Because police dogs participate in rigorous training and tasks all year round, their life span is often only more than ten years. Therefore, after a police dog retires, the lifespan of a police dog generally depends on its age at the time of retirement. After police dogs are retired, they are generally placed in the following ways:

Adoption: Some police dogs may be adopted by suitable families or individuals. These adopters usually need to undergo strict screening and training to ensure that they have the ability and conditions to care for police dogs and provide them with a suitable family environment.

Remain in the original unit: Some police dogs may continue to stay in the original unit as training dogs or for other non-frontline work. They may help train new police dogs or provide other support tasks within the unit.

Elderly care: Some elderly or in poor health police dogs may be placed in specialized nursing homes or shelters to receive appropriate care and attention.