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Are Police Dogs Friendly on Duty and Off Duty?

Are Police Dogs Friendly on Duty and Off Duty

Dogs are real companions. Dog owners consider themselves lucky to have someone who will not judge them for their actions. But don’t forget when we are talking about dogs, some dog breeds are your companion and guard your life. Yes, we are talking about the police dogs.

We all know police dogs look dangerous, and ordinary people feel frightened to go near them. However, somewhere we all have thought about whether the police dogs are friendly or not. In that case, do know, dogs are police dogs are friendly, but when they are off-duty. So you cannot consider them to have the same aura when they are on duty.

The on-duty police dogs are strict and do not listen to commands given by others who are not their master. During duty, they are attentive, and the distractions in their surroundings do not create any difference for them. To know more about the behavior of police dogs off-duty and on-duty, do read out till the last and grab all the information. Let’s get started!

Do police dogs know what exactly they are doing on duty? 

Police dogs are among the most attentive dogs. Not only the police dogs any working dog you have is attentive, and they are aware of what they are doing. When they are on duty, they consider their master’s command and job their priority, and other things then hit their list.

And when they are off duty, they behave like other friendly dogs and adjust to their surroundings. At home, they love to play, cuddle, enjoy their favorite meals, and so on.

German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois for human search and rescue operations
Did you know? The most common breeds used for human search applications are German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois. And other popular dog breeds for police dogs are Dutch Shepherds, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinchers, and Bouvier de Flandres

Do police dogs chill out when off-duty?

Dogs adapt the behavior suitable as per their surroundings. When they are off duty, you see they are chilling around and not being aggressive. They love to be part of fetch and play games and other activities in which you engage with them.

Here is a video showing K9’s being cute and friendly when off-duty.

Note: If you are familiar with the dog, then only move ahead and try out such things with them. But if you are a stranger to the police dog you are approaching, do not try this at all. This is because dogs might get aggressive in a while, and controlling them at this point is difficult.

Are police dogs dangerous to strangers?

As we have already discussed, police dogs can be friendly when they are off-duty. But do not consider this a universal statement because if you are a stranger to the police dog, it takes a while for them to be friendly towards you. Also, treat a police dog with respect and care. If the dog recognizes your intent to come close as malicious, then it might hurt you. If such a situation happens, you will be the only one responsible for the same.

Here is a video about A Day in the Life: Police Dog Handler by New Zealand Police’s official YouTube channel!
  1. Are police dogs kept in cages?

    Police dogs can rest in their kennels, or the handler can take them home where rest at home. It depends on the handler. Police dogs require proper rest and time with their handler to maintain a strong bond. So, they are always cared for to ensure they can perform their police duties properly.

  2. Do police dogs live in the house?

    Yes, police dogs live in the handler's house after their daily duties. And they can be called for duty at any time along with their handler.

  3. What language are police dogs trained in?

    Dogs are trained primarily in their native language, which sometimes happens to be German or Dutch. They do so to make it easy for dogs to understand commands. However, if your dog's native language is different, they can be trained in that language.

  4. Do police dogs get funerals?

    Yes, if a police dog dies on duty, it is given the same amount of respect as a human law enforcement unit and will be cremated as per the agency rules or as per the request of the dog's handler.

What we learned from all this

Police dogs are friendly when they are off duty. But when they are on duty, you cannot expect them to be friendly with you and engage in any playful activity. When they are on duty, they follow every command given to them. Also, dogs can sense when they are on and off-duty, which means there will be no need for you to teach them anything in such a situation.

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