Is KNPV a sport or a certification?
Formally it is an examination programme rather than a competitive sport. In practice it works as both: examinations are taken at successive levels, but the original purpose was selecting service dogs.
Obedience and working disciplines
KNPV
The Dutch programme that has produced generations of police and military dogs. It is not quite a sport in the usual sense, but a practical, very demanding selection system.
About the discipline
What KNPV is
KNPV stands for Koninklijke Nederlandse Politiehond Vereniging - the Dutch royal police dog association. The programme certifies the practical abilities of a utility dog.
Unlike the ring sports, it was designed around the real needs of policing: catching a fleeing suspect, escorting him, working in water, retrieving at long distance.
The programme's reputation is such that police units around the world buy KNPV-certified dogs. It is, in essence, a job interview for dogs.
How it works in practice
What the programme contains
- practical obedience geared to real situations
- long-distance retrieves, including over obstacles
- jumps over fences and ditches
- work in water
- pursuing and apprehending a fleeing person
- escorting the apprehended person
- defence of the handler
- stopping on command, at any stage
Which dogs it suits
- physically and mentally very robust dogs
- working lines selected specifically for this programme
- handlers with considerable experience
KNPV is not something you enter with the family dog. Selection is severe from the level of the bloodline onwards.
What you need
- a club affiliated to the Dutch structure
- obstacles and a water feature for the water phases
- experienced helpers
- years of preparation
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about KNPV
Why are KNPV-certified dogs sought after?
Because the examination tests exactly the abilities a service dog needs, under conditions very close to reality. The certificate is a practical guarantee, not a paper one.
Can it be practised outside the Netherlands?
With difficulty. The structure, the helpers and the tradition are concentrated in the Netherlands, and official examinations are held there.
The rule figures on this page come from KNPV - Koninklijke Nederlandse Politiehond Vereniging. Rules change and federations differ - always check the rulebook of the competition you are entering.
From the same category
Related sports
Working Trials
A British discipline covering obedience, tracking, search and agility.
Obedience
Precise execution of commands, positions, recall and retrieve.
Rally Obedience
The team follows a course of signs with obedience exercises.
IGP
A complex discipline made up of tracking, obedience and protection.
We do not run KNPV
This page is informational. We work in mantrailing, search and rescue and preparation for the TSAC and BH exams - but if you want an honest opinion on what would suit your dog, write to us anytime.