Highland Canine Training, LLC » Police Dog Training http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog Tips and Advice on Dog Training and Behavior Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:11:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Stop Hitting Your Dogs http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2010/02/13/stop-hitting-your-dogs/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2010/02/13/stop-hitting-your-dogs/#comments Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:07:18 +0000 admin http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/?p=272 I recently had the opportunity to observe some police canine training locally where about 20 handlers were working on some complex detection exercises. There were quite a few handlers waiting their turn to work the detection exercises. Apparently, some of the dogs and handlers were getting anxious about what was ahead, but everyone seemed to be waiting patiently. SWOOSH, and a loud, resounding CRACK was the sound that rang out across the parking lot. One of the handlers had swung their leash all the way around and cracked their Malinois right across the nose with the handle of the leash for not holding the sit and stay position. My first thought was, “What an Idiot!”. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time that I had seen this and I am afraid it won’t be the last.

We commonly work with owners and handlers that consistently hit their dogs on the head or other places in order to correct unwanted behavior. They hit them with everything from their hands, feet, leashes, newspapers, or anything else that they can get their hands on. We recently spoke with the owner of a 6 month old Labradoodle who admitted to hitting it in the head whenever it did anything that they didn’t like. Some of the things it would get hit for would include, jumping, pulling, barking or getting on the furniture.

So, what do these dogs learn from being hit in the head? For one, they learn to stay at least an arms (or leash) reach from their owners at all times. They also learn to be afraid of leashes, hands, newspapers and anything else that they feel may strike them. Equally as important, they often never know why or when they will get hit next. There is often no clear direction from the handler as to what is and is not expected from them. Therefore, the dog experiences “learned helplessness” and feels as though they are trapped as an unwilling participant in a game of “WHACKAMOLE”.

About a year and a half ago, we had the opportunity to work with a dog that had been consistently hit in the head by his owners. After several short months of this, the dog began to bite. The dog would bite the hands of anyone who tried to pet it, feed it or touch it in general. This made it difficult for the owners to have company over, to take the dog to the vet and to work with the dog in general. It took months to rehabilitate this particular dog and teach him to trust people and their hands again.

Let’s just take a quick look at when and how we use our hands with our dogs. We give them treats with our hands. We feed them with our hands and we also pet them with our hands. Therefore, it is important to use our hands properly with the dog so that we don’t create a negative association with our hands in general. When we think about it, we also use a leash for walking, training and other exercises and it is equally as important that we do not create the same association with the leash by whacking the dog in the head or nose with it.

Plain and simple, there is no benefit from hitting a dog with anything, including your hands or a leash. There are much better and more effective ways to train a dog and to correct unwanted behavior in dogs without hitting them. Physically hitting dogs is not a positive punishment techniques that dogs can understand and not beneficial in training or living with a dog.

If you have any questions about our training methods or programs, please feel free to call us at 866.200.2207 or email us at training@highlandcanine.com.

]]> http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2010/02/13/stop-hitting-your-dogs/feed/ 0 Update on Vail Police Dog “Star” http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2010/01/03/update-on-vail-police-dog-star/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2010/01/03/update-on-vail-police-dog-star/#comments Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:00:37 +0000 admin http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/?p=146 K-9 Star of the Vail Police Department had a really rough start in her life. She was a mix breed female that spent the first six months of her life tied to a tree in someone’s backyard. Star got a shot at becoming more when she was accepted into our Second Chance Program in 2007. Star came to us with some behavioral issues, she was not very good with new dogs or new people. We quicly rehabilitated her behavior and in doing so noticed that she really liked to chase and hunt for her balls and toys.

She had such an interest in her balls and toys that we decided to train her as a narcotics detection and trailing dog. Star was fully trained as a single purpose narcotics dog and was later donated to the Vail, Colorado Police Department, through our Paul LeBlanc Memorial Police Dog Donation Program. Stars’ new handler, Ryan Millbern, came to North Carolina to meet her and attend their handler school together. To sya the least, it was love at first sight. The two got along and worked very well together dring their initial handler training here.

Star

Well, Star has been working for the Vail Police Department for over two years now. In the past two years she has tracked suspected criminals and missing persons, conducted narcotics searches and located evidence during criminal investigations. In the past year, Star and her handler assisted or were involved with 84 arrests for various offenses including drug possession and burglary. Star regularly conducts public demonstrations for school children and other civic organizations.

Since the inception of our police dog donation program in 2006, Highland Canine Training has donated more than 7 dogs trained for single purpose anrcotics detection, police patrol and search and rescue. Highland Canine Training will continue its’ donation program in 2010 and we will post information regarding the program on our website when it becomes available. If you have questions regarding our program, feel free to email us or call at 866.200.2207.

