Factors Affecting How Long Police Dogs Live, Work & Retirement
Canine officers dedicate their lives to helping law enforcement fight crime, and just like human officers, police dogs face many safety risks on the job.
From the environment, maintenance, health, and whether the police dog is facing hazardous situations such as searching for explosives, all of these factors matter when thinking about a police dog’s life expectancy.
These are the most common factors that play into police dogs ceasing to work and what age the k9 retires.
Job Dangers
Police dogs risk their lives daily to protect and assist law enforcement personnel. Canine officers are often the first to enter dangerous situations. And in some cases, they are the first to be harmed by criminals, external threats such as explosives, gunshots, and drug overdose.
According to the Officer Down Memorial website, the most recent police dog casualty was a K9 officer named “Hondo.”
This brave pup was shot and killed while attempting an apprehension of a wanted subject on Thursday, February 13, 2020. K9 Hondo was a Belgian Malinois and had served in law enforcement for over four years. He was seven years old when he passed away. RIP beloved Kondo.
Training
Every shift holds a different danger for police dogs. A police dog’s performance and abilities to carry out his duties safely without endangering his well-being depend massively on training.
A poorly trained K9 can make errors on the job that cost lives, including their own. For instance, a canine officer that is unable to return to the handler on command 100% of the time may rush into a life-threatening situation.
If the dog doesn’t apprehend when commanded, an armed suspect may have a chance to open fire on him or human officers.
Poor Handling
The health, well-being, and lifespan of a police dog is directly affected by the commands of their handlers.
“Properly trained [police] dogs are like a switch, you turn them on and turn them off,” said Charles Mesloh, a criminal justice professor at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, who had been a K-9 handler in South Florida for ten years.
Police dogs depend on their handlers to give firm directions to do their job as safely as possible. An unprepared or shoddy handler of police dogs puts everyone at risk, especially their dog. Failure to properly handle a k9 unite may lead to unintentional bites, dogs being left behind in hot patrol cars, or leaving them vulnerable to being fatally attacked by criminals.
Maintenance
There are several costs associated with having K9 units on duty. A police department that lacks funding for training, equipment, payroll, and medical needs for the life of their police dog needs to address this immediately.
Not having enough money to train or care for the police dog properly may shorten a police dog’s lifespan as this affects every aspect of a police dog’s performance on the line of duty.
Health
Police dogs can present interesting health challenges during their time as K9s. Police dogs with health conditions that hinder their abilities to perform their duties are entitled to retire sooner, thus cutting their lifespan as police dogs.
How To Extend Police Dog Lifespan?
If your K-9 just became a certified law enforcement canine officer, you are probably concerned about his life, health and wellbeing.
Some K-9 dogs stay on duty a lot longer than the average, but the demands of the job makes your dog age faster.
Genetics partially determines a police dog’s lifespan, but the risks associated with being a police dog play a more significant role. However, you can make a difference by providing the best care possible.
Here are some things you can do as a police dog handler to increase the lifespan of your fur-ever friend:
1. Encourage a healthy diet: Look for whole ingredients to help extend your dog’s health. Watch calorie intake. Dogs who eat maintain a healthy, recommended weight live about two years longer than those overweight. They also had fewer joint diseases as they age.
2. Provide plenty of mental stimulation: A bored dog can become depressed, anxious, and even ill. You can extend your dog’s life by keeping her busy.
3. Brush your dog’s teeth: Clean by brushing daily, and have them checked by your vet. Poor oral hygiene can lead to plaque, gingivitis, and eventually periodontal disease. Bacterial infection of the mouth is linked to heart disease and organ damage in dogs.
4. Don’t stress out your pup: Stress makes them more prone to age and illness.
5. Pet insurance: Helps with expensive fees for treatment if your K-9 friend falls ill or gets injured.
6. Love: Cherish your canine officer and show affection during the time you are with them.
How Long Do K9 Dogs Live?
Being a police dog is a very demanding and dangerous job that can take a toll on the dog’s body and even their own lives. Police dogs risk their lives every day and can die at a very early in the line of duty. We’ve seen fallen K9s that have passed at 3, 5, and 6 years of age