There is a significant need for mandatory police dog standards. The Washington State Police Canine Association (WSPCA), a private organization of police dog handlers, has standards.
WSPCA is authorized by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission to certify police dog teams on a
voluntary basis. It is estimated that no more than half of the dog handlers in the state fully participate in
these performance standards. These standards are near in quality to that which should be mandatory. Unfortunately,
at the regulatory level, the State of Washington does not make such performance standards mandatory or
provide the means to reach higher standards.
After 25 years of experience with police officers, police departments, and their dogs, voluntary compliance is
not working for a variety of reasons. At the present time the Washington Administrative Code requires a set
number of training hours for the dog handler in appropriate subject matter, but does not require the dog and
handler to be tested by any standard. In earlier times it was believed that the presence of an accepted standard, and
the threat of civil action, would be enough to call people to higher ground; but history shows voluntary compliance
does not call the wayward home.
In a recent article in the Everett Herald, the investigative reporter noted that Seattle's K9 unit was tested
in the courtroom and came out a victor with little deliberation from the jury. That victory was achieved because there
already were policy and performance standards in place that set the stage for success. There was also a high academic
standard. The policy and practice that were forced upon the California agencies in recent civil actions were already in
place in Seattle. Yet, despite this beneficial status, the academic standards for Seattle K9 have been dropped since
the ACLU's civil suit against Seattle, and there still is no formalized performance standard. Until
the State of Washington makes performance standards mandatory, they will not exist. Doctors are required to be
licensed through a process that assures the public of, at least, a minimal level of competency and lessens the
probability of the snake oil salesmen of yesteryear. Lawyers face the bar examination. While the majority of Police
K9 handlers and trainers are prepared to practice the highest standards, as in all professions there will always be
those willing to accept lower standards.
There is an example of state standards in Utah's P.O.S.T. This organization also provides training and
technical assistance for the smaller agencies which they would otherwise not be able to afford or do well.
This concept of cooperative assistance for smaller agencies is where the WSPCA has been effective for those
exercising voluntary compliance. The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission and the
W.S.P.C.A. would be well-served to study Utah's P.O.S.T. and develop a program to set and maintain police
dog performance standards in Washington State.
There is a common mindset in some people that contributes to most bad bite situations. That is, "A hard, aggressive
dog is a good dog." There is more than one origin for this misunderstanding. One is that many people involved in
police K9 have in one way or another been associated with the German dog sport of Schutzhund. Schutzhund, translated
to "protection dog," was a originally a test of breedworthiness for the German Shepherd Dog. It was a means of
selecting breeding stock to propagate dogs of sound mind and body, and retain those qualities which make the dog a
utilitarian tool for guarding, herding and protecting sheep, tracking, military and police work, companionship, and more.
The three phases of Schutzhund ---tracking, obedience, and protection -- were originally of equal weight in evaluating
the dog's working ability in real life situations and its suitability for breeding to preserve the working qualities
of the German Shepherd Dog. Schutzhund at the turn of the 20th Century was better suited to evaluating, breeding,
and training the working police dog. In recent decades, however, Schutzhund has evolved into a competitive sport in
North America.
As is the nature of competition, this dog sport has over time departed from its original purpose. While the
intent may have been to give each competitor an equal playing field, the result has instead been that obedience
and protection have evolved into highly ritualized field exercises in the pursuit of earning higher competition
points. This dilutes the original intent of a comprehensive evaluation of the dog's working ability.
The highly ritualized sport of today is not directly applicable as a basis for real life police dog work.
One of the first casualities of the transition of the Schutzhund evaluation to a competitive sport was the loss of a
balanced emphasis on tracking, with a corresponding over-emphasis on flashy obedience and impressive, crowd-pleasing
protection for extra points. Points are awarded for the dog's demonstration of a strong trait to bite and fight
aggressively, leading some competitors to the "hard dog is a good dog" mindset. This mindset is exacerbated in
some police and military circles by the risks associated with these professions and the valid need for safety.
The desire for a tough, hard dog is entirely reasonable in light of the life-threatening risks associated with
everyday law enforcement. However, the problem with this mindset is that it tends to undervalue the proper emphasis
on the dog's ability to locate suspects by scent. Such an imbalance can create a dog that is prone to doing more damage to
suspects than is necessary.
Safety is a valid concern and it must be balanced with the public's civil rights. Well constructed, mandatory
standards will bring balance to the police dog community and reintroduce proper emphasis on the police dog's
ability to track and locate suspects. In so doing, more criminals will be found and fewer will be inappropriately
injured in the process of arrest -- ensuring that they are brought to justice in a court of law while reducing
the arresting agency's liability. Dogs trained by each unit to their own performance standards, with minimums
regulated by the State, can be safely, reliably, and efficiently deployed. Standardized tactics and strategies
applied both in the training and deployment of the working police dog maximize balance without compromising
safety. It is in that balance that safety is maintained both for the officer and for the public.
Browse other informative articles in the NWK9 Reading Room. . . .
