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Image source: peterboroughpolice.com

A K-9 unit is an important tool in the police department. A K9 is a German Shepherd trained specifically to assist the police and other law enforcement personnel in carrying out their duties effectively. These canine dogs are commonly known as police dogs and they can help in searching and rescuing a missing person, search for drugs, intimidate criminals, and carry out other important tasks. To help you understand on benefits of K9 units, take a look at these pros and cons.

Pros:

1. Officer Safety: The k9 unit are protective of their handlers and if they sense their partner is in danger they will attack. Police dogs are trained to help the handler control a big crown situation.

2. Detect explosives: A k9 unit can be trained to search for explosives and any flammable materials and provide police with a legal ground to begin the search.

3. Search criminals: When a suspect flees the police custody, the dog picks up the human scents that are drifting in the air making it easy to trace the direction of the fleeing suspect.

4. Rescue missing persons: Their sense of smell can track missing persons or carry out a rescue mission for people in distress. The dog smells something with the scent of the targeted person and starts tracking the target through the smell.

5. Search drugs: Dogs have a keen sense of smell and can detect odors that cannot be detected by humans. A well-trained police dog should be able to smell various illegal drugs even if they are sealed in plastic material.

6. Great partner: K9 units offer great companionship and partnership to their handlers. The dog works with you, protects, and cares for you.

7. Intimidate criminals: The handles can take k9 units on patrol to intimidate the criminals trying to escape the police custody or deter any criminal activity. They help keep schools, businesses, and a safe community.

8. Easy to work with: The police dogs are very smart, can easily obey the commands given to them, and are friendly.

9. Public relations: The police dogs can perform public relations between the police department and the community at large.

10. Make appearances: In demonstrations of various community events, the police dog provides some appearances.

Cons:

1. Dog yard: Most of the time as a handler you need to stay with the dog 24/7. Therefore, you need to have a supportive yard for the dog. Your family should also be supporting the dog to feel comfortable.

2. Aggressive: The police service dog is very aggressive and sometimes it might take a couple of weeks before it can allow other people close to it.

3. 24/7 care: When you’re the handler, you have to take care of the dog 24/7. They need a lot of dedication in terms of health care, vet appointments, and dentist appointments.

4. Be on standby: The handler and the police dogs should always be on standby for call-outs and public relations demonstrations.

5. Is not a pet: Although the dog is social, when you take it home you have to make sure your children or spouse know it is not a pet.

6. Bad allergies: Taking care of K9 is like taking care of a baby, the dog has to take medications to keep off from bad allergies.

7. Frequent training: You have to maintain constant training of the dog to keep it in shape and perform its functions well.

8. Dog bite: Although it is uncommon for the dog to bite its own handler, it can accidentally bite you during training.

9. Sacrifice free time: If your K9 handler you have to spend a lot of time bonding and training the dog especially if assigned a K9 puppy. They need a lot of commitment and sacrifice.

10. Subject to dangers: Sometimes the K9 officers are expected to work in dangerous areas and run great distances in harsh environments.