The term K9 training nowadays actually means dog training. K9 is an abbreviation of "canine", a word that refers to any member of the dog family Canidae. The term K9 was initially used by the police and military, and their dog units were (and still are) known as K9 units. In this context the terms K9 dog training, K9 obedience training and K9 training academy would all refer to dog training that specialises in training dogs for police work.
If one however does a search on the internet for any of the terms above, including K9 protection training, it becomes clear that the term K9 is being used nowadays as a simple replacement for the word dog. Many dog training schools have adopted the term as part of their name, possibly leading to the assumption that they do dog training for the police and / or military, and are therefore operating at a higher level of expertise and professionalism.
When looking at the detail of services offered however, it often becomes clear that these institutions have no relationship with the police or military whatsoever. As it is, both the police and military generally have their own K9 training units, as this is a highly specialised field. Having said that, there are external K9 training services that do specialise in providing dogs and training to the police, military and security companies.
Apart from the normal housebreaking and general obedience training dogs do, police dogs specialise in a number of areas where they are actually classified as working dogs. The most commonly known role is that of public order enforcement where the dogs are used to chase and hold suspect. Another role performed by police dogs is that of search and rescue. These dogs are used to locate suspects or find missing persons or objects.
Due to the amazing sensitivity of dog’s sense of smell, another huge role that police dogs are trained for in a K9 training school is one of detection. This could include bombs and explosives, drugs and even decomposing bodies. It is interesting to note that various breeds are used for the various functions. The selection of specific breed for specific roles is normally based on ability as well as availability.
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