Every police dog is trained over a long period

Police dog training is much stricter compared to pet dogs, and not every dog can become a police dog. There are requirements regarding the dog's temperament, athletic ability, and obedience level. Also, police dogs generally have better meals since their training intensity is quite high. Therefore, almost all police dogs have relatively excellent qualities.

German Shepherds are one of the police dog breeds we are more familiar with. This breed is medium-sized, attractive, and looks very imposing. Erect ears, confident eyes, strong head, sturdy body; when standing still, they are calm and poised, and when running fast, they have graceful strides. They are agile, with stamina, endurance, and a protective nature towards their owner.

The sources of police dogs can be mainly divided into two categories: local training schools that have police dog breeding farms. A puppy with potential to become a police dog must meet three conditions: must be bold and fearless; have a healthy physique; be active, playful, and enjoy working. Among the three, the latter is the most important because with such a temperament, training is easier to complete.

A newly-born police dog will stay at the training center until it has received three vaccinations. These vaccinations are given at six weeks, ten weeks, and fourteen weeks after birth. After vaccination, the police dog unit will place the dogs with a suitable family for foster care. In the past, foster care for puppies mainly relied on foreigners or the British military. However, nowadays, suitable families are usually chosen to foster them. The purpose of placing puppies in suitable families rather than having them live in the police dog training center is to provide them with more careful and comprehensive care, allowing owners to spend more time and effort looking after them.

During free time, foster families can take the puppies out for walks and expose them to new things so that they will not be frightened by external stimuli during patrols, unlike dogs raised solely in kennels. Besides comprehensive care, puppies in foster families also receive basic training, such as being tied up for half an hour daily without moving or learning to obey commands and follow instructions.

Most police dogs are adopted by their handlers after retirement

Police dogs begin formal training at one year old, training alongside their handlers. The training lasts about thirteen to fifteen weeks during which they receive basic obedience training and are taught to protect their owners and catch criminals. When police dogs reach eight years old, they officially retire. After retirement, they are arranged to be adopted, usually by their handlers, though some are placed with civilians due to housing issues.

Besides German Shepherds, police dogs also include Rottweilers, Springers, and Labradors. They are all indispensable members of the police dog team. Initially, German Shepherds were mainly used for herding sheep but with development, they began to seek new roles such as military tasks.

Regarding coat types, there were originally three: short hair, long hair, and wire hair. However, wire-haired coats are now rarely seen, and long hair is not yet recognized in dog shows. German Shepherds shed once every two years. During shedding, their weight may decrease accordingly, which is natural and should not be a concern. When new hair grows back, their weight returns to normal. With proper care, a healthy German Shepherd can live about fourteen to fifteen years. In old age, their diet should be adjusted accordingly, feeding multiple times a day but not too much at once. Additionally, they can endure harsh weather, are intelligent and cheerful, making excellent guard dogs. They can be trained for many tasks and, although reserved toward strangers, they are completely loyal to those and things they are familiar with, making them very reliable partners.