, no, GEESE......they can't even go in the van anymore (not really) b/c they think they are going to go get to do one of those things.....agilitiy, t-balls, and geese...oh, my!

oh, and i had a Thistle-addicted pony once...that was funny cuz he would do ANYTHING to get to thistles

Curbside Prophet · 02-09-2007, 05:05 PM

Does anyone know what the withdrawal period is for a mini schnauzer with SAND (Squirrel Attention Non-Deficit Disorder)?

A friend told me my dog has SAND.

iwantmypup · 02-09-2007, 05:43 PM

kk im done with ..now every1 is making fun

Curbside Prophet · 02-09-2007, 05:58 PM

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Originally Posted by iwantmypup

kk im done with ..now every1 is making fun

Sorry, I was just teasing...I meant no harm.

iwantmypup · 02-09-2007, 07:15 PM

ahh okies npnpn no problemosz

eley · 02-09-2007, 07:43 PM

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Originally Posted by iwantmypup

I am not trying to make an arguement . But I have seen and heard that they actually make the dogs addicted to majauana
and drugs so they can sniff out these drugs.

That is not fair. Its almost like your taking advantage of their sense of great smell..... They dont do that to us ! why should we do that to them..?

That WAS the way a very small number of detection dogs were trained decades ago. Trainers and handlers soon discovered that aside from being cruel and inhumane, that was a very ineffective method of training that resulted in dogs with a very short service time. Today detection dogs, whether they are detecting narcotics or explosives, are trained in a way that the dogs see as a game.

Besides, that method wouldn't work with explosives....how do you make a dog, or anyone, adicted to explosives?

Thru the day, mock searches in which the dogs will have a chance to actually find drug/explosives, are setup so the dogs will earn a reward and stay motivated.

As Curbside Prophet pointed out, like in any other type of dog training, force is used less and less, methods of training have com a long way since the old Koehler days, that includes police dog training. The dogs chosen for this kind of work are not only suited for demanding jobs, they NEED demanding jobs. They are high drive, high energy dogs that WANT something to do.

Chloef_2799 · 02-09-2007, 08:13 PM

I spoke with my boss (a vetrinarian of 17 years who works with some of the area police dogs) and did a little research of my own this afternoon and also turned up a small bit of information about dogs who were addicted to cocaine and other illegal drugs because of the training methods used to train them. It was quite a while ago I believe 1970's and 1980's and was caused because they used drugs that were not contained and also put the drugs into toys to make them associate the scent with play time. I can see that happening but not now-a-days. I mean jeese, could you imagine a GSD or a rottie going through cocaine withdrawl??? SCARY!!!!
Also the dogs are rewarded when they find a sent or apprehend a criminal etc etc etc. They are searching for the sent they were trained to find because the dogs know find the scent and I find the toy!!!

GSDmama · 02-14-2007, 05:42 AM

I thought I would add a few comments in here... I am in the Army's veterinary services and we train with the military working dogs (all German Shepherds) and these dogs are trained like any other dog except for the part that there are no TREATS or special beds or pretty bows from the groomer or drinking Evian. MWD's LOVE their job, they love their handlers and can't go one day without training. They will literally do their job until the day they die and are SO loyal to their handlers. I will admit then when the handlers bring the MWD's in we are not allowed to even touch them without a muzzle since they hate being poked they WILL bite. But that is their job, they are trained to be physically fit and help find the bad guys. Like a previous poster said, a PERSON bit one of those dogs. I'd hope you would expect a bite back from the dog...