Attentive ears, nimble feet, and a sense of smell that never fails. He doesn’t wear camouflage uniforms or weapons, and does a perfect job as a police dog. We’re talking about the nine dogs that are part of the four-legged K9 unit, a kennel of the federal local civil police and a special resource of the Division of Special Operations (DOE), headed by Edson Medina since 2019. Their heightened instincts allow them to smell drugs, weapons, and ammunition, and find clues in places that are often invisible to the human eye. Despite receiving the title of police officer and working in accordance with that role, they see everything as a big game. After all, the main objective is to earn tennis balls, which are thrown every time a mission is completed.
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Starting in the Federal District about 10 years ago, cooperation with dogs has become essential in operations initiated by investigators. This year alone, police participated in 465 searches.
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Urus is a Malinois shepherd
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After all, what really matters to a police dog is the ball.
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Kari is a Malinois shepherd
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black is german shepherd
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K9 was founded in 2014
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The kennel team has 8 members.
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How are they selected?
Being a police dog is not a job that just any dog can do. Sanlac Machado, a police officer who has worked at the kennel since the headquarters was handed over in 2014, said the process of selecting animals to work with special operations investigators begins when they are a few weeks old.
As with the purchase of vehicles and equipment used in the police force, the dogs also arrive at PCDF kennels through a tender process and signed with specialist agencies that already maintain partnerships with the police force. “We determine the age, breed and require that basic training has already been carried out,” pointed out Ricardo Textor, a police officer who also works at the kennel.
When dogs are handed over to companies as adults (approximately 1 year old), they are already accustomed to their environment, but this is when the learning routine begins that will allow them to graduate and eventually go out on the street.
“They go through basic scent training, and once they arrive here (in the kennel), they go through a workload process that basically takes them through their initial training and introduces them to the real world. This includes about a year-long dedication process to get them trustworthy,” he explained.
Police officers stress that there are several factors to analyze when assessing whether a dog is ready to serve as a police officer. The environments they pass through are dense and full of distractions that pose obstacles for the animals, such as dense forests, busy bus stops, and narrow structures.
“These are very complex locations, so these dogs need to respond very well to these types of situations and maintain complete concentration on the mission. To achieve this, these dogs require a very thorough selection process.”
When police officers refer to the selection process, they also refer to the race most likely to fill the role.
There are currently nine dogs living in the PCDF kennel. they are:
• Duke – Male German Shepherd – 7 years • Black – Male German Shepherd – 6 years • Jimmy – No information • Urus – Male Malinois – 5 years • Yankee – Male German Shepherd – 5 years • Ozzie – Male Labrador mix – 5 years • Cali – Female Malinois – 5 years • Dom – Male German Shepherd – 4 years • Alpha – Female Malinois – 5 years
In K9, dogs operate in a “binary” format. As Textor explained in the report, this model refers to the fact that dogs always work in pairs with humans. This partnership has been finalized. As soon as they arrive at the kennel, they are “adopted” by one of the operators who is responsible for monitoring the animal’s every step.
“This means that the operator gets to know their dog and its behavioral changes intimately. This operator knows the points at which they need to be more careful with the dog because they might sense something, or when the dog needs to be kept on a leash because they are not allowed to roam free.”
Police emphasize that this format is important to a successful job because they know the dogs well and can also notice when a dog doesn’t want to work, which could be a sign of fatigue or illness.
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9 dogs live in a kennel
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They are part of the DOE team.
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healthy game
All dogs live in kennels. They eat twice a day and have so-called “freedom” moments when they are free to fulfill their physiological needs. When they are not training (which usually takes place between 12pm and 7pm), they receive a lot of love and attention from their team.
In addition to the eight operators, the K9 also supports two handlers who look after the animals’ hygiene and feeding, and provide technical support in the operator’s absence. One of them also works as a trainer and helps train dogs.
One of the officers has a degree in veterinary medicine and also helps care for the animals.
The operator assures us that while for humans, every action is “work,” for the animals, it’s all just a big game.
“After a while, when the dog understands what the search is about, they just stop looking for the ball. The search itself becomes a reinforcing factor. Dogs release large amounts of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and anticipation, so their desire to find what they know the ball will bring is even more intense than the ball itself. That’s why they approach it with such intense enthusiasm and desire,” Texter added.
groundbreaking operation
As the operator points out, all the work the dogs did gave perfect results. However, some episodes received more attention due to their interesting discoveries and the importance of canine support in special operations.
One of them once discovered a large quantity of drugs buried in a chicken coop in the back garden of a large farm.
On another occasion, a dog smelled a synthetic illegal substance disguised with an outlet cover and hidden inside a steel safe attached to a concrete wall.
In the third case, drugs were found in a package that was meant to be sent by mail. The substance was found in more than a thousand boxes, but the dog found it.
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