How long have police dogs been used in the US?

ORLANDO, Fla. – In honor of National Dog Day let’s talk K-9s.

Trooper Steve on Tuesday, Aug. 26, was asked, “How long have police K-9s been used in the United States?”

Believe it or not, the tradition goes back more than a century.

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Inspired by programs in Europe in the late 1800s, New York City first experimented with police dogs around 1907. Those early efforts didn’t last long, but they planted the seed for what would eventually grow into one of the most recognizable parts of American law enforcement.

It wasn’t until the 1950s that modern K9 units really took hold in the U.S.

Cities like Baltimore became leaders in training dogs, not just for guarding but for real police work, like tracking suspects, finding missing p