Are police dogs more male or female?
Most K9 dogs that are used are male dogs. However female dogs are more and more used as K9 dogs as well.
How much is a Malinois dog?
How Much Does a Belgian Malinois Cost? In general, an adult Belgian Malinois will cost between $45,000 and $65,000. It may sound like a lot, but your dog has been trained to do far more than just fetch.
As programs progress, however, trainers are learning more ways to turn female dogs into great police dogs. They’re focusing on encouraging the dogs to leave their handlers, and there are signs their efforts are working. The number of female dogs being both trained and assigned to police handlers has increased over the past 10 years. Once the issue of independence is resolved, many handlers say female dogs out perform males with the same training. Browne said,
The one characteristic that seems to be holding female dogs back, is their maternal, protective instinct. Sgt. Chris Browne of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police says female dogs typically want to stay close to their handlers. They’re more reluctant than their male counterparts to go out on their own to apprehend a suspect or search for evidence. They’re also generally less aggressive. He told Global News,
Whether it’s sniffing out evidence or chasing down bad guys, working K9s are an important part of police forces all around the globe. These dogs undergo intense training, are made to pass important tests, and go to work everyday alongside their handlers. You’ll find several different breeds wearing official police vests, but the best dogs on the force always have specific characteristics in common. To be a successful police dog, they need to be intelligent, focused, and determined. As it turns out, gender might have something to do with it as well. But it’s probably not what you think.
While male dogs are known for somewhat challenging personalities, females are lauded for the fast and true bonds they form with their handlers. Constable Chad Scheske of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has been working with his assigned K9, Siren, for the past three years. Siren is one of the few female police dogs in Canada, and she’s involved in almost all aspects of Scheske’s police work. They have a strong bond, and Siren is an important part of the team.
Global News reports the Ontario Provincial Police have 27 police dogs, but only one of those is female. At the same time, female dogs make up only 15% of the current working dogs in Alberta, Canada. The trend isn’t surprising. In Canada and the United States, the majority of dogs working for police are male. It’s not something the average person would notice, but the reasoning behind it tells us a lot about how female and male dogs are different.
Gastonia Police Department has first-ever female K9 handler
San Bernardino has had nearly three dozen police service dogs since the Police Department’s K-9 Unit was established about 42 years ago. But for four decades, the department never had a single female police canine.
The Police Department recently welcomed K-9 Bella, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois from the Netherlands. She will be working to detect illegal narcotics as a member of the Narcotics Unit, according to a police news release.
K-9 Bella was certified last Friday after she and her handler finished a 120-hour training course on narcotic detention, as required by the state, the release read.
The police dog wasted no time putting her training to good use, helping officers find illegal drugs and recover money during a stop on the evening of her graduation.
“This was a great evening for K-9 Bella, as she already started her career with a find on her first shift,” Investigations Capt. Adam Affrunti said in the release. “I know she will be a great asset to our department and a huge benefit to our community.”
Since being established in 1978, the department’s K-9 unit has had 33 police service dogs, primarily consisting of working breeds such as Belgian Malinois, German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Irish Wolfhounds, and American Bloodhounds.
Typically, law enforcement agencies choose males to serve as police dogs because of the high costs of female canines, as well as temperaments for breeding, the release stated.