It wasn't until 1945 that the United States established their first K-9 program in Baltimore, Maryland. The general uses for dogs in the police force are for drug detection, bomb detection, the Customs Department, violence patrol and general partnership with officers. The male dog is more often used due to his strength and size. Several breeds are used yet the German shepherd is the one chosen for police work. They have the size, strength, agility and intelligence needed to benefit the officer and the community it helps to patrol.
Most people wonder why dogs are used as such an integral part of crime prevention.
First, dogs sense of smell is 40 times greater than humans. Their hearing is 20 times better. Some dogs can sniff a case of dynamite buried two feet under ground. They have a nose for trouble. Training a dog over a human is also cost efficient.