Being A Dog Handler
The dog is a man’s best friend, of course defying the gender. This is because the dog is usually very loyal to the owner. There are several dog species, and among them, the police dog is one of the most common. These dogs are normally loyal, energetic, and committed to serve the people. They are mostly in the police unit, the Army, and other security agencies. And they have even been recognized as officers in the unit. With the police dogs, they might not have a specific owner, so they are given a handler. The police dog handler is basically a partner of the dog, and not exactly being the boss. This is for the sake of encouraging a dedicated friendship. As a handler of the dog, you will be working with an already trained dog, and you will be the one responsible for its maintenance, in terms of taking care of it, and controlling it. You’ll also be working as a team with your dog, in the course of preventing and detecting criminal activities. The job is countless, as the two of you will be responsible for taking care of crime. Here is a guide that will help the lovers of dogs to find out info about what it takes to be a police dog handler. Your Job The main job is to fight crime, and the dog is going to be your partner in the pursuit. So you will be working side by side. Here, you will need to treat the dog as your partner, and respect him as well. In case the dog alerts you for any sensed crime or danger, you must respond. This helps to encourage the dog. Working Hours As a team, you will be working in shifts throughout the day and week. Every unit will have varied working hours, so depending on the unit that you are aiming, the working hours will be unique. Since the dog is your partner, you might be needed to go with it to your home. So you will need to be well prepared to take care of the dog at all times. You might also be needed to accompany the dog to training, and be with him nearly everywhere. What Is The Pay? With the income, it will depend with the unit that you work for, basically, your employer. Another determining aspect is the experience of the handler. Nevertheless, a well experienced dog handler may earn about $40,000 in a year, though this will always vary.
What Are The Requirements? First things first, you will need to have the right education and experience, though these can be provided by the agency, like the police unit agency. Some of the main requirements include the following;
• The handler must have a high school diploma, though some departments might need a bachelor’s or associate’s degree (mostly degree in criminal justice or law enforcement).
• The handler must also have worked with animals, and mostly the dogs.
• As a handler, you must be able to multi-task, and have good leadership, judgement and communication skills, and must have strength and stamina. The K-9 is mostly very strong, it will need a strong handler. Conclusion As a police dog handler, you must also be patient, and be friendly with your dog, for the sake of extending the friendship to the work. As friends, you will work better when together.