Bonded by duty: The impact of training on police canine-handler partnerships and public safety

Abstract Background : Police canines (K9s) provide valuable support to many local law enforcement agencies and are recognized for their roles in community policing and public safety. Team or group training is the foundation for such workforce development and may provide insight into municipal police K9 use. There is variation in standard maintenance training guidelines for municipal police K9 teams and therefore, little research on training and the impact on the relationship between law enforcement handler and K9. Group training settings reveal the technical and collaborative skills of the police K9-handler team, as well as organizational culture; such revelations are best sought through the daily experiences of police K9 handlers. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to explore how training reinforces the police canine-handler bond, from the perspective from the handler, and to characterize the impact of this relationship on perceptions of community policing and public safety. Methods : Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from 41 Massachusetts and New Hampshire police K9-handler teams. Participants were enrolled through convenience and snowball sampling. Handlers of both single-purpose and dual-purpose patrol K9s and comfort K9s were included to capture a full spectrum of policing responsibilities. Results : K9 demographics confirm the popularity of herding breeds for patrol work and sporting breeds for comfort work. Patrol K9 handlers reported an average training time of 21 hours a month, while comfort K9 handlers reported very different training paradigms and responsibilities. Perceptions of successful training outcomes revealed themes of confidence and trust between the handler and their K9, a reflection of real-life scenarios in group training, and departmental support. The impact of training on the K9-handler bond was captured through the depth of emotional connection and acknowledging group training as a safe setting. Lastly, handler perceptions of public safety in a local community were distinctly characterized by the K9’s purpose and reflecting community needs in group training. Conclusion : This study provides primary knowledge needed to advance the recognition of local police K9-handler teams. Through group training support and recognition of successful training outcomes rooted in the human-animal bond, there is a deeper understanding of the team’s role in promoting public safety for local communities. These findings can support future endeavors such as law enforcement training policy development, assurance of service delivery, and comprehensive police K9-handler occupational health programs.