Firstline Canine

Working some environmental stressors into the article indication. Many dogs do not want to down in water. Especially when it’s 34 degrees outside. Can’t expect a dog to preform on deployments if you only train in ideal conditions. Make training dirty. Blur the lines between training and reality. If I had a dollar for every time we’ve heard, “my dog preforms great in training, but won’t hit sh*t on the street”, we’d be rich. You aren’t the only one who needs reality/scenario based training. So does your dog. Make training so real your dog doesn’t know the difference. But it all starts with little things. Make the indication difficult. Then progress from there. Find the holes. Address them. Don’t try to manage around it. Be a Pro. #policek9 #policedog #policek9training #k9training #k9trainer #dualpurposek9 #policedogsofinstagram #k9sofinstagram

Building some intent in a young female herder #dutchherder #dutchie #dogreels #k9training #k9trainer #biteworktraining #bitework #maligator #dogtrainer

What’s the saying? “With friends like those you, you don’t need enemies?”😂 Man the sh*t you hear about yourself when you hand someone your phone at one of our seminars and ask them to video😂😂😂 #seminar #policek9training #policedog #policedogsofinstagram #policek9 #policek9unit #k9training #k9handler #k9trainer #k9training #swatteam

Let’s talk about “Communication”… Many handlers think that “communication” with their dog insinuates giving the dog verbal commands. And while sure, a command can cue an action in the dog, “verbal communication” is not what we mean. In my opinion, true “communication” is done through tactile stimulation of some form (but can be accomplished in other ways as well). Once a verbal command is given, if the training of said command was done properly the dog clearly understands the assignment. Giving the dog the same command multiple times during a deployment will likely lead to confusing the dog. And confusion equals failure. You can see in this video, the dog was sent to search for a suspect. When the dog enters the room, he rapidly gets target locks on me behind the dummy and begins moving in for the apprehension. However then the handler gives the dog a second bite command, and as you can see, momentarily confusing the dog (he breaks target lock, looks back toward the handler, and does a spin). But the dog quickly works through the problem and moves in nicely to take control of the situation. If this wasn’t training and I wasn’t wearing a bite suit, it MAY not have worked out the same. This video is a great example showing how word salad creates confusion. Not communication. This is a brand new handler who learns fast and is super passionate. I’m honored to be able to work with he and his unit! #policedog #policek9unit #policek9ofinstagram #k9unit #policek9 #policek9training #k9trainer

A human orientation/proofing drill that I like to do. Freshly worn equipment, suit set up in a chair as if a person were in it. Food thrown on the ground. Balls, sleeves, trash, and the decoy wrapped in a brand new tarp laying at the “feet” of the suit. If a dog will hunt past all of that to engage the suited decoy laying passive, completely shrouded in a tarp (the tarp working against the dog, trapping the human odor), with boxes strewn about. You have a good indication the dog is hunting a fight with the man IN the suit and not just THE suit. Does this mean the dog will ABSOLUTELY “bite for real”? No. Does this help with discrimination and clarity of task for the dog? 100%! A caveat to this is, the dog HAS to be neutral to dead equipment. In my opinion, and some probably won’t get it, but making your dog neutral to dead equipment is one of the most valuable things you can do for yourself and your dog to increase the likelihood of your police K9 engaging on the street. Most failures I see are not dogs that don’t have the heart for the job. They are dogs that are confused. This is just one little drill to work towards that clarity of task. In this video I’m also practicing the art of shutting the hell up and letting the dog work😂. Constant word vomit doesn’t help the dog. If ANYTHING (by “anything” meaning if the dog hasn’t tuned to out already) it only adds confusion to the situation. That’s hard for a lot of people when the dog isn’t doing what you feel it should or had hoped. Me included at times. And I know better. So working on that too @dogup_llc. 😉 #policek9training #k9training #dogtrainingtips