]]> http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2010/01/03/update-on-vail-police-dog-star/feed/ 0 CNN Article on Scent Lineups http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/12/06/cnn-article-on-scent-lineups/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/12/06/cnn-article-on-scent-lineups/#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:58:52 +0000 admin http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/?p=158 I recently saw an article which raised questions about scent line-ups conducted by police dogs. This article was brought to my attention by a friend who had some questions about the article and video that they saw, based on the fact that they encounter these line-ups in their work. Below is the video of the actual lineup that was conducted and later proven to be faulty. Later, in this article, I want to discuss how, in my opinion these line-ups can be improved to better serve law enforcement.

Many departments in the US are now utilizing scent line-ups as an investigative tool while many agencies in Europe have been using line-ups as evidence for years. In order for this method of investigation to be successful, there is definitely a foundation of training (both dogs and humans) that must take place. Dog teams should be able to clearly demonstrate a track record of accurate and effective recognition of target odor during scent line-ups in training before ever attempting to utilize this investigative tool during an actual case. I believe that this demonstration of accuracy should be recorded and properly documented over a number of months before the handler should ask the dog to perform in a real life environment.

Procedures should be established for scent line-ups in order to reduce the risk of contamination by the handler and others assisting in the investigation. In the video, you can clearly see the investigator handling the samples that are being used in the line-up. Handling these odor samples in this manner will undoubtedly contaminate them. Each dog handler that conducts scent line ups should have a documented method of performing them and should be able to demonstrate and articulate the procedures that are put in place to minimize contamination as much as possible. These line-ups should be set up similar to a scientific procedure rather than typical drug or explosives detection training.

Bloodhound

Bloodhound

Another aspect of training and performing scent line-ups that should be considered is what should be expected of the dog in the event that they encounter the target odor. In a nutshell, the dog should demonstrate a clear and discernable alert. This indication should not be something that takes the handler fifteen or twenty minutes to explain to the layperson in order for them to understand. This indication should be clearly recognized and understood by anyone watching the line-up being performed (either live or on video).

You should also take into consideration that the target odor should not always be included in the samples presented to the dog while training and establishing procedures for line-ups. The dog should be allowed an “out” in the event that they sniff all of the samples and they determine that there is no match with the target or suspect odor. The dog should be rewarded and encouraged to be accurate, not to always find a match. This is important because there will not always be a match to your suspect sample given a particular line-up. This scenario should also be included in your training program so that the dog understands what is expected of him in the event that there is no “match”. You should also consider having some type of “negative indication” where the dog clearly demonstrates that there is no match to the sample that has been presented to him.

Consistent training and effective reinforcement is key in any type of dog training program in order for them to be productive and maintain accuracy. I believe that this is imperative when performing scent line-ups as evidence or as an investigative tool. By establishing and effective training program, doing your homework and putting some controls and procedures in place to limit contamination and the risk of a false indication, K-9 teams can be efficient and productive in performing scent line-ups to identify suspects in criminal cases.

]]> http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/12/06/cnn-article-on-scent-lineups/feed/ 0 What to Do in Case of a Dog Fight http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/12/06/what-to-do-in-case-of-a-dog-fight/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/12/06/what-to-do-in-case-of-a-dog-fight/#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:53:58 +0000 admin http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/?p=281 If you have never seen a dog fight, consider yourself lucky. It is amazing how two otherwise gentle, family pets can explode into raging fury in the blink of an eye. In many cases, there are warning signs, and it is better to be attuned to these cues and prevent escalation of aggression than it is to have to break up a fight. If you walk your dog along a regular route, become familiar with other neighborhood dogs, and if you see any aggressive behavior from either your dog or another dog, it is best to avoid the situation altogether. While you can to a large extent control your dog’s behavior, you can’t predict how another dog will react, so it might be prudent to cross the road, or choose a new route altogether.

However, sometimes a situation unfolds right in front of your eyes before you have a chance to redirect it, and the next thing you know you have a ringside seat to a dog fight. A dog’s teeth are to be respected. They can shred skin and muscle in mere seconds. And if your dog is one of the dogs in the fight, your first instinct is to jump in and save him.

This is a great way to get yourself hurt as well. You are no match for two angry dogs and their teeth. If you pull your dog back while the other dog is still attacking, you are putting your dog at a huge disadvantage. So, it is a good idea to understand what to do in this situation before it ever happens, and with a little luck you will never need to use it.

3 Things to NEVER Do when Breaking Up a Dog Fight
Here are three things that you should NEVER do to break up a dog fight.

Scream – Loud chaotic noise just elevates the energy in an already out of control situation.

