Ex police dog

[Doggymummy86]

Hey doggy owners,
I’m looking for your experiences if you have ever taken on an ex police dog ? I’ve been given the chance to rescue one, he’s 8yr old and going into retirement - apparently great natured but I do have a list of questions to ask the dog handler.
I’m just looking to see how you found the process & your experience with an ex working dog.

🐶

What role has the dog been doing? I imagine it's a very different kettle of fish taking on a spaniel that's been doing sniffer work to a GSD that's been doing more ... bitey ... Police work.

It depends really. I had a family member who rehomed a retired police GSD. It was very laid back but it did used to sometimes mistake play fighting for fighting and go into snarling, growling mode. A friend had a failed spaniel that was part way through its drug detecting training when they rejected it for some reason. You couldn't walk it through crowds of people without it alerting on them!

It really depends on what the role was, and what its life has been like to date - a retired drug sniffer or search and rescue dog who has been living in a family home is a very different prospect to a capture and control dog who has been living with a single officer

As an aside, I know someone who had a retired customs drug sniffer dog and apart from always alerting (somewhat inconveniently) at the vets where there are of course legally held opioids, it was a great family dog. And a useful threat to keep teenage DC on the straight and narrow!

Have you had dogs before? My Godmother has had GSD's for many many years, one of those was ex-police and had to be kept well away from any visitors to the house. Not an easy dog.

I would want to know how well trained it has been, and what its temperament is like. I've seen a police GSD hauling its handler along and it being quite clear that I should keep my dogs well away. On the other hand I've seen videos of, and know off, other GSDs and Malinois that are trained for the protection sports and are wonderful with people unless instructed otherwise, and have a solid 'out' (i.e. stop biting).

As PP have said, an ex-sniffer dog would be completely different from a GSD or Mal. Police sniffer dogs are generally trained using tennis balls so the dog will probably be a ball junkie - a friend had a failed sniffer dog and he would do anything for a tennis ball.

Lived next door to a police dog handler growing up. He had a working and a retired GSD living with him. They were absolute dreams and great with kids.

I've some experience of GSDs as pets - though not ex police dogs. I've always found them to be wonderful dogs - very intelligent, loyal and good-natured. Though can be a bit highly strung.