Pro-tip: when trying to preform a “Tactical Removal”, “Lift Off”, “Choke Off”, or whatever name you use for it, do not try to do it using an agitation collar or any collar thicker than an inch or so. We use these style of collars specifically during aggression work so the dog does not choke themselves when pulling hard against the leash. So it obviously would not make the best tool to use during an attempted lift off. However in high stress situations, it’s easy to overlook something if you do not train it. Some handlers can come to rely too heavily on their ability to verbally “Out” their dog because the dog performs the release beautifully in training. However when the dog finds itself in a violent encounter with a fighting suspect, a release that’s reliable in training, can become anything but. So knowing and being comfortable taking the dog off under power is essential. To take the dog off more quickly, while expending as minimal energy as possible, you want to use something as thin as possible. And the vast majority of time, the handler will have a leash. Sliding the leash above all collars and pulling up and toward the ears will cut the blood flow causing the dog to release. Not just lifting up. Certainly not lifting up and toward the handler when behind the dog. Lifting up and toward the ears will compel the release the fastest. But like all things, in order to trust your ability, you must train it. #policedog #policedogsofinstagram #policek9 #policek9unit #policek9training #k9trainingtips #k9training #k9trainer #k9handler #dogtraining #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingadvice #dogtrainer #dualpurpose #dualpurposek9

K9 Scout. A new “Green” Dog that arrived late last week for a mid sized local agency. He’s definitely checking all the boxes and then some. He will be with us for a few weeks until his new handler picks him up. When your agency purchases a green dog from us you can rest assured that dog has not just been sitting around in the kennel waiting to be sold. It has immediately been put into a training program to continue the dog’s development in not only bite work, but fuctional obedience, neutrality, hunting, and HST. #policedog #policedogsofinstagram #policek9 #k9unit #k9trainer #k9training #policek9training #greendog #greenplus #dualpurpose #dualpurposek9 #k9decoy #decoy #decoylife #bitelife #biteworktraining #bitework #servethosewhoserveus #sheriffk9

Creating Real Intent in a Patrol Dog… People often ask me what I feel the “Secret Sauce” is for generalizing a police K9 from biting equipment, to biting a violent felon during a live deployment. Some think muzzle will do it, some think just because the dog bites a prosthetic, that it will “bite for real”. Worse yet, some think bite work to a barrel sleeve is enough. For me, all of those things are part of it. But just mostly for proofing (well not the barrel sleeve part). Muzzle and Prosthetic work are great ways to proof off equipment. But much like a detection dog, you can proof off novel odor all you want. But if the dog has no real desire to HUNT for target odor, the proofing work means little. I feel to improve success as much as possible you must create real intent in the dog. Intent sufficient enough to confront the dangers many officers encounter on a nightly basis. And creating Intent and proofing are two different things. I feel “shedding” drills influence commitment to the human well. Teaching a dog it’s not about the equipment but about “the Man”. Civil work, building frustration, and civil work that leads to a bite on equipment are huge as well. Teaching the dog, aggression towards the “man” leads to the satisfaction. In the video above you can see with the equipment just out of reach, the dog wants the satisfaction of the equipment, however there is a moment you can see the dog dedicate to aggressing on me, civilly. Only then do I pick up the sleeve and give the dog the satisfaction of the bite. Rewarding the commitment to the human form. For me, influencing a team’s success requires more than checking boxes. It requires creating a mindset in the dog. A mindset built for the work of which it will be asked to preform. And my 3 year old son is never far behind. #policek9 #policedog #sheriffk9 #dualpurpose #dualpurposek9 #bitework #biteworktraining #k9training #k9trainer #k9unit #k9team #k9decoy #policek9training

Rocki is such a calm dog 😂. Side note, notice his right foot? See how it’s crooked? That’s the result of when he broke his leg and sheared all the ligaments in the side of his foot. Almost 10k later in surgeries, though crooked, it seems to be holding strong. Just have to watch what I ask of him. The dog has less than zero self preservation. Just the way we like it. #snowdays #snowstorm #hollandseherder #malinois #belgiummalinoisofinstagram #belgiummalinois #maligator #maligatorsofinstagram #dogreels #dogreelsofinstagram #ignition #dutchshepherd #dutchshepherdsofinstagram #dualpurpose #k9training #k9trainer #dogtraining #dogtrainer #workingdog

