LE Patrol/Detector Dog Handler Course
August 1 - September 9 2022 @ Carrsville, VA | Host: American K-9 Interdiction
Training Course AK9ITA-010 — Law Enforcement Patrol/Detector Dog Handler Course
240 HOURS | 6 WEEKS
AREAS OF TRAINING AS FOLLOWS:
ACADEMICS (40 HOURS):
Orientation, canine safety, canine health care and grooming, canine kenneling and transportation, Principles of Conditioning, explosives and narcotics safety, storage and transportation. This segment of the course is designed to teach students safety practices in and around the kennels and safe handling and transportation of explosives and narcotics. Students are introduced to Operant conditioning (reward schedules) and Classical conditioning (pairing of unconditioned and conditioned stimuli) escape training, the canine sensory spectrum and titration levels.
BASIC OBEDIENCE (25 HOURS):
Application of Principles of Conditioning (reward schedules, fixed and variable ratios and intervals) for the commands of “sit, stay, down, heel and come” walking in heel position and obstacle agility course. Utilizing Operant Conditioning methods, students are taught to condition the dogs to respond to basic verbal and hand commands and navigate the obstacle course using positive reinforcement methods.
DETECTOR DOG SEARCH PROCEDURES (65 HOURS):
Canine odor recognition protocol (4-hole variable, odor wall), Practical application of detector dog handling search pattern and search procedures in buildings, vehicles, warehouses, stadiums offices, open areas, parcels, luggage and bomb threat response protocols. Using operant conditioning methods, students are taught to condition a “green” dog to detect and passively respond to target odors in different environments.
DETECTOR DOG CERTIFICATION (25 HOURS):
Final certification of detector dog team in real world environments using North American Police Working Dog Association (NAPWDA) certification standards. Students will certify with their dog by demonstrating their dog’s ability to detect and respond with a passive response to the target odors. Students will also be able to identify their dog’s behavioral change when the dog is in the scent cone and working to source.
PATROL DOG TRAINING AND CONDITIONING (60 HOURS):
The primary purpose of this course of instruction is to prepare canine teams for integration into the tactical operations of law enforcement as a nonlethal option. Bite work, grip development, decoy mechanics and development, single and multi-person pursuit and apprehension, apprehension from a vehicle (bailouts), apprehension with gunfire, vehicle extractions, handler protection, prisoner escorts, recalls and outs, tracking and trailing and building search/working “in the stack.” Utilizing Operant Conditioning methods, students will condition their dogs to pursue, bite, hold and guard a decoy with and without gunfire under a multitude of conditions, locations and stimuli.
PATROL DOG CERTIFICATION (25 HOURS):
Final certification of detector dog team in real world environments using North American Police Working Dog Association (NAPWDA) certification standards. Students will demonstrate their dog’s ability to pursue, bite, hold and guard a decoy with and without gunfire under a multitude of conditions, locations and stimuli.