Frequently Asked Questions
The Foundation grants dogs, cash grants and/or K-9 Bullet Proof Vests to any department that qualifies and is accepted for a particular grant in New Hampshire, Maine and northeastern Massachusetts. The Foundation also maintains and runs the New Hampshire Police K-9 Academy at the National Guard Training Site on the Pease Tradeport grounds in Newington, NH.
The Foundation holds Patrol Dog and Detector Dog certifications and competitions under the auspices of the USPCA (United States Police Canine Association), yearly seminars in patrol, narcotics, detection and tracking and seminars with internationally recognized experts on training issues.
Canine first-aid seminars are held regularly for K-9 handlers and at least once yearly for the general public. The Foundation K-9 handlers do educational support at schools, public events and fairs in an ongoing community policing effort and have the "Adopt-A-K-9" program that includes the NH Governor's Award winning "K-9 Kasha- The True Story of a NH K-9" as well as the new, online journal "Growing Up K-9 The Journey and Journal of K-9 Kai."
Back to FAQ
What breeds of dogs do you use and why?
The most common breed used is the German Shepherd Dog. Another breed frequently seen is the Belgian Malinois.
Most police departments want a dog that can be a "dual-purpose" police dog. This means a dog that can be a Patrol K-9 plus one other area of expertise, such as narcotics or bomb detection. Both breeds have a high percentage of dogs that exhibit the desired traits for a dual purpose police K-9: trainability, confidence around people and new places, confident under gunfire, excellent scenting skills for drugs, bombs and tracking, plus they possess discernment, loyalty, are good with kids and exhibit a high energy play drive i.e. crazy about playing ball or tug rope. They also have long working lives, can handle the physical demands of the obstacle course and have a good, all-weather hair coat that handles both extremes of summer and winter weather well.
What other breeds are used?
There are several other breeds that have been granted by the Working Dog Foundation and that train with the NH Police K-9 Academy.
Many drug dogs are Golden Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers. In fact, the very first dog that was granted by the Working Dog Foundation was a Golden Retriever, "K-9 Sam". Sam was an outstanding Narcotics K-9, and a great ambassador for the Foundation and the breed. K-9 Norman is another Golden Retriever and was named in the Top 10 Narcotics Detection Dogs at the 2004 National Drug Dog trials.
K-9 Poacher is a great example of a fine Labrador Retriever Police Dog. Poacher works for the Maine Fish & Game department as a detector dog for fish poaching.
Other excellent Police K-9's at the NH Police K-9 Academy have been Rottweilers, Border Collie and Dutch Shepherd.
Where do you get your dogs from and why?
We purchase most of the dogs that we grant from agencies that specialize in police dogs. The dogs usually come to us trained in tracking, obedience and started in protection work. This greatly shortens the time before the dog can actually start to go to work; usually the new handler needs more training the dog!
I have a dog/puppy I want to donate, how do I do this?
As stated in FAQ #3, most of our dogs come to us with a good deal of training in the areas we need. Once in a while an outstanding prospect is brought to our attention. At that point our head trainer and assistant trainers do a series of evaluations to determine the suitability of the dog. If the dog passes the preliminary tests it may then be placed with a handler to start training.
We do not take donations of puppies, as there is no program in place to raise, socialize or train a puppy.
If you think you have a dog that would make a good Police K-9 here are a number of things to consider:
(also, check out "What tests must they pass?")
-
Does the dog like people, especially kids? The answer should be "YES". An overtly aggressive dog is not desirable in today's community police dog.
-
Is the dog well socialized with other dogs and/or pets? Have you taken the dog to a lot of different kinds of places? Has the dog ridden a lot in the car? A dog who is "fine at home" but insecure, fearful, shy or aggressive outside of his home turf invariably cannot overcome the lack of early socializing well enough to be a reliable, sound police dog.
-
Does the dog love to play ball, stick, tug, swim, frisbee? We love the dogs that wear you out!
-
Is the dog healthy, have good hips, elbows, etc.? If you think you have a happy-go-lucky, healthy, well-adjusted, loves the kids, jumps on or over everything, carries his/her ball everywhere dog between the ages of 12 months to 18 months, contact: nhk9blue@comcast.net
What kind of tests do they go through in order to be considered a Police K-9 Candidate?
-
Gunfire tolerance: does not display fear or over reactive aggression.
-
Confidence on variable surfaces. i.e. linoleum, wood flooring, stairs, see-through iron stairs, obstacles.
-
Confidence and tolerance with people/things in different environments i.e. shopping malls, around bicycles, motorists, horses.
-
Health Screening
-
Hip and elbow x-rays
-
Play drive
-
Aggression level toward other dogs and animals should be low.
-
Trainability: Is the dog willing to learn and cooperate with handler?
