The police dogs are taught to provide assistance to officers in criminal situations. These dogs are usually referred by the term K9, which sounds like the word canine.

Due to the importance of this dog, the are specially looked after and often kept in specially designed kennels. In many jurisdictions the intentional injury or killing of a police service dog is a serious crime and the perpetrator is subjected to harsh penalties. In some places the injuring of a service dog if often regarded as being on the same level as injuring a police officer.

Furthermore, a police service dog killed while on duty is traditionally given a full police funeral or burial, similar to that for a police officer. Some of the functions performed by police service dogs are as follows:

1. Police order enforcement dog

In this case these dogs are used to enforce public order by chasing and holding suspects, or detaining suspects.

2. Tracking

It is referred to locating of suspects or finding missing persons and objects.

3. Detecting illicit objects

Thee dogs are used to detect illicit substances such as drugs or explosives which may be carried by a person.

4. Cadaver dogs

These dogs are trained in detecting the odor of decomposing bodies. The nose of a dog is sensitive that it can even detect a human body that is under the water.

Police service dogs need to be trained professionally and proper care must be taken so that they can be useful during police investigation. The same level of care should taken when training police handlers.

It should be taken into consideration that the functioning of dogs is different to that of human behavior. As a result it has become essential that the handler is trained to the highest level to ensure that understand the behavior of the dog in different circumstances.

A Dog handler is a special police officer who is in charge of the training and handling of well trained police dogs. The level of training and certification for police dog handlers and police dogs should constantly evolve several challenges and has become more progressive as well. There are various institutes which impart training of police dog handlers.

A person in this institute has to go through both theoretical as well as practical training. Training and qualifications to become a police service dog handler are usually available to any officer as well as those in the military and rescue units. Apart from handling the police dogs the living standard of these police dog handlers is even taken into consideration.

Becoming a police service dog handler does not require any formal education, but an apprenticeship under an established handler and an adherence to a code the ethics are important something's required to become a professional handler.