Security dogs or, as somebody likes to call them, K9 (which is supposed to have the same sound as "canine"), are special dogs that require specific training to complete the tasks assigned to them. Indeed, these kinds of dogs are trained to assist the police and other law enforcement bodies and their tasks include searching for drugs or explosives or locating missing people, for example. 

But before such dogs can be ready to do the job they are assigned to, they need rigorous training. If you want to learn more about how security dogs' training, you are in the right place. The process of training can be lengthy, but it is all to ensure that the security dog is ready to be transferred to a special unit and to contribute with his skills.

When a dog is selected as it has been recognized for being a potentially excellent security dog, the essential skills need to be strengthened with adequate training. It is very important, during the learning process and as early as possible, to ensure that the dog is exposed to as many new animals, people, places and objects as possible. This will help the dog getting used to having to adapt to different situations frequently and possibly having to deal with different people. It also helps to build a dog's confidence. By doing so, dogs are also trained to evaluate every situation and to assess what might be a threat and what it is not.

For K9 dogs, obedience training starts at an early age. Their obedience training includes recognizing and appropriately responding to several vocal commands and hand gestures. Usually, one handler will take care of the obedience training of a dog, using motivation-based rewards. For a dog to be selected to continue training, it is crucial to be able to obey without hesitation. This will also allow officers to control a dog's force against a suspect or to direct the dog's interest towards a particular person. Such dogs are also trained not to respond adversely to loud noises such as gun fires or explosions. Commonly, the handler and the dog will form a strong bond during the training, which will also help in understanding the dog's reactions in real-life situations.

Dogs' strong sense of smell is exploited fully for security dogs. To specifically detect certain smells (such as those of drugs or explosives), dogs are trained using a clean towel, used as a toy, to which some kind of smell has been added (for example, a bag of drugs might have been rolled up inside the towel). During the game, the trainer will hide the towel from the dog. The dog, who has associated the smell of drugs to the towel will be challenged to find it. If he does find it, he will be rewarded. The process might take a long time, but afterward, the dog will be able to detect and identify a variety of different smells.

Security dogs are used in a variety of situations and environments. There are many companies specialized in training security dogs, one of them being MEC Security. Such dogs have been used extensively since the First World War and continue to be a precious asset in safeguarding scenarios. However, you might also decide to have a security dog by your side, which can also come with its advantages. If you require patrol dogs you can easily contact a specialized company and get some advice.