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1. Where do the dogs come from?

Remy and Rex are both from the Czech Republic.

2. Who trains the dogs?

The dogs receive some initial training from their owners to make sure they will be good police dogs. Then they train with their handler and his trainers.

Remy and Officer Allen attended the USPCA certified McDonough K-9 training program.

Rex and Officer Larson went through a training program here in Blaine run by USPCA (United State Police Canine Association) K9 Trainer, Mark McDonough.

3. How long is the training?

The canine team first trains for 3 to 4 months (as a team) with certified trainers. Then they continually train throughout the year, every year, until they retire.

4. Do the dogs live with their handlers?

The dogs live at home with their handlers and their families.

5. How old are the dogs when they retire?

On average, the dogs retire between 10 and 11 years old. Each year the teams have to pass rigorous testing designed by the USPCA to make sure they can still function as police dogs. These tests include events to test their agility, strength and speed.

6. How do officers get selected to become canine handlers?

They go through a competitive interview board at the police department where many things are examined, including past police performance, home environment for the dog, past police canine experience, general canine knowledge, etc.

7. How much do the dogs cost?

The dogs cost around $11,000 (dog is about $7,500 and training is $3,500). The cost of Rex was paid for by the BPSA (Blaine Public Safety Association) (a community group of Blaine volunteers) while his training portion was paid by the City of Blaine.

8. What are the dogs used for?

Blaine’s K-9’s are cross trained as Patrol dogs and Narcotics Detector dogs. They use their noses to find people, evidence, and illegal narcotics. They are also trained to protect their handlers and the public by chasing and catching suspects (they are much faster then their handlers).

9. Who pays for the care of the dogs?

The City of Blaine pays for all care and feeding of the dogs. The handlers are responsible for taking care of those needs.

10. Are the dogs safe when left in their patrol cars while the handler is not there?

Yes. Dogs can overheat and become seriously injured or killed when left in hot cars. The City of Blaine has equipped the K-9 squads with a number of features to protect the dogs.

To keep the dogs cool the cars have tinted windows, special vents to bring cool air to them, water bowls, aluminum kennels (nice and cool), and a heat monitoring systems that honks the horn and rolls the windows down if it gets too hot in the police car.

All of the officers are trained to alert the handler if he is away from the car and the alarm activates.

11. Is hurting a police dog the same as hurting a police officer?

It is very similar. Until recently, the penalties were much less. Now, causing injury to a police canine has a tougher penalty. This was due to a number of recent high profile assaults on police dogs in Minnesota.