Basic Information

• A canine officer is a police officer who works with a specially trained dog.

• After a few years of being a patrol officer an officer interested in specializing in the canine unit can obtain canine training and certification.

Responsibilities

• Canine officers search open areas and buildings, handle and ensure obedience of his dog, and tracking.

Benefits

• K-9 handlers are often the highest paid officers on the department due to the amount of overtime they put in

Training

• K9 police officers and their K9 companions both receives specialized training in the detection of narcotics, electronic devices, explosives, and corpses.

• You will also need to learn protocols such as how to release your dog or call it back.

Salary

• Salaries range from $21,120 to $112,730 per year.

Qualification for Employment

• Prior experience with dog handling is not usually required, but it will give you an edge over the competition.

• you must become a certified police officer prior to assignment to the K-9 unit.

Education Requirements

• Canine officers, much like police officers, should have either a high school diploma or a college degree with a majority of courses focused on police science, police evidence and law, criminology and general law. Police training academies also provide training to qualified candidates. Prior law enforcement experience is needed to gain experience and qualify for the canine handling role. Federal agencies may have higher thresholds or different requirements, such as knowledge of customs laws, for their canine officers.

Primary Mission

• The primary mission of the Canine Training & Evaluation Section is to provide effective learning environments and opportunities, utilizing current and relevant training curricula and evaluation methodologies, to enable and challenge National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program Participants, and other designated transportation security professionals, to perform their duties and responsibilities in a highly effective manner.

What to Study

• High school diploma with training as a police officer and a few years of experince as an officer