To Protect and Serve: Dogs That Take a Bite Out of Crime

By Julie Senger

Many of us look forward to having our beloved family dog excitedly greet us at the door at the end of our day, tail wagging, jumping up and down as they look out the window to see us pull in the driveway and emerge from our vehicle. No matter what kind of day weve had, we can always count on our dog to be happy to see us, even if its just because they need a potty break. Theres a certain level of comfort in that.

We rely on our dogs for many things. They help us remain active due to their need for walks and playtime; they alert us when someone is in our yard or at the door; they comfort us when were sick, sad or upset by snuggling up to us or allowing us to pet them until we are calm. But what if we had to rely on them to save our life or the lives of others?

There are dogs that are trained to do just that, among other things. K-9 Yup is a 29-month-old German Shephard who was actually born in Germany then raised in Holland from the time he was three months old until he was sixteen months old. In Holland, K-9 Yup was trained in initial obedience, initial patrol work (bite work, aggression training, handler protection/defense) and other areas of K-9 training. He then made his way to the United States in early 2016 to become Rob Columbos security companion/partner. Rob and K-9 Yup work for a private security agency that supplies K-9s nationwide.

When Rob first acquired K-9 Yup, they went to Indiana for a seven-week training program, which would allow Rob the opportunity to learn everything he could about his new partner. But the training doesnt end at the conclusion of the seven-week program, K-9s must be trained on daily basis, and they and their handlers have to be certified once a year, Rob stated. From the moment a dog starts training, training lasts until the dog is retired, due to age or medical conditions, or until the dog is taken out of service.

According to Rob, There is a very distinct, in-depth and intense process when it comes to training police or security dogs. It starts with a detailed, selective breeding process, where two previous service dogs, two dogs with a service-dog blood line, or two dogs that have strong service/police dog traits are mated. After the puppies are born, they are put through several basic evaluations, which progressively get more complex. Police/security dogs must have a strong level of perseverance. They must have a high desire to find and locate things, coupled with a drive to hunt, not necessarily for prey, but hunt for people, objects and other materials, Rob said.

Police/security dogs can be trained to do many different things; they can track subjects, sniff out bombs or illegal drugs, find articles and evidence and protect their handlers among other things. One of the things K-9 Yup is certified to do is protect and defend his handler. If a dog is handler-protection-and-defense certified then they are trained to protect and defend their handler with or without a command to do so; basically, K-9 Yup reacts to intense or hostile situations and goes into protection mode, Rob explained; I would trust K-9 Yup to protect me and/or save my life.

So how are K-9s protected on the job? Many are provided bullet-proof vests, and their handlers often have vehicles that are specially equipped for K-9 safety and transportation. Because of K-9 Yup, my patrol car is outfitted with a kennel, air system, hydration system, heat-sensor system and a door-pop system, Rob assured. The heat-sensor system indicates when the vehicle gets too hot for a dog to remain in the vehicle. Rob continued by explaining that:

If the vehicle gets too hot, it will sound alarms, roll down windows and activate a window fan that is installed on the vehicle especially for K-9 Yup in his kennel. The door-pop system is in case I get into a fight or situation where I need to deploy K-9 Yup at a moments notice. I have a remote control that I carry in my vest that will automatically open the door and let K-9 Yup out to come assist me in any ongoing situation.

There is not a specific retirement age for police/security dogs, as it largely depends on the type of job each dog is trained to do as well as their physical structure and mental capacity. I probably will not work K-9 Yup much past eight or nine years old, Rob stated; at which point, I will be able to keep him as a pet, and we will get old, fat and happy together in our golden years!