Texas Police Dog Training
The use of police dogs in Texas is a common practice for many law enforcement agencies, from the Rio Grande Valley to the Red River. Trained police dogs are used for a variety of law enforcement purposes, including drug detection, tracking, rescue and recovery, patrol and highway drug interdiction.
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Purchasing
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Finding the right dog will require testing several dogs. There are many police-dog vendors in the state of Texas, but there are very few regulations on who can sell a so-called "police dog," so it is important to check references and do your research on the vendor prior to making a purchase. The United States Police Canine Association and the National Narcotic Detection Associations can assist you in finding a good police-dog vendor in Texas.
Training
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Once a dog is purchased, it needs to go through initial training with your police department's dog handler, which could be anywhere from two to 16 weeks in duration, depending on the level of training the dog already has. Initial training will bonding together as a team, scent work, obedience, tracking, building searches, bite work and air scent searches. There is no State of Texas mandate on police-dog training, but there is an accepted standard among different Texas canine associations.
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Handlers
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The proper training for you and your dog handler will be paramount to the success of your police-dog program. If you have a highly trained police dog but lack a highly trained and skilled handler, the success of the team will be jeopardized. Choosing a highly motivated, experienced officer who is a hard worker and is physically fit is essential. Handler training is usually conducted by private Texas trainers who sell police dogs and is often included in the price of the dog.
Equipment
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As a police dog handler, you will need leads, collars, training aides, vehicle inserts, harnesses and muzzles, just to name a few. There are many retailers of police and sport dog equipment online, so you should be able to find everything you need to get started.
Group Training
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Train your dog with other police officers. Your police dog will need weekly and sometimes daily training to keep its skill level at its peak. Many police agencies train their canine units together. Again, contact one of the Texas canine associations to find other police-dog handlers in your specific area of Texas.
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References
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- Photo Credit german shepherd image by Craig Stevens from Fotolia.com the dog licks lips image by Sergejs Nescereckis from Fotolia.com police car up close image by Aaron Kohr from Fotolia.com
