A security dog and his handler search airport luggage for drugs.
America has a long history of heroic working dogs and their handlers. Military working dogs have been part of the armed forces since the early 20th century and have served in both world wars as well as in Vietnam. Police have used canine units, usually referred to as K9s, since the 1960s to help track and arrest criminals and to find drugs. More recently, security dogs are being used in industrial and commercial environments to augment foot patrols, with their superior senses of hearing and smell. However, the dogs are only successful when accompanied by a qualified handler.
Instructions
1. Take a course as a security officer, or sign up with either the military or the police. Complete your training and obtain your license and certification in your chosen field of work.
2. Find out what the required length of service is in order to qualify to apply to become a dog handler. In the military and the police the terms of service are stipulated and may be as much as 3 to 5 years, so you may find it easier to progress with a private security company.
3. Sign up for a security dog handler training course. In law enforcement and the military you will receive the training from their licensed trainers once you are accepted. Alternatively, sign up with a private organization such as US K9 Unlimited in Kaplan, Louisiana, which is licensed by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agency.
4. Complete the course, which includes classroom instruction in report writing, record-keeping and testing, liability concerns, officer safety and training techniques, as well as one-to-one and group training with dogs. You will learn care for your dog and to continue with its ongoing training, and understand its responses in different situations.
5. Obtain your certification as a qualified dog handler. Spend time working with dogs, either by volunteering for organizations that work with dogs or by joining a dog club so that you can increase your experience. These could include assisting with K9s in training, search and rescue organizations, or clubs that provide working dogs with competitions in air scenting and tracking.
6. Apply for positions as they become available and, once you are appointed, spend time getting to know your canine partner. You will be required to complete additional training, the duration of which will depend on the agency or company you have joined. In Oregon, for example, security dogs and their handlers are required to complete a minimum of 400 hours of training in order to fulfill the Oregon Police Canine Association Standards.
Tags: with dogs, working dogs, dogs their, dogs their handlers, military police, qualified handler