Are the Police K-9 Dogs on the Drugs they search for?

NO. But it's a funny story.

The dogs are sometimes 'addicted' to the smell of some drugs, just like some dogs are 'addicted' to tennis balls, though.

For the use of marijuana detection dogs, I have seen the handlers actually put some marijuana inside the dog's fabric reward toy. This is used to associate the toy (what the dog really wants) with the smell of marijuana. The dog never actually ingests it, though. Another thing they will do is put the toy in a container with the drug so it just takes on the odor.

No, this is a myth. As ludicrous as it is, an enduring one.

Dogs are trained to search for drugs by associating the smell of the drugs with a favourite toy. It is a game. The dogs find the scent and their reward is a game with their favourite toy and handler. Some use Kongs, others use tug toys, whatever the dog really likes.

I have seen food detection dogs for the airport trained with treats.

A dog with high drive will work very hard to find something for the reward of their toy. No need to get him hooked on drugs.

Imagine what an 85 lb GSD would be like on cocaine. It would fry their brains and kill them, not very useful for detection.

Someone was spinning you a fairy tale!!!

As far as I'm aware K9 dogs are trained to detect chemical substances & are not rewarded by sampling the drugs they search for. Something more legal & pedestrian like a favorite toy or praise from their handler.

I needed a little humor this evening LOL

Don't forget that the cops are completely devoted to their K-9 partners. Battle experienced, macho, big, mean cops will cry like babies when they talk about their K-9 partners dying. They sob like infants talking about their dogs getting hurt. I can't imagine any of them letting their dogs get addicted to anything but hot dogs and chew toys.

Think about it.

When was the last time you saw a crack addict hold down a regular job?

When has a meth addict been hired to do, well, anything?

Would you trust a drug addict to "watch your back" the way cops say their K-9 partners do?

NO!!!

If the dogs were addicts, they'd ACT like addicts, and be completely unsuitable to doing the job.

Could you imagine an addict with the teeth and bite force of the average German Shepard? How about an attack trained German Shepard?

No, they are trained to detect it. There are odors in the chemicals that they sniff out, resulting in finding the drugs.

Unfortunately, after doing research and talking to K-9 drug detecting officers in my area, the dogs DO often become addicted to these drugs from sniffing them out. After sniffing out the drug for so long, they become "addicted" to it. That's why so many drug sniffing dogs are retired early, if they get addicted it's bad for their well being.

So no, they don't give the dogs the drugs, but many of them do get addicted to them.

Ridiculous. The dogs are trained to detect odors of specific chemicals in the drugs...they don't make the dogs junkies and just hope the dog will lead them to the drug in an effort to get its "fix"! LMFAO!!

Where do people come up with this crap?

eye 4 an eye... are you for real? You think the dogs are desperate to find the drugs because they are hooked on it!

I really dont know where pple come up with this junk! Its their job to detect drugs, they are trained to do so, and if they find any they get rewarded. With a BALL or a TREAT!

not a ten bag of crack! seriously.....what are pple on these days.

Unless I have been living under a rock, I have to say that this is a first.........IMHO giving illegal and dangerous drugs to dogs would be counterproductive to the message that drugs are bad. Now, if I am wrong by some chance, I stand corrected.....But I doubt it....

Nonsense

They just scent their ball/toy with the smell of the drug, so when they are out working, they think it's a game to find their toy. They never give the dogs the drugs, that's just plain dumb.