The Corvallis Police K-9 Unit:
Part V
Patrol Dogs

Note: This is the fifth of several articles in a series that explores the value of police dogs to a community. Go to Archives to read Parts I - IV.

"It is not possible to do our jobs as efficiently as we do without a K-9 Unit."
Corvallis Police Lt. Dave Henslee

The two major applications of patrol dogs by law enforcement agencies are to track and trail suspects and to conduct building searches. And although this is true in Corvallis, Corvallis Police use restrictive guidelines to deploy their K-9 for suspect apprehension. This is because in Corvallis the use of a K-9 is regarded as the equivalent of using an impact weapon such as a baton. Patrol dogs are also used to track missing children, to find evidence, and to deter violence.

Obedience is paramount in a patrol dog. And although the greatest majority, perhaps over 90%, of police patrol dog deployments are searches for objects or persons, patrol dogs are sometimes required to be aggressive. When this happens, the dog must be absolutely obedient and his aggression controlled strictly.

"Xar's obedience is amazing." Lt. Dave Henslee went on to say that, "When he is working, Xar won't give me the time of day. He could care less that I am there. His attention is riveted entirely on Jason (K-9 Officer Jason Harvey) and he does exactly what Jason tells him to do. But when he's not working he's like a big friendly puppy."

One of the main reasons large fierce-looking and sounding dogs are selected to be patrol dogs is that their mere presence can intimidate a suspect. The Corvallis Police (like most police agencies) would much rather have a suspect surrender without resistance at the sight and sound of their K-9 than to have to use force. And in most instances a suspect does surrender quickly without fighting when confronted by Xar.

Only on Jason's command will Xar intimidate and keep a suspect from fleeing. However, should the suspect try to attack Jason or Xar, Xar is trained to bite once and hold on until Jason gives the command to release. And that is the other reason patrol dogs are large and strong; they need to be able to control a suspect if force is used. Yet a properly trained and obedient patrol dog, like Xar, can be let off his leash in businesses, schools, and playgrounds with complete confidence in the safety of everyone.

And as former Corvallis K-9 Officer Mike Wells said, "Despite the urban myth that police dogs are vicious, in reality they are very controlled and actual bites are few." In five and a half years Mike's dog, Dag, had only five bites -- less than one per year -- in capturing over 60 criminals.*

It is important for patrol dogs to have the courage to obey a command to do something against their natural instinct or to enter a dangerous situation. For example, dogs typically do not like to go from a lighted area into dark places or go across slick floors. But police dogs often are required to do just that when searching for suspects in attics, crawl spaces, and buildings. With this in mind, training and competitions that patrol dogs go through are designed to reflect their life as police dogs. Emphasis is placed on; 1) area searches for people and objects; 2) agility -- jumps (must clear a six-foot wall), tunnels, obstacles; 3) speed and endurance; 4) suspect apprehension (this is where obedience is paramount); and 5) handler protection.

*Corvallis Police define a K-9 capture in its truest sense, i.e., as the apprehension of a criminal as a direct result of a K-9's deployment.

Up Next

In the next article of this series, Part VI, we will learn about drug detection dogs and the differences between them and patrol dogs.

References

Corvallis Police Department
Officer Jason Harvey
Lt. Dave Henslee
Officer Phil Howrey
Detective Mike Wells

History of Police Dogs and Military Dogs: www.geocities.com/ericsquire/articles/dogshist.htm
How Stuff Works: people.howstuffworks.com/police-dog1.htm
Oregon Police Canine Association: www.opca.com/