Use Your Hands – Trying to stop two fighting dogs by putting yourself, or any part of you, in between them does not stop the fight. It just gets you hurt.

Only Call Off One Dog – There are two dogs fighting. Never pull your dog out of a fight if someone is not pulling the other dog out at the same time. You are just making your dog defenseless, and the other dog can have a free shot at him.

3 Things to ALWAYS Do when Breaking Up a Dog Fight

Now here three things that may HELP break up a dog fight.

Training – If your dog obeys your come, sit, stay command, you may be able to avoid the confrontation altogether. Also, if you can tell your dog to sit and stay during a fight, it means you only have to manage the aggressive behavior of one dog rather than two.

Startle – A loud, piercing noise, a blast of compressed air or a good dousing with water may redirect the dogs’ attention just long enough to pull them apart.

Separate – To separate fighting dogs one person needs to take each dog by the back legs and drag them backwards in a circle. Walking in a circle will put them off balance and they’ll have to think about staying on their feet, rather than their argument. Keep dragging and turning until the dog has calmed down, or you risk him turning and biting you. Get the two dogs far away from each other before releasing your hold and checking for damage.

When checking over your dog for bite wounds, they may not appear large on the outside, but what looks innocent on the outside can mask extensive internal muscle damage. Generally if your dog has any wounds a trip to the vet is prudent, and at the very least you will probably want to administer antibiotics to avoid the onset of infection. He may feel a lot better if he has some pain relief at the same time.

If you are feeling anxious about going for walks after the attack, take a big breath and relax, because your dog will sense that, and feel nervous himself. If your dog is fearful after the attack, use positive reinforcement to redirect his attention and encourage him to come out with you, and again interact with other dogs. Soon enough, the dog fight will be a dim memory, and going for a walk will once again be a treat for both of you.

www.dogfencediy.com

]]> http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/12/06/what-to-do-in-case-of-a-dog-fight/feed/ 0 Drug Dog in Buenos Aires http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/12/06/drug-dog-in-buenos-aires/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/12/06/drug-dog-in-buenos-aires/#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:46:05 +0000 admin http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/?p=253 Recently, we provided a narcotics detection dog to the Policia Seguridad Vial in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. I had the opportunity to travel to Argentina to instruct the handler training for Chief Guillermos Rios, the new handler for the dog. The trip was made possible by the 911Fund out of New York, NY.

The dog, a Labrador Retriever, named Jett has been working in Buenos Aires for about three weeks now. He is the first drug detection dog in Buenos Aires and the only one used by the Federal police in Argentina. Jett will work in the Zarate region of Buenos Aires to assist in the drug interdiction efforts in the northern area of Buenos Aires. This area, which borders Brasil and the Missiones area of Argentina contains prime routes for drug traffickers.

Drug Dog in Buenos Aires Argentina

Drug Dog in Buenos Aires Argentina

The trip was a great experience and I had the opportunity to meet alot of great people during my stay in Argentina. Chief Rios and Jett bonded quickly and made a great team. During our handler school and training we had an opportunity to work the dog doing bus and truck interdiction in the field. The dog and handler performed well and this team will undoubtedly be an asset to the drug interdiction efforts in Argentina. Good luck to Chief Rios and K-9 Jett!

]]> http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/12/06/drug-dog-in-buenos-aires/feed/ 0 Robinho continues to clean up Kingsland, GA http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/11/19/robinho-continues-to-clean-up-kingsland-ga/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/11/19/robinho-continues-to-clean-up-kingsland-ga/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:04:02 +0000 admin http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/?p=246 Recently, K-9 Robinho (a black labrador retriever trained by Highland Canine Training, LLC) and his handler Eric Koenig of the Kingsland Police Department in Georgia nabbed another local drug dealer. The case began with a traffic stop for failure to give a signal. The driver was excessively nervous and upon request would not give consent to a search of their vehicle. Robinho was deployed and sniffed the vehicle intently. He alerted by sticking his head up and into the driver side wheel well compartment near the tire and then he came to a sit. The behavior from the trusty labrador was definitely BAD NEWS for the driver of the car.

68 pounds of marijuana located by K-9 Robinho of Kingsland, GA Police

68 pounds of marijuana located by K-9 Robinho of Kingsland, GA Police

This canine alert led to the immediate opening of the trunk where 68 pounds of marijuana was found bundled with numerous layers of plastic and fabric softener sheets. None of the officers could smell any odor from the marijuana even with their faces literally stuffed inside the trunk. This just to demonstrate how well the driver had concealed the odor of the drugs and how acute Robinho’s nose is at finding odor.

