K9 Question for LEOs

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  • ghuns

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    Nov 22, 2011
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    I don't know if any of our illustrious INGO LEOs have K9 experience, but I have a question.

    I was zipping up 31 yesterday and stopped for the red light at the McDonalds near Peru. I whip into the left lane as there was a long like of vehicles in the right and zero in the left. When I pull up next to the first vehicle in the right lane, it's the po-lice.:rolleyes: It was a Tahoe with K9 markings. Not wanting to dust him off the line, I let him take off and tried to stay a little behind him. I noticed the Tahoe was marked a little funny for an Indiana county department. I then saw the county name, Washoe County, and knew he wasn't from these parts. That's the county Reno, Nevada is in. I decided he probably didn't care much about my speed much, so I passed him. He sped up a bit and stayed right behind me before he eventually turned off on a county road between Peru and Rochester. I told my wife, google WTF is around here. The first thing was, Vohne Liche Kennels. Well, that makes sense. I've heard of them. They're pretty well know for dog training.

    So my question, why the hell would you DRIVE 2100 miles to go there? Are police K9 dogs not well suited to flying? I can't imagine they're any worse than the yappin, crappin, mutts everybody seems to be flying with these days.
     

    Sigblitz

    Grandmaster
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    Aug 25, 2018
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    Well, I would assume the handler would have to go. And all their gear. If you want a good trainer, you'll go to a good trainer.
     

    Route 45

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    Dec 5, 2015
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    So my question, why the hell would you DRIVE 2100 miles to go there? Are police K9 dogs not well suited to flying?

    They probably don't take K9s on commercial aircraft to keep people from whining about the police. I see it didn't work.
     

    BehindBlueI's

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    Oct 3, 2012
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    Maybe multiple handlers going for training and picking up multiple dogs?

    That's the same kennel DynCorp used when I worked for them. New dog handlers were flown to Indiana for 2 weeks to be trained there, then returned with their dog. Driving obviously wasn't an option from Doha.
     

    phylodog

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    Mar 7, 2008
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    Our K9 handlers have driven considerable distances to pick up new dogs. I can't imagine an airline wanting to "handle" these dogs, should one get loose it would most certainly cost the airline a lot of money. I've never worked K9 but my best friend did for more than 20 years. You can't really order up a trained dog, pull them out of a crate and start working with them. An introduction by the person who trained the dog (that the dog already knows) will smooth out that meeting and get the working relationship off to the right start.
     

    jsx1043

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    Apr 9, 2008
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    Napghanistan
    K9 handler for 14 years, off and on.

    All of the above. VLK is one of the top kennels in the US, globally really, that supplies military and police service dogs. Handlers come from all over the world to purchase and train dogs and compete at the facilities. Operationally, new handlers or handlers getting a new dog will go to VLK for initial training as a handler or will undergo some acclimation training with a new dog. For the duration of the training, the dogs are kept on site in kennels, and the handlers stay in former Grissom AFB officers’ quarters.

    Once training is completed, you have to get the dogs back home, hence the vehicle. The majority of their dogs on the LE side are patrol/apprehension dogs so flying them in an open passenger area of a commercial aircraft is bad juju. Some of the other dogs are explosive detection dogs (EDD) and those are the type that you see flying with military personnel on social media. They can generally fly without any problems as they are the other side of the K9 coin when it comes to personality.

    My first K9 partner was a GSD that I picked up (and did my initial handler school) at the National Explosive Detection Canine Team Program at Lackland AFB in San Antonio. I drove the 20 hours from Indy (with no cruise control, as I found out in Plainfield) to Lackland, then drove back with him after my ten week school.

    Hope this helps!
     

    ghuns

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    Nov 22, 2011
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    ...The majority of their dogs on the LE side are patrol/apprehension dogs so flying them in an open passenger area of a commercial aircraft is bad juju...

    Hope this helps!

    That helps and makes sense.

    I know they are well trained, but within the confines of a commercial aircraft, I can see it being challenging for the dog and handler.

    And I have made that drive, with a dog, and my daughter. At least the officer is lucky to just have the dog.;)

    Oh, and the officer is probably feeling like he ended up in Indiana at a good time. This is near Washoe County yesterday...

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