Our K-9 teams are always training. One of the requirements for being a handler is have the desire and ability to constantly train with their K-9. The K-9s have scheduled training days each month in addition to numerous hours of additional training that occurs on duty. All dogs are conditioned responders and repetition is necessary and very important in the training of K-9s.

All dogs have an instinct to find prey for survival. Some breeds are better at finding prey with their noses. We encourage our K-9s to locate narcotics and explosives off scent only. This is accomplished by using the game of fetch to summon the K-9’s natural retrieval drives. Narcotics and explosives are hidden in a toy and the toy is hidden where the K-9 has to use their not to detect the hiding spot. The K-9 associates the toy with the scent of the narcotic or explosive. When the K-9 is deployed on a narcotic or explosive search, they believe they are looking for their toy hidden in the suspects’s car, clothing, or personal effects.