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Every now and then, police forces around the country call on volunteers to apply to foster trainee police puppies.
Police often call on volunteers to foster future police puppies, giving people the chance to raise and help train a future police dog.
Volunteer carers play an essential role in police puppy training, helping young dogs grow into confident crime fighters. Police will cover costs like vet fees, food and equipment.
Taking care of our future canine heroes is no mean feat. But if you're interested in fostering a police puppy, here’s everything you need to know.
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What does a police puppy carer do?
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As a police puppy carer, you’re more than just a foster parent; you’re essential to the puppy’s police dog training journey.
Full-time carers are expected to bring the puppy in for regular training sessions and follow a structured development plan. They're also instructed to let the puppies spend time with different people and experience a variety of activities.
It helps them to feel comfortable and confident in any situation they may find themselves in as operational police dogs.
So, even though it's a volunteer role, being a puppy foster carer comes with more responsibilities compared to raising a non-police dog.
Who can be a police puppy foster carer?
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Since the carer must supervise the dog at most times during the day, this role is suitable for a person working from home, a freelancer or someone with a lot of spare time.
The puppy is not meant to be left without supervision for longer than four hours a day. It's important that if you work full-time and are out of the house all day, you may not be a suitable candidate.
Although some police departments request experience or “a very keen interest in training dogs”, this is not essential.
For example, the Surrey and Sussex joint police dog unit set out the following essential criteria:
Be over 18-years-old
Be available to attend scheduled puppy training classes as often as required
Drive or have access to a car daily
Not be absent from home for more than four hours per day
Have their own secure garden where the puppy can go outside
Have time to devote and a lot of patience
In addition, being a police puppy is unlikely to cost you money as the police will cover all basic costs related to looking after your pet. That includes food, veterinary treatments, puppy insurance, poo bags and training equipment.
Can families with children or pets apply to be police puppy carers?
Yes, families with children and other pets are encouraged to apply! Interactions with children and other animals are beneficial for a police dog puppy's socialisation and help build resilience.
Socialising with other animals is also encouraged as long as they have a good temperament. If you already have a dog, it needs to be at least a year old before you can take on a police puppy.
How to apply for a police puppy carer role
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Your local police department is the best place to start. You can contact them to find out if they’re currently accepting applications. If they're not, they may be able to put you in touch with other police departments or organisations in your area that do.
Once you’ve found a department looking for puppy foster carers, it’s time to start the official application process. You'll fill out an application form and be invited for an interview. But don’t be daunted, interviews are usually quite informal.
If you meet the essential criteria the next step would be a home visit to ensure that your home is safe for raising a puppy, much like adopting a rescue dog.
If all goes well and you’re approved, you'll join a waiting list and be contacted when a litter is born. You might be invited in to meet all of the puppies before one is allocated to you when it turns eight weeks. The puppy is likely to remain in your care until it’s 12-15 months old.
What happens next?
When your foster puppy reaches around 12-15 months, the police unit will assess whether it’s ready for further police dog training. They will check to see if the puppy is happy in all places, has a desire to interact with a toy, is ambivalent towards other dogs and can problem-solve.
If successful, police training will go ahead, and the dog will move in with its handler. Your former foster puppy will be on its way to becoming a fully-fledged crime fighter.
If you're interested in the dog's progress, you'll be offered updates on the heroic accomplishments your pup is making during its training and when in service.
What happens if my foster dog doesn’t pass the test?
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A relatively high proportion of potential working dogs fail to meet the required operational standards or are later withdrawn from service due to a lack of desired mental or physical qualities. Police dog puppy training is tough, and not everyone makes the cut.
But it’s not all doom and gloom for the dogs that don’t make it! For them awaits a slightly more relaxed life as a beloved pet and the likelihood of remaining with their foster family forever as they will be offered the chance to adopt the puppy permanently.
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