Follow The Dog: A History of the St. Paul Police Canine Unit

Half a century ago, a young St. Paul patrolman presented the idea of using dogs for police work. That young man, two other patrolmen, and three German shepherd dogs trained for the job. They were assigned to the Tactical Unit, but like many similar programs in the United States, it lasted only a few years. In 1972, the St. Paul Police Department once again began using dogs, now assigned to the Patrol Division. Careful selection of dogs and intense training of a number of canine handler teams led to the successful formation of a separate Canine Unit in the department in 1975. Through the years the Canine Unit has proven its value to the St. Paul Police Department, winning national awards for police work and being named "champion team" four times in national competitions. Individual handler/canine trams have also won individual championships. This book tells the story of the St. Paul Police Canine Unit's proud and success history. - Back cover.… (more)