Why I love writing about K9 police and their canine partners

I write a lot of books about K9 police officers and their four-legged partners. My first such book was a stand-alone for Love Inspired titled A Tender Touch. I became fascinated with the dogs that are trained to protect and serve. They go through intensive methods to teach them to search and rescue, find drugs and bombs and to track down dangerous criminals. They can pick up scents from twenty years ago, scents in the water, or scents in the air and on the ground. They smell a thousand different things in a thousand different places, but they can track the scent of one lost child from smelling a piece of his clothing. They use scent in the way we use sight. It guides them. They are amazing. And they do it all because they get a play toy as a reward!

The last K9 story I worked on is part of a six-book continuity and I used a Pointer as my K9 in the book. They are beautiful dogs. My brothers used to train pointers to hunt. They really do stop and point their tails straight behind them with their noses in the air and one leg up. It’s a beautiful sight!

The bloodhound is considered the number one dog for scent. With over 300 million scent receptors, he can get the job done no matter what gets in his way. The loose skin near the head and neck helps them to retain a scent!

Of course, German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois are two very popular police dogs, too.

And who can resist a cute puppy ready for his training, which he considers good, clean fun!

I enjoy learning more about these animals that are as loyal as any human partner. I have two books I refer to often. One is “K-9 Cops” by Richard Rosenthal and the other is “Soldier Dogs” by Maria Goodavage, (a loaner from my daughter).

I will have a K9 story out this year and next year! It’s hard to stop writing about my brave four-footed friends.

Do you have a dog that you adore? Have you ever witnessed a K9 police dog at work?