FAQs • Idaho Falls, ID • CivicEngage

How do officers get selected to become K9 handlers?: K9 officer candidates must pass a rigorous screening process. Several officers compete for each position. We choose our K9 officers from among the most effective officers in the department. Each candidate is then evaluated on many dimensions in order to determine which will be the most effective when paired with a police service dog.

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Police K9 Unit

1. Where do the police service dogs live?: Once selected, a new police service dog is assigned to a K9 officer. Not only does the dog become an important member of our "police family," but it also becomes a very important member of the officer's family. When not at work our dogs spend time with their families but they always have access to a quiet area where they can get plenty of rest.

2. Do the K9 Teams visit schools and other social gatherings?: Yes, they do visit schools and other community gatherings. They are not available for birthday parties or other private functions. Please call our Community Projects Coordinator to schedule a visit.

3. Can I touch/pet the police service dogs?: Like any police service dog, you must ask the handler if you can touch the K9 before you do. Police service dogs are trained to protect themselves and their handlers, so it is important that the handler introduce you to his or her dog properly.

4. Do the K9s like to bite?: The K9s only bite when absolutely necessary to protect themselves, their handlers, another officer, a citizen or when they need to capture a fleeing felony suspect. Most often, when faced with a confrontation with a police dog, criminal suspects choose to surrender. When our dogs do bite, they are trained to grip and hold the suspect until their handler is able to take over. This results in very minor injury to the suspect. Idaho Falls Police K9s are primarily used as search tools. They enjoy hunting for and finding people, articles of evidence, illegal drugs and explosives.

5. What kind of dogs do you use?: We have 2 Belgian Malinois. Both are dual-purpose patrol/drug detection and patrol/explosives detection dogs.

6. Where do they go when they retire?: Our dogs are members of the officer’s family and they retire with that family in every case. If a service dog has worked with more than one officer during its career, the dog normally retires with the last officer that it worked with.

7. How do officers get selected to become K9 handlers?: K9 officer candidates must pass a rigorous screening process. Several officers compete for each position. We choose our K9 officers from among the most effective officers in the department. Each candidate is then evaluated on many dimensions in order to determine which will be the most effective when paired with a police service dog.

8. How is a dog able to smell so well?: A number of things contribute to a dog’s keen sense of smell. Their long snouts have a large turbinate bone structure that holds millions of scent receptor cells, plus the olfactory lobe of their brain is much larger than that of a human being.