The modern day GSD… Due to several factors, over breeding of random dogs in the last century or so, being one of them, the GSD (like many dogs) is not what it once was. There are wild swings in personality, drive, and temperament, among many other traits. One persons GSD experience, can be quite different from another’s. As someone who not only trains working dogs, but also trains pet dogs, I see a ton of German Shepherds. And the vast majority of them are certainly on the lower end of drive and motivation. But as I said there’s a swing, sometimes you get one. Like the female above, Nova. She is just an active pet. Super Solid environmentally, and very motivated. She would have made a great dual purpose prospect. Through my help in training and handling, thankfully her owner and her family have learned to handle her quite well and take her everywhere, however her owner didn’t necessarily want so much dog. But that’s the swing. Especially when you procure the dog from a random person or breeder. In the words of a great sage, “it’s like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re going to get”😉. I point this out, as I constantly hear people who are inquiring about a working Malinois puppy from us say things like, “I have experience with dogs like this as I have a German Shepherd” or “I understand what it will be like as I grew up with German Shepherd’s”. While sure, some GSD’s can be quite a handful, it’s far more likely the GSD you bought off Craigslist is no where close to a young working Malinois, that has now determined your 5 year olds new stuffed animal belongs to them! #gsd #germanshepherd #germanshepherdsofinstagram #belgiummalinois #malinois #malinoisofinstagram #maligator #maligatorsofinstagram #dogtraining #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainer #dogtrainingadvice #k9training #k9trainer #evolution #dogbreeder #workingmalinois #shepinois #germanshepherddog #malinoispuppy #germanshepherdpuppy

Saw some random open back metal stairs in the parking lot of the podcast studio. Couldn’t pass it up. If you’re working a dog, train in the environment you work. Not everything must happen in a field. Generalize the dogs behaviors to random environments. Expose the dog to new things constantly. Make “New”, normal. #workingdog #policek9 #policedog #k9training #k9trainer #k9 #k9sofinstagram #k9decoy #decoy #decoylife #bitelife #dogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingadvice #dogreels #dogreelsofinstagram #strongdog #dogreelsofinsta #dogreelsvideo #dutchshepherd #dutchshepherdsofinstagram #malinois #maligator #maligatorsofinstagram

Rocki with a nice 70 yard back command. On only one command, as it should be. I can’t stand it when people “word vomit” to their dog. Repeating commands over and over. Or constant encouragement to their dog during bite work. Let the dog work. Constant vocalization can do a few things. It can confuse the hell out of the dog. Dogs think things through also. When you’re constantly repeating the same command over and over, the dog quite possibly may tune you out. Going into what many trainers (myself included) term “auditory exclusion”. Or during bite work, giving the dog constant encouragement. This can lead to a conditioning effect. Creating a dog that is now dependent on that encouragement from the handler. Where hearing “get em” or “Packen”, and “Good Boy”, has now become part of the picture. Always keep in mind dogs are “associative learners”. If you’re a police K9 handler, this is bad as you may send the dog in a building search and he ends up encountering the suspect some distance away from you and now you must hand clear to him. Leaving the dog alone with the suspect for a period of time. Now the dog may find himself in conflict if he’s used to having his handler in close proximity giving encouraging vocalizations. Especially if it’s a newer dog. When training, set your criteria high. Maintain it. One command, One action on behalf of the dog. Have clear releases for the behavior. Hold the dog accountable for staying in the behavior until released. The moral of the story is….Shhhhh🤫 Let the dog work. #policek9 #policedog #k9training #k9trainer #dogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtrainingadvice #dogtrainingtips #obediencetraining #obedience #demodog #dogreels #dogreelsofinstagram #dogtricks #dogtraining101 #k9sofinstagram #belgiummalinois #maligator #maligatorsofinstagram #dualpurpose #k9handler #k9dogs #dutchshepherd