Dog Squad : In Memoriam | Collector Cards | Dog Master Training Program

Dog Squad

Since 2003, the Vancouver Police Dog Squad has included 18 teams working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, comprised of 16 constables and two sergeants. Teams are comprised of Criminal Apprehension Dogs (German Shepherds) and Narcotic Dogs (Labradors). The VPD is the oldest municipal police service dog (PSD) unit in Canada and the second largest behind the Toronto Police Service.

The Vancouver Police dogs have earned great respect and admiration from the public for the hundreds of captures they make every year.

Eight Vancouver Police dogs have died on duty. Their dedication is commemorated on a plaque in the lobby of police headquarters.

Video: Vancouver Police Department Dog Section

Deployment

The Dog Squad is highly mobile, with the primary purpose of attending scenes of crimes that are in progress or that have just occurred, e.g.:

• break and enters
• theft from autos
• purse snatchings
• robberies
• etc.

The VPD Dog Squad also attends outside municipalities that require the use of a police dog.

When not patrolling, canine teams are trained to deploy with the Emergency Response Team (a first for Canadian police departments) and Crowd Control Unit. While on duty, the canine (K9) teams use a combination of sedan and SUV type police vehicles which are equipped with a kennel, air conditioning, and a heat alarm to notify the handler if the interior temperature rises above safe levels.

Dog handlers take their dogs home to kennels provided by the City, and are responsible for them at all times. Dogs remain on strength as long as they are able to perform the duties required of them, or until their handler is transferred or promoted to another section. Once the dogs reach eight to ten years of age, they are retired to their master.

Selection & Training

Some of the VPD's police dogs are actually donated to the Department by the public. Out of one hundred dogs offered for a career in police work, only four or five will be accepted. The dogs chosen, like their masters, must excel in many fields. The prospective police dog must be obedient, intelligent, eager to please, and trustworthy. They must be able to fetch, be physically sound and medically fit.

We attempt to place dogs in their handler's home at an early age, well before the start of training. The close handler / dog bond is critical to success in the field and in providing handler expertise for criminal trials.

To promote socialization for the dog and community awareness for the public, all of our dogs are expected to participate in our public relations programs visiting schools, hospitals and community groups. To familiarize the public with the unique traits that make police dogs such a valued resource, we allow groups to tour our training facility. Three to four thousand people visit our facility for police dog demonstrations annually.

Vancouver Police Dogs are validated annually under the B.C. Municipal Police Dog Training Standards and are trained in the following:

• obedience and control
• be steady under gunfire, apprehend if required
• guard a prisoner and prevent escape
• pursue a running suspect to prevent escape
• apprehend if commanded
• search buildings, or areas for criminals
• track within the limitations of city usage
• search areas for objects which may be required for evidence
• search for a variety of illicit drugs

Training methods have been refined throughout the 40 year history of the VPD Dog Squad. The training methods used are not in the classic 'Schutzhund' style common in shows and competitions, which is neither realistic, safe or practical for the unpredictable nature of urban, street-level policing.

The Vancouver Police Dog Squad is well known internationally and is considered by many to be one the finest dog squads to be found anywhere. The VPD has assisted many other police departments in Canada and the U.S.A. in the training of men and dogs through its Dog Master Training Program.

History

The Vancouver police dog training centre has been operational since 1959, although its site has been changed from time to time. Early on, Deputy Chief Constable Gordon R. Ambrose reported that through trial and error the department found that male German Shepherds made the best police dogs. According to DCC Ambrose:

"During the initial stages of the program an attempt was made, for reasons of economy, to utilize multi-handlers and this was found to be unsound and not practical. This was discarded for the present method of having one dog exclusively handled and possessed by the one handler. The results are a matter of record, and are indeed gratifying."

Chief Constable George Archer also wrote about the results. In 1959, he pronounced the program a success and reported to the mayor that:

"It is my considered opinion, based on our experience to date, that the four dogs now on duty are each equal to a second police constable and, in some instances, better. It is my intention to recommend to the Board of Police Commissioners an increase in our dog strength and consideration to the employment of a professional dog trainer."

The Vancouver program expanded but so did its workload. In December 1969, the unit was at its authorized strength of 15 dogs and handlers. That year, the dogs were used on 2,434 specific occasions which resulted in 288 dog arrests.

In 1980, the unit still stood at 15 teams under the administrative supervision of a staff sergeant and field supervision of a sergeant. In all that year, there were 14,061 incidents attended by the units.