Job Description of K9 Units

by Piergagnon Coulibaly

The majority of major police departments in large urban centers include a K9 unit which has specific tasks. These tasks are related to search and rescue, seizure, and other various duties assigned by their branch. The relationship between a police dog and his or her handler requires a closeness and ability to communicate and work together well as a team. A judicious obedience to hand-signals, voice commands, and pre-meditated training procedures is required from the dog. This is complemented by an equal amount of respect, patience, and diligence from the handler.


After acquiring a job with a law enforcement agency, which requires a minimum high school diploma and qualifications that include exemplary physical condition, a candidate will spend a probationary period of several years in a number of entry level roles. Afterwards, they may apply for a position in the K9 unit where they will be paired with a dog. They will also undergo rigorous training that requires weekly maintenance, usually four hours or more a week.

Search and Rescue

K9 units are usually employed during natural and man-made disasters such as mud slides, tornadoes, building collapses, and floods to locate survivors who may be trapped or unconscious under debris. This also extends to lost and missing people, such as hikers who have been stranded in the wilderness or kidnapping victims. The keen olfactory senses of dogs also make them useful for pinpointing cadavers and organic tissue.


In many cases where there has been a bomb threat, a shooting, or the presence of illicit substances, a K9 unit will be used to locate and identify a variety of different objects and/or compounds which will either be used as evidence or clues. More and more, units are being trained to detect for specific items. These items include drugs like cocaine or marijuana, or the presence of chemicals related to incendiary devices. The detection of discharged firearms is also a priority, both in terms of locating expelled shells and casings, as well as identifying individuals responsible who have residual burn odors on them. In a growing number of cases involving poachers, duties might also include locating illegal quarry and tracking offenders to their base of operations.


A K9 unit may be responsible for the pursuit and apprehension of fugitives. This requires excellent physical conditioning of both dog and handler, as well as the ability to respond quickly and correctly to commands. Apprehension might also involve the tracking of suspects, and a considerable portion of K9 training is the employment of the dog in taking down assailants while protecting officers and the public from potential harm.


The pay scale for a K9 officer is generally higher than other police officer positions. This is due to the heightened responsibility and additional costs of training and upkeep. These include continued training, food and expenditures incurred by the maintenance of the dog by a handler. The average annual salary for a K9 police officer, as listed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is around $55,000.

About the Author


Photo Credits

  • german shepherd image by Olga Drozdova from
Suggest an Article Correction