-
Discernment: If the dog is on a "down-stay" and the handler is attacked, does the dog have the ability to "intelligently disobey" and come to handler's defense?
-
Heart and Courage or that special "something"! Can the dog forget physical discomfort and come back the next day with the same desire to train? Can the dog forgive a rookie handler who may make a training mistake?
How old are they when they start training?
Approximately 12-18 months old for serious police work. Up until 12 months their bones and joints are growing and should not be unduly physically stressed, and mentally it takes maturity to handle the stress of protection training.
At what age do they retire?
The average retirement age is 10 +/- years.
What are some of the things they are trained to do?
Police Dogs are taught to do the following:
- Search buildings and areas for unauthorized persons.
- Track criminals and search for Alzheimer's patients,lost children, etc.
- Search for evidence dropped by fleeing criminals .
- Pursue and apprehend, with minimum force, criminals fleeing a serious crime.
- Apprehend on command and in Protection of the Handler.
Some dogs have further training in narcotic or bomb detection, cadaver work and others are trained in the specific needs of their department e.g. Fish & Game.
A properly trained and handled Police K-9 is one of the best non-lethal aids in the prevention and detection of crime.
Do you have examples of dogs that have done successful jobs?
Do the handlers get to pick their own dogs?
No, not the dogs that are granted to departments by the Working Dog Foundation. Once a grant has been approved for a department our emphasis is finding the right dog for that particular handler and his/her department based on the handler's and department's previous experience with police K-9.
Do the handlers get to name their dogs?
Once in a while the dog's name may be changed, but usually it keeps the name it came with.
Do they live with their handler or at a kennel?
The Working Dog Foundation dogs live at home with the handler and their family, and on their off-duty time are valuable members of that family.
What kind of training methods do you use?
We use incremental training with a minimum of compulsion (force). Praise training is required by the handler. A ball or other motivational item is used. E-Collars are strongly discouraged. Corrections are made to redirect the dog to the desired behavior and not to make the dog work out of fear of punishment. A dog fearful of punishment will not be reliable under stressful situations. The emphasis is on understanding the dog's drives and instincts, as well as a solid bond between handler and dog.
Who are the trainers and what is their training?
All of the trainers, from the assistant trainers to the head trainer, are certified USPCA handlers with minimum years of working Police K-9 and educational requirements for each level of instructor they attain.
Are the dogs certified? By whom and how often?
Yes, the dogs and handlers are certified through the USPCA. The United States Police Canine Association is the largest and oldest active organization of its kind.
The United States Police K-9 Association Inc., is a non-profit organization that created nationally accepted minimum standards for Police K-9 dogs through proper methods of training. The USPCA provides certifications for canine teams in the areas of Patrol, Tracking and all phases of Detector (narcotics, explosives, accelerants, wildlife and cadaver). Certifications of Trainers and Judges are also available.
All Foundation dogs must re-certify twice a year in each discipline they work in. For example, a dual purpose K-9 must re-certify 2x in Patrol Dog and 2x in the secondary discipline, such as narcotics detection, each year. The dogs are certified under USPCA (United States Police Canine Association) standards and regulations by USPCA judges.
How long do the dogs attend the NH Police K-9 training academy?
The training academy is an ongoing academy that trains weekly. Each team's training schedule can be adjusted to more frequent sessions based on team's need. No team progresses to the next level of training prior to competency in the current level. The initial training culminates in USPCA Region #9 or PD 1 certification.
All Foundation dogs must still meet minimum training hours each month after certification and re-certify 2x a year in each of their disciplines.
What happens to the dog when it retires?
The dog stays with the handler and family.
Do the dogs get holidays?
Whatever days off the handler has, the dog gets to enjoy, too!
Who started the Working Dog Foundation?
A small group of NH K-9 officers who recognized the need for ongoing, consistent training. From that commitment to each other the Foundation blossomed into a Federal 501:C to help other departments that wanted to form and operate a canine unit utilizing the most modern and effective training methods available.
What kind of grants do you give?
The Foundation may grant a dog, cash grant and/or K-9 Bullet Proof Vests.
Who can apply for these grants?
Currently we can accept Grant Applications from New Hampshire, Maine and northeastern Massachusetts.
I meet the initial requirements to apply for a grant, how do I apply?
What kind of commitment do you expect in return?
There is a minimum amount of matching funds, membership in the Working Dog Foundation and a training commitment of 4 years with the New Hampshire Police K-9 Academy for all dogs granted. Other types of grants have differing requirements. Click here for overview of the grant requirements.
Do you have ideas for departments that are outside of your grant area that want to start a K-9 unit?
Yes, click here for suggestions for your area. These are the same ideas we used to get started.
Back to FAQ
Approved by Capt. David "Lou" Ferland, Chief Administrator 3/18/05
|
