DUAL-PURPOSE POLICE SERVICE DOGS

Handler Training

North Iowa K-9 ONLY uses 1-on-1 instruction between Master trainer Paul and the handler selected from your department. The training will consist of 12 hour days for 15 days (180 hour course) for Dual-Purpose Police Service Dogs and 7 days (12 hour days) for Single-Purpose Police Service Dogs. North Iowa K-9 Police Service Dogs excel at Narcotic Detection (see AWARDS section). Most of the NIK-9’s PSD’s are Passive Response for narcotic odor. However, NIK-9 has aggressive response PSD’s as well. Paul feels that the Passive Response dog is always better (training hide locations are unlimited & lack of damage to vehicle/property) but he lets the dog dictate whether they (the dog) will be passive or aggressive response. North Iowa K-9 PSD’s MUST excel at Narcotic Detection on Vehicles. If a K-9 gives the handler a final response (passive or aggressive) on a vehicle stopped on the highway that immediately gives probable cause for the handler to search that vehicle for narcotics. So, your NIK-9 trained PSD will have found hundreds of training hides on vehicles prior to you receiving him/her. North Iowa K-9 Police Service Dogs will find hidden narcotics in the following locations: vehicles, buildings, houses, storage units, parcel packages, and suitcases. NIK-9 K-9’s can also be trained to search for narcotic odor on airplanes and busses. North Iowa K-9 Police Service Dogs will locate the following hidden narcotics: Marijuana, Hashish, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, Heroin, Black Tar Heroin, Ecstasy, LSD, Methamphetamine, and Methamphetamine ICE. North Iowa K-9 Police Service Dogs can efficiently track a suspect hiding from law enforcement or a missing/lost person. North Iowa K-9 Police Service Dogs will search a building for hidden suspects. It is impractical for law enforcement officers to efficiently search a large building for suspects. A NIK-9 dog will find the suspect in hiding reducing manpower time and injury to officers from the suspect(s). North Iowa K-9 Police Service Dogs will locate evidence dropped by a suspect (article recovery). The K-9 will either lay down by the evidence item or pick the item up and bring it back to the handler. North Iowa K-9 Police Service Dogs will do the following commands on and off leash: sit, down, come, stay, and heel. Other advanced obedience commands are taught as well such as hand signals for come, down, and sit, a walking sit, walking down, and walking stand. North Iowa K-9 Police Service Dogs will react to a violent suspect(s) who assaults the handler or refuses to obey the handlers command(s) (“Show me your hands, get on the ground”.). A NIK-9 trained dog may prevent a handler assault by the mere presence of the dog in the K-9 Patrol Vehicle. A NIK-9 trained dog will stop a fleeing suspect by apprehending him/her. All NIK-9 trained dogs are finished with training on a hard sleeve, hidden sleeve, and bite suit. All North Iowa K-9 Police Service Dogs are trained with muzzle fighting, civil agitation, man-aggression, and gunfire apprehensions. All North Iowa K-9 dogs are crate trained and spend countless hours riding in the back of the NIK-9 patrol vehicle that has a K-9 insert. All of the NIK-9 dual-purpose dogs are fully trained on the door popper (remote switch on handler’s belt that opens back door to patrol vehicle) and are exposed to slippery floors (some dogs will require additional training in this area), loud noises, gunfire, vehicle traffic, children, people gathering in large areas (mall, WalMart etc.).

The handler will learn numerous items some of which include:

  • Theory of scent
  • Air currents
  • K-9 drives
  • Alert & response to the odor of a narcotic
  • Court testimony
  • Care for K-9 & first aid
  • Search & seizure in relation to K-9 deployment