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do police units own the title K-9?

5K views 51 replies 23 participants last post by  Blitzkrieg1 
#1 ·
I want to put something on a shirt that says something like
K-9 In training ..please don't approach us ....

but I don't know if then I can get in trouble with the police ?


I thought about even putting a twist on it and do something like

Ca-9 in training -- please give us space. ?
 
#2 ·
They don't own the name or designation. As long as you are not wearing any sort of an issued badge printed on the clothing, or a department name that would falsely identify you as a police officer you should be OK.

Check the statutes in your state. Our statutes in Illinois say nothing about K9 related clothing, wording, or statements as long as a department name is not included.

In cooler weather I often wear a leather Bayern Polizei Diensthundeführer jacket which is the German equivalent of a K9 handler.

Perfectly legal in my state as it is from a foreign department and bears no resemblance to anything worn in the states and has no badge. It is considered "for collector purposes only".

Around here, no one but me knows what it is anyway. They probably couldn't find Germany on a labeled map.
 
#3 ·
I know several people that have "Caution K-9"on their vehicles. IMO, it is an attention getter.
I'd rather just put a DO NOT PET collar on my dog if I didn't want people to approach. I know of a couple people that use the "K9 unit" velcro collar panel for their IPO dogs, I think that is misuse and shouldn't be done if they aren't affiliated with a dept.

There are plenty of shirts you can order with the word K9 on them, or hats.
 
#19 ·
I agree. it's all for attention. the stickers, the shirts, the vests. most people aren't maniacs, you say no and they leave you alone. and shirt or no shirt, no one owes to give you space. if you need special space then don't walk the streets.

my not so humble opinion.
 
#14 ·
K9 is an abbreviation of canine. I don't believe it can be owned by anyone.

I have a "caution: working K9" sticker for the back of my vehicle for a variety of purposes, and my male Hunter used to wear a harness with a reflective "K9 Unit" badge for when we do wildlife control for a local Airport... they require him to be vested/reflective (I have a reflective airport vest myself) because we are in and around the tarmac and generally in high security areas. We are officially referred to as the "Wildlife Control K9 Unit". I have since switched to a "WORKING K9" badge for his vest, as I find it more appropriate, and I have a "PROTECTION K9" badge I pop on it for IPO/bitework for fun.
 
#16 ·
Honestly, a highly visible harness with "DO NOT PET" and/or "IN TRAINING" is the best method of keeping people from petting your dog, in my experience.

Something like this:



I'm sure they come in highly visible orange, too!
 
#18 ·
#22 ·
You're welcome, I hope you find one that works for you. The one I have actually does have a handle on the top that I could easily grab onto if I really needed to move him.

And you'd be surprised how many people DO pay attention to it. I put it on my dog when we train in public areas because I don't want people talking to me or bothering us. I need to have both my eyes and all my attention on him and I can't when I'm distracted by conversation. When we have it on NO ONE has bothered us more than to just smile. Otherwise people approach and ask to pet him or ask if he's what he's training for etc.
 
#21 ·
and here's my method that works every time. don't look at people when you walk around and no one will come up to you. look down or at your dog or in space. I send a message when I walk that I don't want attention and I don't get it. few people will say nice dog, I say thank you while not slowing down and it's left at that.

if someone is bent on ignoring those signs they will ignore your shirts and your vests.

just trying to save you some money)))))
 
#24 ·
Personally, I don't like to use K-9 because to me that denotes a working dog such as LEO, SAR, even a guide dog. I wish I could find a car sticker] that said "Caution - Sport Dog"
I agree.

I have a Run Fast Bite Hard sticker on my ride....and the Schutzhund triathlon from topdogdesign. And on the side windows this: Jumping Shepherd decal

They are very small, not really something to draw attention unless you are in the sport or the breed.
 
#25 · (Edited)
My car sticker says caution k9 because that's how it came, it was on clearance so over 50% off and I didn't feel like special ordering something else. The "K" is actually falling off. The campus security where I work likes that my vehicle is marked. Obviously when the dogs are inside, the windows are down an appropriate amount, but you can't actually see dogs or crates unless you're real close (especially though the back) because it's a van and they aren't stacked or on a platform. There are some exact copies of my van that park in the same little lot (I tried to get into someone else's once, same model year and same interior as mine). They do not mind me having dogs in our lot because they are quiet and they are taken care of, but they like to know which vehicle is mine without having to approach and look in (and I prefer that too, even though the dogs wouldn't react unless you were actually trying to grab them or shout at them). It's never been an issue and I've never been mistaken for police. I have lots of other stickers that I rotate on my van, GSD related, dog sports related, and Michigan related ("Great Lakes - Unsalted and Shark Free"), it's pretty obviously one of those dorky sport dog vans! I even have a new one I need to put on that says PETA People Eating Tasty Animals.

