Where do Police K9s come from?

Police K9s are typically imported from European counties to police K9 kennels located within the United States. They are typically imported between 12-16 months old. Once stateside, they begin their career training.

Why are K9s utilized by the Janesville Police Department?

The Janesville Police Department utilizes K9s to assist with upholding the law, promoting safety for the community and officers, and for emotional support. The K9 Unit has 3 specialized K9s who assist with a variety of tasks, such as:

• Evidence detection and recovery
• Narcotic detection
• Human tracking and location
• Electronic storage detection
• Emotional support to crime victims and first responders
• Public demonstration and education

The K9s utilized by the Department have assisted in hundreds of arrests, located countless items of evidentiary value that would have otherwise been undetected, partake in hundreds of hours of training annually, and assist in keeping the City of Janesville a safe place to live and work.

How does the City ensure quality of life for the K9s?

Each K9 is paired with one handler. The K9 lives with the handler at their residence. The K9s are routinely examined by veterinarians to ensure their health and safety. Each patrol vehicle assigned to the K9 is specially outfitted with equipment designed to protect the K9 from crashes, allow them access to fresh water at all times, and monitor the temperature of the vehicle and notify 911 immediately if the vehicle becomes too hot for a K9.

The K9s spend a majority of their life with their handler, coming to work with the handler every day and returning home with them at night. The K9s are provided with a wide variety of enrichment opportunities, from toys, new environments, and exciting trainings and play sessions to keep them mentally stimulated and proficient at their jobs.

Do the K9s like their jobs?

While we cannot ask our K9 friends if they like their jobs, we believe they love being police K9s. They are exposed to a variety of new environments and get to travel around the state and country for training, providing them a large quantity of enriching activities and mental stimulation. The K9s are exercised frequently and get to travel with their handler for most of the day. The K9s become very exited when the handlers get dressed for work and cannot wait to get into their vehicle.

How are the K9s trained?

Police K9s are trained using a variety of behavior modification techniques based upon a learning theory known as "operant conditioning". Operant conditioning is training where voluntary behaviors are influenced, reinforced, or discouraged by using a variety of motivators. The K9s are rewarded using a variety of food rewards and toy rewards.