May 18, 2011
When you buy a police dog is it better to buy a puppy or buy a dog that is it already trained?
Full Question:
I have a question regarding a police dog. I would like your opinion on whether a good police dog should be bought and trained from a good quality pup? Or will the dog work out as well if it is bought fully trained? I know that if someone is to buy a dog and start its training themselves they are more likely to make training mistakes than a professional trainer will. I guess my biggest question is if the dog will be more "loyal" if it is bought as a pup? 
Ed's Answer:
Loyalty has nothing to do with this. An adult dog will be just as loyal to a good handler as a pup is.
It's cheaper to buy a pup and raise it. The risk in any pup is that it develops some kind of genetic health problem as it grows, (i.e. bad hips). Even though most problems are covered by a good guarantee it still means starting from scratch.
Selection tested dogs are mature males. If the dog is worth his salt he is going to be a challenge to train and handle. Without proper guidance a new handler will have problems with pack order and control. These issues are easier to settle with puppies as they grow.
So this issue is not as clear cut as it may seem. I am more in favor of a puppy program. A pup can be working the street at 15 to 18 months. He will need time to mature after that but he can be out there tracking bad guys, finding dope and learning the basics of bite work at that age.
It's cheaper to buy a pup and raise it. The risk in any pup is that it develops some kind of genetic health problem as it grows, (i.e. bad hips). Even though most problems are covered by a good guarantee it still means starting from scratch.
Selection tested dogs are mature males. If the dog is worth his salt he is going to be a challenge to train and handle. Without proper guidance a new handler will have problems with pack order and control. These issues are easier to settle with puppies as they grow.
So this issue is not as clear cut as it may seem. I am more in favor of a puppy program. A pup can be working the street at 15 to 18 months. He will need time to mature after that but he can be out there tracking bad guys, finding dope and learning the basics of bite work at that age.
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