Staffy as Working Dog

Staffy's Role in Police, Military, Service Work

How a Dog Becomes a Working Dog

A dog is the best friend, helper and guard of human. Devoted dogs have been saving people’s lives during thousands years and some dogs dedicated their lives to this noble business.

Theoretically a dog of any breed can become a working dog if it is trained properly, because humanity hasn’t invented a keener detection tool than a dog’s nose.

It is clear that only physically and mentally healthy dogs are allowed to work in police/military/service spheres. Shoots, noise, crowds of people and extreme situations shouldn’t frighten a working dog or provoke it to behave unpredictably. Commands response rate and fearlessness of an animal are also taken into account: a dog mustn’t yield even to a larger and stronger enemy.

Pitbull is Trained be Professional Handler

Professional Pitbull Training with Dog Bite Sleeve

Four-legged guards are trained for a half a year at least. The best age to start trainings is a period between 8 months and 3 years. Then a dog becomes hard to teach. Daily trainings last for about 2 hours. An animal is taught to surmount obstacles and long distances, to obey its handler resignedly.

Training sessions hold through a game, as a rule. A dog is always praised in the end. Sites of training sessions change regularly. Dog mustn’t feel at a loss at an unknown environment. Made-up noise is produced while lessons: shooting, siren whooping, shouting, siren whooping. Such things can confuse a usual dog, but they shouldn’t disturb a working dog. Every dog gets its own specialization during the first weeks of training. A career of a working dogs lasts for eight to ten years.

Pitbull is Watching in Harness

Good Working Dog Always Keeps an Eye Out

K9 Staffies

Due to their intelligence, strong work drive and high-activity level English Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier would make an excellent working dog. They will do very well with search and rescue, police work, explosive and narcotics search, border patrol, many capacities for the disabled.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier is characterised as a breed of indomitable courage and tenacity. It is highly intelligent with independent mind, fearless and totally reliable. These dogs combines power with grace and agility, they are bright and alert. Outstandingly amenability to training and discipline and adaptability to almost any conditions must be noticed among other Staffy’s traits that are good for a working dog.

Agitation Dog Whip
Working Dog Must not Be Distracted with Agitation Whip

Professional dog trainers look for any potential, which could be trained to become valuable assets to the police force. Like all other drugs dogs, sniffer Stafford must have an above average ability to search and great striving for playing fetch and searching for things. Being not fazed or scared of anything and never giving up - that is what makes Staffordshire a great police dog. Experienced dog handlers nurture these features in order to turn them into working dogs.

It is considered that Springer Spaniels or Weimaraners are more suitable to become a sniffer dog. But stereotypes are being broken during the last time. There are many examples when Staffy shows excellent results in detecting drugs, cash and firearms not yielding to dogs of usual working breeds.

Amstaff and Toy

Amstaff is Trained in Game

American Staffordshire are also used in military sphere. They are train to warn soldiers of gas attacks, listen for oncoming artillery rounds, locate injured soldiers, capture spies and others.

But unfortunately, Staffy-like breeds have a bad reputation for being fighting dogs and are associated with 'hoody' owners. One of the reasons is their muscular body and tough nature. But they are actually not all the same. Many examples show that in the right hands Amstaffs, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and alike breeds are amazing dogs with so much potential. It is unfair to categorise them all in the same way.

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