A Good police dog possesses several important qualities. He has a lively intelligence. He has the persistence to concentrate on his task. He has the mobility to pursue a suspect where a man on foot would have little success. Because of his keen sense of smell a dog is also able to proceed where darkness would baffle an officer traveling alone. He is also able to hear sounds that are fainter and higher-pitched than his master is capable of hearing.

Man-and-Dog Teams
Guided by their masters, Chicago Police dogs are used in the patrol of areas where the incidence of street crimes is particularly high. Studies of selected high-crime areas have shown that the use of man-and-dog teams has been especially effective in the reduction of the major crimes of assault, burglary and auto theft.

Man-and-dog teams also patrol secluded areas of parks, beaches and boat harbors and at hospitals and auto pounds. They are often called upon to search buildings for suspects, to track suspects who have abandoned vehicles and to search areas for discarded crime evidence such as clothes, guns and tools. Several of the dogs are trained to recognize the presence of marijuana.

The Canine Section
The Chicago Police Department has approximately 50 man-and-dog teams. These units work in three eight-hour shifts and are available 24 hours a day. Two man-and-dog teams generally work together and use a kennel-type vehicle for travel to and from assigned beats or specific locations.

The teams are members of the Canine Section, one of several units in the Task Force. In accordance with Task Force requirements, assignments of the teams are made at Canine Section headquarters, 1179 South State Street. Vehicles of the Canine Section are radio-equipped for two-way contact with the Communications Center.

Training
Dogs of the Department's Canine Section are all of the German Shepherd breed and weigh from 90 to 120 pounds. To qualify for training they must be male, nine months to two years of age, and weigh at least 75 pounds. They must be of even temperament —neither shy nor vicious—and be intelligent-looking and alert.

Each dog must also pass a complete physical examination by the Canine Section's veterinarian and a variety of tests for intelligence, mobility, persistence and interest in training.

The dogs are given training at the Department's Canine Training Center, located northwest of O'Hare Airport. They also receive specific training in the city in vacant buildings and at park and waterfront locations.

Dog Obedience
The initial training course takes 14 weeks. The dog and his handler are trained together. The dog is taught to obey only one man, and a relationship of close affection, trust and understanding is built up between the team-mates.

During his obedience training the dog is highly praised for each successful accomplishment. The dog learns to respond to commands to heel, sit, stay, lie down and come to his master. He also learns to overcome obstacles that include boxes and steps and a scaling wall that can be adjusted for heights from four to nine feet.

Pursuit
Fully trained for obedience, the dog now learns to respond to every command his handler may issue in the course of apprehending a suspect.

Upon command, the dog will instantly leap into pursuit and persist in following his quarry regardless of twists and turns in the suspect's flight or any distraction the dog may encounter en route. If the officer sees that the suspect is safely cornered and cannot run any farther, he commands the dog to halt and simply stand guard until his master can take charge.

Tracking and Seeking
A dog trained to track must learn to discriminate among various scents. During the dog's training he and his handler work together with one or more other teams. Each handler first conceals an object bearing his scent, then teaches his dog to seek and retrieve only the object belonging to him.

A police dog can follow the scent of the human body whether deposited by bare feet or by the wearer's footwear. He can quickly search a large building or a wide area. He is encouraged to bark when he finds the source of the scent—suspect or victim—and direct the handler to the spot.

Refresher Training
To insure a high standard of efficiency every handler and his dog are given refresher training under Departmental supervision. One day per month they go to the Canine Training Center for refresher training, and one night per month they receive in-service training on the street. However, the basic responsibility for maintaining a dog's efficiency rests with the handler, who must continually develop learnings the dog acquired during the initial training course.

The Dog at Home
Officers who wish to serve as handlers are carefully selected. An applicant must have a deep affection for dogs and be wholeheartedly interested in this type of work. He must be under 40 years of age and possess adequate police experience, with at least two years "on the street."

Each dog lives at his handler's home. To further qualify for service as handler the officer must therefore receive his wife's permission, own his own home or rent from a relative, receive the consent of neighbors on both sides and to the rear of his home and, finally, agree to have no other dogs on his premises.

In his home, the dog becomes a loving, devoted pet and enjoys playing with the handler and members of his family. The Department pays for the dog's food and it provides a kennel for the officer's backyard.

A handler devotes one hour of duty time each day to the exercise and grooming of his dog and to the maintenance of its equipment. Veterinary care to guard the dog's health is provided by the Department Veterinarian.

Since man-and-dog teams generally work in pairs and share the same kennel car, one of the handlers parks the vehicle at his home during off-duty hours.