# Police K9s - Moved/Moving to Higher Prey/Lower Defence Aggression?



## REEHGE (Feb 16, 2020)

Region 18 Police K9 Trials came to town about 15 miles from me and I only found out about it the day of.....so I knocked off two days on the spot to watch and talk to handlers all I could(its great being your own boss) 

One thing I gathered there is an apparent shift in the dogs many Units are looking for. Lots of really high strung dogs, probably well over half Malinois or Malinois Mixes. Lots of feeding the dog the sleeve after completion and letting them carry it off the field and such. It seems many are perhaps relying only on a super high intense prey drive (prey/play/fight) in favor of a more medium prey and strong forward defense. I assume this is a product having better ways to manage high strung dogs with newer training methods and off the job management vs the past and also a difficulty in finding dogs with the nerve strength to be reliable on the job working in defense. 

Just my observations, interested in hearing any thoughts or expertise in this area.


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## Slamdunc (Dec 6, 2007)

Dogs have changed a fair amount over the years. Malinois, Dutch Shepherds, and Malinois / GSD mixes are very popular. A Police K9 should be a high drive dog, but balanced. I like high prey drive dogs, but I also want high defense and natural aggression. Prey drive and fight drive are two completely drives, just as defense is different. I like a higher prey drive dog, high ball drive, high fight drive and some serious defense drive. I like a dog that has natural aggression. To have all this in one dog, you need to have a very solid temperament and strong nerves to balance the drives. 

Dogs overloaded in prey with out sufficient defense or aggression are not going to work out well as patrol dogs. Prey brings speed and speed brings power. High prey, hunt and toy drive also gives the dog the desire to hunt, track and do detection work. That is the bulk of what a K9 will be tasked to do. However, the dog will also be needed to do felony apprehension work. This is where the fight drive, defense and aggression come in to play.


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