How does one establish what is a reasonable amount of off-duty time to care for a police service dog and determine justifiable compensation? It probably won’t surprise anyone associated with law enforcement to learn that differing opinions exist concerning the proper and reasonable method of compensating K-9 handlers for off-duty care and maintenance of their police service dogs. We wish to thank the good folks at Police K-9 for this article and those they will provide in the future.īy Bill Lewis, Special contributor to Police1 It is reprinted by permission of the publisher and presented in partnership with our friends at Police K-9 in an ongoing effort to provide handlers and non-handlers with the best information available on issues that affect any department that has, or is considering getting, K-9 capabilities. Note: This article, which presents guidelines to help agencies and handlers define specific rules for handler compensation, first appeared in the pages of Police K-9 magazine. Law Enforcement vehicles, officers and dogs will come close to closing down International Speedway Boulevard as 85 teams come together for the test at the hotel, Heiser said.Ed. The three-day training seminar precedes the mandatory test. Teams (a handler and his or her K-9 partner) are required to test annually by the United States Police K-9 Association, said Bill Heiser, organizer of the Southern Coast K9 Annual Bomb and Drug K-9 Detection Seminar. Shepherds, Labradors and even a wire-haired pointer make up the mix of K-9s, and their human partners represent police departments, sheriff's offices, corrections officers, customs officials, state fire marshals and the FBI. Southern Coast K9 Annual Seminar in the News:ĭAYTONA BEACH - Cops and K-9 officers from around the country, as well as the British Virgin Islands, test their skills today sniffing either drugs or explosives at the Ramada Inn Speedway for the United States Police K-9 Association.
K9 decoy students are trained by certified, highly experienced instructors and learn how to be professional decoys. K9 teams from agencies around the United States come to Southern Coast K9 to learn training techniques as part of their ongoing professional development. K9 trainers and instructors learn the proper and most effactive techniques to hne their skills and advance their careers.Īnnual Explosive and Drug Detection Seminar and Optional K9 Certification Finally, all K9 Teams will complete a National Level K-9 certification with ATF NORT, which is valid for 1 year.
All Handlers will be instructed on the legal aspects of K-9 searches as well as proper record keeping. Each K9 Team will be exposed to various environments and will face real world scenarios. K9 Handler, Trainer and Instructor Classesĭrug Dog Handlers learn how to effectively search various venues, set up training situations, set up a maintenance training schedule, record-keep, and most importantly, prepare for Court.īomb Dog Handlers receive foundation training and odor recognition of all major explosive chemicals and components. Our class and seminar graduates have gone on to become successful K9 teams all over the United States, and in some cases - the world.īrett Whitson & K9 Endo with Volusia County Sheriff's Office. Become a proficient K9 handler, trainer, instructor or K9 decoy at one of the most reputable K9 training facilities in the United States.