Have you ever wondered how to become a K9 police officer? Becoming a K9 police officer can be a very exciting and rewarding career. It takes a very special police officer to be comfortable and compatible having a furry four legged partner. Since a K9 police officer will be working with the dog day in and day out, it is imperative that the officer respects and feels comfortable being around dogs. K9 police dogs are not thought of as pets, as they are working dogs that are trained for a specific purpose. For this reason, the K9 officer and staff must attend to daily training and reinforcement of duties with the dog.

The duties of a K9 police officer range from investigating illegal drugs to snuffing out bomb threats. Each K9 dog is trained for specific duties, and a great deal of care is taken to match the K9 officer with his or her dog. Bloodhounds are typically used as tracking dogs because of their keen sense of smell. An officer that is paired with a tracking dog will usually be working missing persons cases. Similarly, an officer paired with a narcotics dog will usually be working boarder crossings and airports to search out illegal drugs. http://www.policeemployment.com/resources/articles/day_in_life_of_a_k9_officer

In order to become a K9 police officer you must meet minimum educational requirements and have special training. K9 officers must go through the standard training for becoming a police officer. They must also pass personality testing which will evaluate their capacity for stress and other personality traits related to the position.

There are some basic requirements that you must have before you can consider a career as a K9 officer. There are steps which have to be taken before jumping into a career as a K9 officer. Anyone wishing to join the police force must have a high school diploma or GED. As with most positions, it is more favorable to have an actual high school diploma rather than a GED. This shows that you were willing to put out the effort to attend classes every day and be accountable for your responsibilities.

After completing high school, it is a good idea to enroll in college. Not all police departments require a college degree, but most require an associates degree. http://www.ehow.com/how_4424007_become-k9-police-officer.html The more college course work that is taken, the better it will look when applying to police positions and training courses. So it is important that anyone interested in becoming a police officer plans on getting a college education. Some degrees that are recommended include criminal justice and political science. Criminal justice degrees are very favorable to those who wish to pursue law enforcement careers because students will study criminal cases and laws which will be very beneficial when becoming a police officer.

After completing college coursework, you must attend a police academy. Getting into the police academy is a lot like getting into college. There is an application process and interview process in which the candidate will be evaluated on their academic and personal success as well as their temperament. Some police academies require the candidate already be hired by a police agency before they can attend an academy. http://www.policeacademyinfo.com/police-academy-requirements/police-academy-requirements/ There are also physical requirements where the candidate must run a mile or more in a set amount of time. Every state and academy have different requirements and testing to evaluate applicants.

Once accepted to a police academy be prepared to undergo intense training and testing. Academic testing will include laws, regulations, and practices that a police officer will need to know in order to do his job on a daily basis. Physical testing will include self-defense, dangerous situations, driving, and marksmanship. http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4809573_becoming-k-police-officer.html There will also be regular personality evaluations which will asses the ability to cope with stressful situations and overall demeanor. It should be important to the cadet to be at the top of his or her class in every area possible. By doing this they will have a better chance at better job placement in the future.

After graduating from the police academy you will be able to apply for a job on the police force. If you did not get a job prior to joining the police academy, you should start applying to jobs in the areas in which you want to live. This interview process will be much like the interview process for any other job. Your application will be reviewed and your credentials will be evaluated.

Once you are on the police force you will have to prove yourself as a police officer before you can specialize in a specific area. Typically, a year probationary period of learning the general job duties of a police officer is required before specializing. http://www.ci.gilbert.az.us/police/k9-faqs.cfm Every police force as different time specifications, so check with your local police force for more information on this. After completing the probationary period you can apply to be on the K9 unit. Officers with seniority have priority over other applicants. For this reason, it is beneficial to apply as soon as possible and maintain a good reputation on the force. It can take several years after submitting an application to get the chance of being a K9 officer.

Once you are accepted as a K9 officer additional training will be required. This training will be specific to the duties required to be a K9 officer and will include dog training and handling and well as job specific training to the position.