I was watching a TSA instructor working with a student and his canine. The dog was searching passengers waiting in a moving queue through those retractable stanchions. The handler had to approach each passenger as a potential target and continue to search in this scenario for up to 20 minutes. The student was a little […]

It has only been three days with the new puppy “Trip” but here are some things that might not be second nature to everyone- Patience is my greatest ally- I have 10 to 14 months to bring out the best in this pup. I haven’t put a leash on him yet. I want independence, not […]

The other day, Molly and I were working the puppies through Tractor Supply. As I got out Pitter Patter, an older woman was in the parking lot with a German Shepherd puppy. Her puppy was showing obvious aggression toward the Malinois puppy, so I moved quickly and got the pup in a routine of following […]

[accordion] [accordion_panel title="2020"] March Starting with an 8 week old pup [/accordion_panel] [/accordion] [accordion] [accordion_panel title="2019"] December Wishful thinking versus training An unusual training week Understanding reinforcement in detection dogs July Creating behavioral pathways March You start by getting them there! January End Goals and Building Behavior Patterns Creating working habits [/accordion_panel] [/accordion]

In 2014 the TSA surveyed their detection dog handlers to find out what traits in their canine partners the handlers considered important to their success as detection dogs. The goal of the study was to determine whether the traits assessed by the staff of the breeding program during the dogs’ development (using standardized assessment tools […]

One of the leaders of the Detection Dog Task Force was told by a potential participant “that they would like to be involved, but understand the dogs are not allowed to be obedience trained”. First, we need to consider what level of obedience is required of an active detection dog. Should a detection dog spend […]

This program has been helping people to raise detection dogs since February of 2019. That means that we have people now with adult dogs who want to know what the next step is for them to have the dog looked at for purchase. The how of it is a little complicated. It is complicated by […]

[accordion] [accordion_panel title="2020"] July Now what do I do? Looking for what is next for your dog June Obedience or no? May What makes a successful detection dog? Dog Sales Overview, Part II Dog Sales Overview, Part I February State, regional, national, and international police canine groups [/accordion_panel] [/accordion] [accordion] [accordion_panel title="2019"] October Dog Vendors […]

The biggest obstacle to breeding and raising better dogs is human emotional anthropomorphism. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anthropomorphism It is a very hard thing to breed and raise dogs without some profound attachment. We love our dogs, we believe in their unlimited potential. However, the reality is that not every dog is the elite dog with extreme expression of […]

https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/fact-sheet/fact-sheet-national-canine-division https://youtu.be/Sz2gTaLFD2o At an EU/US working group meeting I recently attended, there was much reference to the national odor recognition test that was established by the ATF. The ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms), DOS (Department of State), and FPS (Federal Protective Service) all mentioned the use of the preliminary test for their certification/validation […]