police dog

American

noun

a dog trained to assist the police.
German shepherd.

police dog British

noun

a dog, often a German shepherd dog, trained to help the police, as in tracking

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of police dog

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

police dog

"Those who need a little help are often glad to be found by a police dog."

From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025

The nonagenarian nine-letter word seeker had a varied career in the RAF and has worked as a police dog handler, butcher and school site agent.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2025

A police dog who took part in Queen Elizabeth II's funeral has died following a car crash, his force has said.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2025

"It is the most rewarding thing having a retired police dog," she said.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2025

A police dog named Silver, trained to pace up and down the shed row, stood patrol.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023