| TAMPA
POLICE - K-9 Unit's Frequently Asked Questions |
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| Q. What kind of dogs do you use? |
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| A. We use a variety of dogs depending
on what their specialty may be. For patrol work we primarily use the
German Shepherd and the Belgian Malinois. For Explosives and Narcotics
detection we use the Labrador and Golden Retriever breeds. We also have
one blood hound. |
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| Q. Who trains the dogs? |
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| A. We train all of our dogs
"in-house." This means their respective handlers, with the
guidance of a senior handling instructor, train all of the dogs. No
private individuals or entities are involved in training our dogs. |
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| Q. Do the dogs live with their
handlers? |
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| A. Yes. Each dog is assigned to only
one handler who is responsible for the care of the dog. The dogs live at
home with their handler in a specially constructed kennel provided by the
city. |
|
| Q. How old are the dogs when they
start training? |
|
| A. Dogs are carefully screened and
tested before they begin training. To properly test the canine's drive,
they must be about 1 ½ years old. We won't accept a dog older than three
years of age. |
|
| Q. How old are the dogs when they
retire? |
|
| A. It largely depends upon their health,
but generally a Police Dog can look to retire at the ripe old age of 8 or
9 years. |
|
| Q. Where do they go when they
retire? |
|
| A. It has been the city's
practice to let the dogs live out the remainder of their lives with the
handlers whom they worked their career with. |
|
| Q. How long are the dogs
trained? |
|
| A. The State of Florida requires
each dog and handler team to complete a 400-hour basic canine school. The
Tampa Police Department extends that training to about 560 hours. |
|
| Q. How do officers get selected
to become canine handlers? |
|
| A. Officer must pass a rigorous
screening process first. Things considered are dependability, ability to
work without direct supervision, and internal affairs reviews.. Candidates
must also have been an officer for at least two years and have a favorable
recommendation from their immediate supervisor. |
|
| Q. Where does TPD get their
dogs from? |
|
| A. While donations from the
public are welcome, nearly all will not pass our tough screening process.
We generally get our dogs imported from Europe or canine venders across
the United States. |
|
| Q. How much do the dogs cost? |
|
| A. That varies depending o the
breed, age and any previous training the dog may have had. A good figure
could be between $4000.00 to $7000.00 |
|
| Q. Who pays for the care of the
dogs? |
|
| A. The City of Tampa pays for all
of the dog's upkeep. They are provided with the very best medical care
available. Their food, flea spray, bowls, toys, leashes and all other
equipment are also provided by the city. |
|
| Q. Are the dogs' safe when left
in their patrol cars while the handler isn't there? |
|
| A. Absolutely! The canine
vehicles are equipped with the most up-to-date canine safety devices on
the market. Heat sensors in the car will activate the car's horn, roll
down the back windows and turn on a fan in the car if the dog's area gets
too warm. Remote control door opening ensures the dog can get out of the
car to assist the handler at the touch of a button or in any other
emergency situation. |
|
| Q. How is a dog able to smell
so well? |
|
| A. A number of things contribute
to the dog's keen sense of smell. Their long snouts have a large turbinate
bone structure that holds millions of scent receptor cells, plus the olfactory
lobe of their brain is much larger than that of a human being. |
|
| Q. Is hurting a Police Dog the
same as hurting a Police Officer? |
|
| A. Injuring or killing a Police
Dog is a 3rd Degree Felony punishable by imprisonment of up to
5 years in prison. |
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