ORLANDO, Fla. – In honor of National Dog Day let’s talk K-9s.
Trooper Steve on Tuesday, Aug. 26, was asked, “How long have police K-9s been used in the United States?”
Believe it or not, the tradition goes back more than a century.
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Inspired by programs in Europe in the late 1800s, New York City first experimented with police dogs around 1907. Those early efforts didn’t last long, but they planted the seed for what would eventually grow into one of the most recognizable parts of American law enforcement.
It wasn’t until the 1950s that modern K9 units really took hold in the U.S.
Cities like Baltimore became leaders in training dogs, not just for guarding but for real police work, like tracking suspects, finding missing persons and detecting narcotics.
From there, the role of the police dog only expanded. By the 1970s, K-9s were being trained for explosives detection, cadaver recovery and finding hidden electronics.
[VIDEO BELOW: Fla. deputy saves K-9 from bridge jump]
Breeds like German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois and Labrador Retrievers became the backbone of these units.
Fast forward to today, and nearly every major police agency in America has a K-9 unit.
In many places, these dogs are considered sworn officers, wearing vests, badges and receiving full honors if they’re lost in the line of duty.
So, the next time you see a K-9 team on patrol, you’re looking at part of a tradition that’s been protecting communities in the U.S. for over 100 years.