Nikon has a plain black harness that we use mainly for nosework (trial harness), flyball, and agitation work during protection and it came with the Julius K9 patches but I have ones that say NIKON, FLYBALL, and BALL JUNKIE. They also accidentally sent me one that says TURBO, lol, not really sure what that's for (if anyone knows a dog name Turbo, let me know!). I don't use any patches that would give someone the impression he's any sort of working, security, police, or service type dog. As he ages he's actually getting more outgoing towards strangers so I don't want people to think he shouldn't be interrupted or approached, generally if I have him in public I am happy if people want to meet him or pet him, otherwise I take him to train places that are more secluded. For walking around the block or going anywhere that doesn't need an additional collar or harness for training, he wears a normal 1" orange buckle collar.

For a dog who is wearing a harness or vets and shouldn't be approached, I've seen lots of patches that denote the dog is in training and should not be pet but don't say "K9". Also in some of the dog sports I do, if a dog is wearing a red bandana or has a red ribbon on his collar, that is supposed to signal that the dog needs space from other dogs and people.
 
#28 ·
Umm yes, I do deserve "space" to do my own thing and not be required to stop and let everyone know what I'm doing, what kind of dog I have (no one here recognizes a black German Shepherd) and whether they can pet it. That doesn't mean I require extra ROOM to work .. that means I am busy and not at a random person's beck and call.
 
#34 ·
#35 · (Edited)
I am not comfortable with the brandishing of "K9" .

An example . I used to have a friend who was a dog nut , and she being retired had lots of time on her hands . She would accompany me to heart of downtown treks , the university campus , Kensington market , subway system etc to socialize dogs and to observe them in different envirmonments. Each of us would have a dog , usually a dog being prepped for service . This arrangement was very handy . We came downtown on the public transit system - no car handy (downtown Toronto + cars = headache) no crates . We could hand off the dog in our charge to one another so we could dash in for potty break , a take-out coffee - whatever . Great fun, much accomplished in one day, in one trip.

She wore an official looking type jacket emblazoned with K9 unit on the back.

Never liked that . Said so . To me "K9" does suggest a working PD , or a working dog with some certification .
I always go with layered seasonally appropriate doggy suitable clothes .

I didn't like the energy that the k9 symbols created. I want people and the dogs to be normal , not have some artificial excitement and people parting the way.

That was quite a time ago , probably a dozen years ago. Friend has long since moved to enjoy retirement somewhere in Arizona .

When I am out and someone is curious I will ask them, can you walk a ways with me ? or what direction are you going , I'm just out for a walk, can I go a ways with you . And then we have a friendly discussion , all about the dog , listen to their stories and experience , then part ways.
Much better than pausing and having someone look at the dog as if under the magnifying glass --- show them nice well mannered behaviour when walking. Dog is comfortable -- keep moving . Good social experience .
 
#36 ·
I know of a couple people that use the "K9 unit" velcro collar panel for their IPO dogs, I think that is misuse and shouldn't be done if they aren't affiliated with a dept.
that seems wrong

To me "K9" does suggest a working PD , or a working dog with some certification .
agreed!

"Working K9"
is your dog a police dept member??
if not why would you imply he or she is?

for a forum so worked up about the police and their misdoings i find it amusing that one would want to be associated with the police in this manner!
 
#39 ·
that seems wrong


agreed!


is your dog a police dept member??
if not why would you imply he or she is?

for a forum so worked up about the police and their misdoings i find it amusing that one would want to be associated with the police in this manner!
My dogs are working SAR dog's (wilderness, HR and urban SAR) hence the “Working K9” sticker on my vehicle. Out walking in public neither my dogs or I wear anything saying "K9". In working, my wilderness dog wears a vest that says "search dog", for HR only a collar, for urban search nothing. Don't think I am implying anything other than the fact that my dogs are working dogs.
 
#37 ·
If you're going to put something like a K-9 unit tag on your dog, why don't you just put a armor vest on it and stick a USSO velcro patch on it? Might as well go all the way if you're going to be "part" of something you really aren't....

USSO is US Special Ops for those that don't know.

 
#42 ·
Quote:
"Working K9"
is your dog a police dept member??
if not why would you imply he or she is?

for a forum so worked up about the police and their misdoings i find it amusing that one would want to be associated with the police in this manner!
I'm not understanding why "Working K9" is automatically associated with the police?

A good friend of mine owns K9 Kraving.. Does that automatically mean just police dogs can eat it?
 
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