Canine Section

Indiana State Police

The principal duty of the K-9 team is to aid law enforcement as a locating tool. The officer is responsible for seeing that the K-9 continues to receive the training that keeps them proficient. Therefore, the K-9 officer must train/work continually with the K-9 in order to maintain the dog's proficiency. The K-9 officer must know the capabilities of the dog and how to develop the highest potential in all of the dog's senses. The officer must have an exceptional work ethic in deployments and availability to maximize the potential and use the canine as a law enforcement tool.

Every K-9 officer must perform daily grooming and inspections of the K-9. The officer is responsible for the well-bring of their K-9 partner. The officer must be able to work outdoors for extended periods of time, in every type of weather. To be an effective team, both the officer and dog must be physically fit at all times. It is the officer's responsibility to ensure the team is in the best condition possible.