The Goodyear Police Department K9 Unit is housed within the Specialized Patrol Division. The K9 Unit consists of five canine handlers and their canine partners. Three of the teams are dual-purpose patrol and narcotic detection, while the other two teams are dual-purpose patrol and explosive ordinance detection. Along with their odor detection duties, the canines are used on a daily basis to assist patrol in locating fleeing or hiding suspects and providing additional safety to the officers and residents. When our canines are not at work, they are relaxing at home with their handler. 

Most of the canines are Belgian Malinois (pronounced MAL-in-wah). The Malinois is the short-coated variety of the Belgian Shepherd Dog. In the United States, they have been shown as a separate breed since 1959. The canines are 24 to 26 inches at the shoulder and weigh 60 to 80 pounds. This is a very high energy breed that are at their best when they have a purpose in life. The Malinois is generally not a dog for the novice dog owner, while it is extremely trainable, it does not do well with poor or insufficient training.