Nearly 2 dozen new K9 officers graduate from police academy

K-9 officers graduate from police academy

The dogs can run up to 35 miles an hour, and can track everything from missing people, suspects, firearms and drugs.

More than a dozen K-9 officers are now ready to get to work after graduating from the police academy.

Out of the 19 class members that graduated Thursday, five are from the St. Paul police department, three are from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the others are from agencies around the region.

The three most common K-9 breeds are Belgian Malinois, German Shepherds and Dutch Shepherds.

“Other breeds have been used but it’s found that those are probably the three most suitable breeds, and you’re starting to see mixes of those breeds as well,” said Robert Vetsch, the head trainer for the St. Paul Police Department’s K-9 unit.

The dogs can run up to 35 miles an hour, and can track everything from missing people, suspects, firearms and drugs.