The size of the average police dog will vary depending on the breed. Active duty German Shepherds typically weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. A single purpose police dog can cost upwards of $4,000 without any training. A dog trained for both patrol and narcotics can cost between $8,000 and $10,000.
Getting and training a dog can cost as much as $8,000. Only the best police officers are allowed to have dog partners. They are called K-9 officers and they stay with the dog until the dog retires. It was in Belgium in 1899 that police dogs first began active duty in organized programs.
German Shepherds are intelligent, energetic, and fiercely loyal creatures, making them a perfect choice for police dogs. The shelf-life of a police dog is only 6-8 years, after which he/she goes on to live with the handler and his family or be adopted by a family looking for a service dog.
Police dogs help officers in many ways. Learn about these helpful animals who guard, smell, protect, and defend.
A police dog, known in some English-speaking countries as a "K-9" or "K9" (a homophone of "canine"), is a dog that is specifically trained to assist police and .
Dogs have been used as K9 units for many centuries, for police work, narcotics detection, search-and-rescue work, and many more. Here are the other .
