Is KNPV a sport or a certification?
Officially it's an examination programme; there's no competition as such. In practice it's a bit of both: you take exams level by level, but it started out as a way to select service dogs.
Obedience and working disciplines
KNPV
The Dutch programme behind generations of police and military dogs. It's less a sport in the usual sense and more a hard-nosed, practical selection system.
About the discipline
What KNPV is
KNPV stands for Koninklijke Nederlandse Politiehond Vereniging, the Royal Dutch Police Dog Association. The programme certifies what a utility dog can do in real work.
The ring sports grew out of competition rulebooks. KNPV grew out of what police work needs on the street: catching someone who runs, escorting them, working in water, fetching an object from a long way off.
Its reputation is so strong that police units all over the world buy KNPV-certified dogs. For a dog, the exam is basically a job interview.
How it works in practice
What the programme contains
- practical obedience built around real situations
- long-distance retrieves, over obstacles too
- jumps over fences and ditches
- water work
- chasing down and stopping a fleeing person
- escorting the person once caught
- defence of the handler
- stopping on command, at any point
Which dogs it suits
- dogs that are very tough, physically and mentally
- working lines bred specifically for this programme
- handlers with a lot of experience behind them
You don't walk into KNPV with the family dog. Selection is strict right down to the bloodline.
What you need
- a club affiliated to the Dutch organisation
- obstacles and a pool for the water work
- experienced helpers
- years of preparation
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about KNPV
Why are KNPV-certified dogs sought after?
Because the exam checks exactly what a service dog needs, in conditions very close to the real thing. The certificate tells a buyer what the dog has done in the field, and that's why it carries weight.
Can it be practised outside the Netherlands?
Only with difficulty. The organisation, the helpers and the tradition are all in the Netherlands, and that's where the official exams take place.
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
Britain's utility discipline, with obedience, tracking, article search and jumps.
Obedience
Positions, recall, retrieve and heelwork, done as precisely as possible in front of a judge.
Rally Obedience
A course of signs, each one telling the team which obedience exercise to do next.
IGP
Tracking, obedience and protection, worked with the same dog on the same day.
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.