About
the
Anchorage Police K-9 Unit
The mission of the Anchorage Police Department Canine Unit is to
train, develop and deploy police service dog teams to support the
various operational sections of the Department in achieving the
police mission in the safest and most efficient manner possible.
The Canine Unit has been able to achieve a high level of performance
due to the financial support of Dollars for Dogs, Inc., the leadership
provided by the Anchorage Police Department commanders, and the
commitment of all the handlers.
APD Canine provides assistance to both law enforcement and non –
law enforcement agencies, for example FBI, Ft Rich, EAFB, Kulis
Air National Guard, State of Alaska Dept of Corrections Probation
Officers. Anchorage School District will ask for a police canine
to check schools for any guns or ammunition hidden in lockers or
around the school.
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Selection
& Training
It's not unusual for a newly purchased canine to have already been
given a name by the breeder or kennel. However when the dog is selected
for the canine unit, it is renamed. The group or organizations providing
the funds to purchase a dog are given the opportunity to choose
a new name for the canine.
APD uses the Bark and Detain method
as opposed to the Find and Bite used by other law enforcement
agencies. Bark and Detain is an apprehension technique where the
canine provides a clear indication (bark) while guarding (detain)
a passive (still) person. This technique requires more training
for the handler and canine, and performance at a higher skill
level.
Additionally, 40 hours are spent
in quarterly training, and once a year the unit will train as
a group. This is all in addition to the daily maintenance training
done to reinforce learned behaviors.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What breeds of dogs are used as APD K9s?
We use Belgian Malinois, German
Shepherds and Dutch Shepherds.
Where did the APD K9s come
from?
Most of them were bred in Europe,
Holland, Czech Republic, or Germany . Then they were brought to
the United States by the kennels who purchased them. Before APD
chooses one for the Canine Unit, the canine has to pass rigorous
selection tests for law enforcement work.
How often do they train?
Their training begins in a Canine
Academy that can last for 8 weeks or more. After that, every day
the handler does some obedience work with the canine. For every
3 months of patrol work, they spend 1 week working on specific
drills. And once a year they are tested and if they pass, they're
certified to continue to work for another year.
Where do
the dogs stay when they're not working?
All of the
dogs live with their handlers at home with their families. When
they're “off-duty” they get all the same perks as
a regular house dog.
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