Police dog castoffs... - Paw Talk

Formula86 · #1 07-03-2005, 07:36 AM

hola! well, my friend, jen, is thinking about adopting a german shepherd in the next few months. she wants one that will not only make a great pet, but that will protect her if needed. so i suggested that she get a k-9 police dog castoff.

lots of times these dogs aren't cut out for the police because of things like 'being too friendly with other dogs' or 'barking too much'. so i think it'd be cool for her to rescue one (as they are usually rescues to begin with and the police then need to place them). it would already have basic obidience and have been temperment tested, etc. so.................

does anyone know who in the heck to contact?

we can't find anything on the internet. my first guess is to just call the police (non-emergency) and ask. anyone else have any other suggestions in case they aren't sure?

thanks!!

btw - i'm in texas. does anyone know where the headquarters is for the k-9 units? i saw it once on a show, but i forgot.

Mygala · #2 07-03-2005, 07:42 AM

Jane,

I've never seen a "castoff" police dog. There is a K9 officer a few houses down from me, and from what I've learned, when they retire (in this area at least ...and others I've read about), they retire to the home of the officer they worked with.

If there is such a thing, it'd probably be from the federal gov't, like one of the armed forces, or DEA or something. Someplace where there is less of a "personal" relationship. All of the police officers and SAR folks I've ever seen are very closely bonded with their animals, I doubt they'd part with them at retirement..

Bob

Formula86 · #3 07-03-2005, 07:43 AM

bob - i'm not talking about dogs that make the force. i'm talking about the ones that do not pass the entrance exams, so to speak. the ones that go to the camp for a few weeks and just don't cut it. they haven't ever been assigned or anything.

make sense?

Mygala · #4 07-03-2005, 05:27 PM

Ahh, ..I gotcha'..

I guess if you were looking along those lines, you might also consider looking as other types of "service dogs" that don't work out.

Dogs that, for instance aren't suitable as guide dogs for the visually impaired. I would think that these programs have even higher standards than most K9 corps dogs. What's more, you wouldn't have a dog that might have already been trained to "attack", or be aggressive in any way.

A woman I used to work with now trains dogs for the visually handicapped, she works for this organization:
http://guidingeyes.org/

Here are some sites for service dogs in Texas:
http://www.ladsdogs.org/

http://servicedogs.org/

Just a thought....

Bob

Formula86 · #5 07-03-2005, 05:42 PM

thanks, bob!

the thing is - she will want the dog to attack on command. but i will totally tell her about those links. thanks!!

Mygala · #6 07-03-2005, 06:25 PM

Just something for your friend to consider...

A dog can, and has been in the past, considered "lethal force". If you used it improperly or accidently (and even the best trained dogs make mistakes..), it could be very costly.

The legal implications and exposure could be staggering if the dog were to attack and injure someone under the wrong circumstances.

Shepherds are naturally defensive in nature, and their appearance is usually enough to dissuade most people not to mess with them. The smart trainers that I know, train them to bark and growl on command, not attack.

I'd caution your friend that they might want to talk to a lawyer to see what the implications are before going out and training an attack dog ...for personal use.

That's not to say it isn't done. But, consider the society we live in, ...where even criminals sue the police and win occasionally!!

Unless you have your "ducks in a row", they could end up being sued and losing everything. When I was a professional animal trainer, I was advised by my lawyer to incorporate and to carry $1,000,000 in liability insurance for things like that (yes, that is the correct number of zeroes!). And I just trained parrots and hawks and the like...

A dog permanently injuring someone or, God forbid, killing someone ...just for, say threatening the owner, is a serious consideration, and if the dog was found to improperly trained (and of course that's what the lawyers will go for..) you could even be looking at jail time!

JMO

Bob

Formula86 · #7 07-03-2005, 06:40 PM

well, i will let her know. gracias! i don't think she wants a dog that will kill someone over nothing. just maybe growl and bark. i will let her know, though. thanks.

Trickiesmurf · #8 07-03-2005, 10:05 PM

I know sometimes they have casts off for dogs that dont make "suitable" seeing eye dogs. Most of the time the trainer takes them if they dont pass the test. But i do know sometimes the trainer cant always take in there dog that they trained. I know sometimes GSD are part of this program and really well trained they just didnt pass the test. Your friend should look into that too.

Formula86 · #9 07-03-2005, 10:11 PM

cool. thanks!!

watch after all this she'll just find some random dog at a shelter.

but it's cool to know all this.

thanks, everyone!

Trickiesmurf · #10 07-03-2005, 11:53 PM

i wonder if she can look into a GSD resue progam?

Formula86 · #11 07-04-2005, 12:59 AM

she'll be rescuing no matter what (no breeder). we just thought it'd be cool to have an already somewhat trained dog.

but if not, that's cool too.