Police dogs and military working dogs perform vital roles including detection, patrol, and search functions, with specific welfare needs related to training, deployment, and post-service care.
Police and military working dogs generally have good welfare due to purposeful work aligned with their natural drives, positive training methods, and strong handler bonds. Key welfare risks include occupational injuries, deployment stress, and retirement transitions. The advocacy campaign ensuring all serving police and military dogs have adoption placements secured before retirement significantly improved welfare outcomes for dogs leaving service.