In this day and age, a dog isn’t limited to the role of “furry friend”. Dogs are moving up in the world. Everyone’s familiar with the police K-9 unit dogs, and over 500,000 Americans have service dogs. 

But more and more dogs having jobs raises a few questions. Most of all, what happens to dogs after they retire? 

The sad truth is that up until recently after they retired, police dogs were euthanized. Thankfully, that’s not the case anymore. Retired police dogs are still around. 

You may even want one for yourself. 

This article will walk you through all you need to know about adopting a retired police dog. 

All About Police Dogs 

An important thing to remember is that former police dogs come with different baggage from other dogs. They’ve most likely been in high-stress situations and seen things more intense than the average human being — let alone the average dog. They’ve also gone through extensive training. 

Police dog training usually leaves retired police dogs smart, strong, and adept at dealing with many situations. Due to their high-stress former lives, they may have a tough time socializing. However, many dog owners find the prospect of helping a retired police dog make friends heartwarming. 

Since they’ve held a whole police job, you’re most likely not going to get a retired dog that’s very young. The average retired K9 dog age is 8 or 9. This is perfect for a dog lover who doesn’t want to have to deal with educating a puppy on proper manners. 

However, there are options for adopting police dogs that “failed out” of their training. These you can get much younger. They would be much more similar to a standard dog you could adopt. 

Types of K9 Dogs

Just because police dogs share similar experiences and training doesn’t mean they’re all alike. There are many different sorts of K9 dogs. 

Breeds

For obvious reasons, police dogs tend to be larger breeds. Bloodhounds, Pitbull Terriers, Doberman Pinschers, Boxers, Labrador Retrievers, and especially German Shephards are some of the most common breeds of police dogs.

However, they’re not all large breeds. Some small breeds like Beagles are especially adept at sniffing out drugs. 

Occupation  

Different police dogs have different occupations. Some are those drug detection dogs that you see sniffing bags at airports. Some are trained to defend officers and sniff out cadavers. 

Different police dogs will come with different sets of baggage. It’s important to consider your values when adopting a Police dog. 

If you want to know more about retired drug-detection dogs, 3DK9 has done a great profile of our canine defenders. Take a look for yourself. 

Adopting a Retired Police Dog 

Dogs are no longer just man’s best friend — they’re man’s best colleague too. If you’re looking for a new furry roommate in your life, consider adopting a retired police dog. Though they come with certain sets of baggage, their high training and loyalty make them the ideal pets. 

For more articles like this one, check out our “nature” section.