How we help police

The WA Police Dog Squad assists police with:

• apprehending violent offenders;
• explosive detection;
• detecting narcotics in houses, buildings, vehicles, vessels and aircraft;
• lecturing on the role of dogs in policing;
• locating weapons and stolen property;
• responding to antisocial behaviour, demonstrations and riots; and
• tracking offenders from crime scenes.

The Dog Squad also conducts joint training and operations with other government agencies such as the Australian Customs Service, Australian Federal Police, Department of the Attorney General, Special Air Services and the Australian Defence Force. 

Dog recruiting

The Dog Squad is always looking for potential dog recruits.

Criteria for a potential police dog includes:

• German Shepherd or Rottweiler (male or female);
• aged 12 months to 2 years;
• active retriever;
• sound temperament;
• not overly aggressive but will stand their ground when challenged;
• physically fit with good conformation; and
• alert.

Each dog is assessed by experienced police dog personnel. If the dog is suitable for further assessment, subject to agreement with the owner, it will be thoroughly assessed by the WA Police Dog Squad.

Our dogs come from all walks of life. One of our current serving dogs we rescued from a local pound when our training officers saw his potential and saved him from being destroyed.

If you have a dog that you believe fits the above criteria please contact:

Police Dog Squad
Tel: (08) 9370 7368
Fax: (08) 9370 7333
Email us

Our history

The WA Police Canine Section was formed in 1993 with the initial intake of two police officers and two German Shepherd dogs.

Training was conducted in Trentham, New Zealand, as this was the best available training facility. At the completion of training, the section had one general purpose dog and one narcotics detection dog.

Even in the early stages, it was found that the dogs were of great assistance to police on the streets and it quickly became apparent that an increase in staff was needed.

Since that time the section has steadily grown. It now has 1 Senior Sergeant in Charge, 3 Sergeant supervisors and 2 training officers. There are also 17 general purpose dog teams and 9 narcotic and 3 explosive detection dog teams, providing services statewide.

All training is now carried out in Perth at the Western Australia Police Canine Training Section at the Police Complex, Maylands.

Our police dogs are mainly German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Labradors which have been found to be best suited to policing. 

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