Issue 2 | March/April 2017 | $9.95
INTEGRATION
OF SWAT
AND CANINE THE EVOLUTION OF K9
Blurred Lines
Core Competencies of an Effective K9 Trainer
Modern Approach to Training Part 1: Obedience
Handler Fitness 5 Foundational Principles for Every Exercise Plan
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SERIOUS HANDLERS. SERIOUS TRAINING.
Working Dog Magazine is the premier destination and most widely trusted resource for features on police, military, and working dog topics. ■■ In every edition, you’ll find thought-provoking editorial, fresh approaches to training techniques, and useful how-to information. Working Dog Magazine is a bi-monthly, international publication that serves K9 law enforcement officers and supervisors who work in public and private sectors including federal, state, and local agencies, the military, and private security firms. ■■ Our editorial content includes articles about narcotics, explosives, and patrol K9 training and deployment; interdiction; SWAT; K9 use in detention/correction institutions; accelerant and cadaver K9s; military K9 use; supervisory issues; legal and health issues; K9 equipment; record keeping; and more. ■■ We can help you create an appropriate, affordable, and effective advertising strategy that puts you in front of thousands of industry readers and consumers. Get in touch. (636) 795-0530
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TOPIC MINIMIZING CONTAMINATION & EXTRANEOUS ODORS
TWO
APPLYING SCIENCE TO THE ART OF DETECTION
CANINES
AUTHORED BY BATTELLE STAFF MEMBERS: K. GOOD, N. KNEBEL, S. LAWHON, L. SIERS, D. WINKEL These authors, who have degrees ranging from HAZMAT to chemistry to chemical engineering, have contributed to numerous canine R&D programs at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, OH, providing scientifically defensible study design and procedures, unbiased evaluations, and rigorously tested products for our nation’s working dogs.
16 | workingdogmagazine.com
Use of improper or lackadaisical techniques when handling items in a training exercise can have disastrous effects on your canine’s realworld performance. If your targets are tainted with a different target odor, a distinct nontarget odor (e.g., that sandwich you had for lunch), or a unique human odor, your canine can be inadvertently conditioned to respond to that contaminating odor instead of the actual target odor. As a result, they may perform superbly in your training only to miss actual threats in real searches. Fortunately, the problems associated with contamination and extraneous odors can be minimized when personnel are mindful of the issue and employ appropriate practices. The key is to always think critically about your handling, set-up, and storage protocols.
The strict use of disposable gloves, such as polyethylene food service gloves, is essential for reducing contamination. Wear clean, new gloves every time you handle a target; even one occasion of mishandling can ruin an aid. Don gloves and use them quickly. If you put on new gloves but then get distracted (e.g., answer your phone or make a note in your log book), replace those gloves before touching the target. When done handling the target, immediately discard that pair of gloves. Also, think critically about the handling of unused gloves. Store them in a suitable container; never co-locate them with targets or distracters; and do not transport them in your pocket, because they too are subject to being contaminated. As another precaution, keep target and non-target (e.g., distracter) materials isolated from one another when establishing training exercises. Separate work areas/stations should exist for these two general categories of training articles.
Furthermore, if you are going to use multiple targets in the same exercise, take measures to ensure that the designated target work area does not contribute to cross-contamination. Do not open two containers of different targets next to each other. Also, if you will use a surface in the preparation of targets, cover it with clean barrier paper before target preparation and replace the paper before preparing a new target. Incorporating these suggestions and others that you identify on your own into your routine training will ensure your canine maintains the real-world, real-threat detection capability you require to be successful.
NEXT ISSUE: TOPIC THREE BLIND SEARCHES
March/April 2017 | 17
K9 PROTECTION & EQUIPMENT FOR WORKING DOGS
ARMOURED STREETFIGHTER K9 VEST
• Level 2 & 3 Spike/Slash and level II & IIIA ballistic armour inserts are available
The lightweight design, quick donning and Outlast Thermal Management Technology make the StreetFighter a versatile, comfortable harness working dogs can wear for full shifts ensuring they are always protected when confronting threats.
• Harness with armour is positively buoyant
Fearless // Forward (780) 455-3335 • lofdefence.ca/k9-units
• Protects all vitals but allows K9 to retain full agility • Harness dries quickly in the sun • Stands up to years of hard use • High-angle version is available for rappelling and rope work • Wide range of adjustment and modular components create a custom fit for each K9 • Low maintenance design is easy to clean and maintain • Chest, shoulder and body armour is removable for easy cleaning or to be replaced with a different threat level to suit the mission requirement