<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (January 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (January 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> A police dog, known in some English - speaking countries as a "K - 9" or "K9" (a homophone of "canine"), is a dog that is specifically trained to assist police and other law - enforcement personnel . Their duties include: searching for drugs and explosives, locating missing people, finding crime scene evidence, and attacking people targeted by the police . Police dogs must remember several verbal cues and hand gestures . The most commonly used breeds are the German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Bloodhound and Dutch Shepherd . </P> <P> In many countries, the intentional injuring or killing of a police dog is a criminal offence . </P>

What does the k in k9 stand for
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