Do police dogs get paid?

Crime-fighting dogs are among the best-trained police officers—but some people might be surprised they don’t pay a penny for their efforts.

Although police dogs are not paid in cash, they can still earn rewards for their law enforcement skills.

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Do police dogs get paid?

In a word, no – police dogs are not paid.

But while they don’t take home a salary, the pooches are compensated in other ways.

One way to bring the bacon home is with extra treats and snacks.

Others who are more focused on the game are rewarded with fun and playtime—all of which is incorporated into their training through positive reinforcement.

One example – according to woofandbeyond – is seeing bomb-sniffing dogs being trained with toys.

After sniffing out a fake “bomb”, often a white towel, the canine cop is rewarded with a tug of war.

They’re also rewarded with benefits most dogs don’t have access to, including top-notch medical treatment, quality nutrition — even special funerals if they die in the line of duty.

How many hours does a police dog work?

Police dogs work long hours with other officers on the force – but are often used beyond the normal 8-hour workday.

This includes varied working hours from early 6 a.m. to late shifts into the early hours of the morning.

Some responders also allow their handlers to work a reduced seven-hour shift so they have time to feed their dogs and clean their kennels.

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Do police dog handlers take dogs home?

Crime dogs and their handlers are a unit that stays together 24/7.

After a long shift on the street, police dogs are often taken home by their handlers and are free to lead normal family lives.

What tasks can police dogs do?

Highly trained and extremely intelligent, police dogs do all sorts of jobs for a police department.

Some are drug or bomb sniffing experts, while others are trained to control crowds, protect VIPs, and guard valuables.