Congratulations to Eric and Robinho for a job well done. Keep up the good work!

]]> http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/11/19/robinho-continues-to-clean-up-kingsland-ga/feed/ 0 Upcoming Dog Trainer School Schedule http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/10/17/upcoming-dog-trainer-school-schedule/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/10/17/upcoming-dog-trainer-school-schedule/#comments Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:16:18 +0000 admin http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/?p=148 Highland Canine Training offers intensive and highly educational schools for dog trainers. Our programs teach students innovative methods of training dogs and gives our students everything they need to start their own dog training business. We offer training courses for basic dog obedience, advanced dog obedience, a Canine Training and Behavior Modification Professionals Course to teach the student how to train dogs as well as rehabilitate problem behaviors. We also offer working dog programs for the Police Canine Trainer / Instructor, Search and Rescue Trainer, Protection Dog trainer as well as courses to teach narcotics, explosives and human remains detection.

Our schedule for 2010 is listed below:

    January 4th, 2010
    April 5th, 2010
    July 5th, 2010
    October 4th, 2010

We are also offering discounted pricing for all of our courses for the Winter semester beginning on January 4th, 2010. Offers are available to those who register before December 1 , 2009. You can fill out our Dog Trainer Course Application here. For more information on our programs or our discounted prices, email us at training@highlandcanine.com or call toll free at 866.200.2207.

]]> http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/10/17/upcoming-dog-trainer-school-schedule/feed/ 0 Upcoming Decoy Seminar http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/10/16/upcoming-decoy-seminar/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/10/16/upcoming-decoy-seminar/#comments Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:23:40 +0000 admin http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/?p=187
K9 Decoy Seminar

K9 Decoy Seminar

Highland Canine Training will hold a Police K-9 Decoy Seminar, hosted by the Graham County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina on March 22-24, 2010.

Proper decoy skills are essential to the success and productivity of police patrol dogs when working in the field. Inadequate decoy skills and use of improper equipment and techniques can easily diminish the proficiency of police canines when used for apprehensions, building searches and other patrol applications. Highland Canine Training will be offering a seminar to teach decoys the proper techniques of working with patrol and apprehension dog to safely and effeciently increase the performance of these dogs. As many handlers know, having good decoys is an asset to the success of their patrol dog team. This seminar is designed to teach handlers and decoys the proper methods of obtaining the most from their police canine. The seminar will teach:

Explanation of drives used in apprehension work
Channeling of Drives
Improving and Maintaining Grip
Teaching Targeting
Proper Decoy Techniques in Tactical Training
Proper Equipment Usage
….Much More

The seminar is free of charge and space is limited. To register or for more information, please contact Jason Purgason, Highland Canine Training at 704.728.9494 or training@highlandcanine.com. If you will be attending the seminar and need hotel accomodations, please contact

MicroTel Inn & Suites
111 Rodney Orr Bypass
Robbinsville, North Carolina 28771
Phone 828.479.6772 for reservations and details.

]]> http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/10/16/upcoming-decoy-seminar/feed/ 0 K9 Containment Video http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/09/23/k9-containment-video/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/09/23/k9-containment-video/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:22:44 +0000 admin http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/?p=120 Highland Canine Training, LLC is now offering a great new roll call video to teach patrol officers, supervisors and other personnel how tracking and trailing dogs work as well as how to properly establish an effective perimeter to increase the odds of apprehending fleeing criminal suspects.

This production outlines:
• Basic principles of scent
• What affects odor and tracking conditions
• How tracking and trailing dogs work
• Psychological profiles of fleeing suspects
• What officers should do on a perimeter
• Proper containment techniques

Proper response and containment is the only effective method of catching fleeing criminals with a police canine. This video explains the role of the perimeter and containment officers to ensure the best possibility of capturing fleeing suspects. The methods and techniques explained in this video have been successfully utilized by departments across the country and have been shown to drastically increase the success rate of their police canine tracking and trailing teams.

High Quality DVD- Approximate run time 11 minutes- this training video is a must have for every police team that wants to apprehend criminals and get the most of their K-9 teams. Available for $14.95 plus shipping and handling. Order your copy by clicking here

]]> http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/09/23/k9-containment-video/feed/ 0 Tactical Police Leash http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/09/23/tactical-police-leash/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/09/23/tactical-police-leash/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:40:43 +0000 admin http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/?p=110 Highland Canine Training offers a tactical police leash along with a wide variety of other dog training equipment. Our tactical police leash is great for police patrol, tactical and SWAT applications. The leash comes with a quick release snap that allows for release of the dog even when there is back pressure against the snap. This allows for quick release of the patrol dog in any application. The leash is available in leather and betabiothane in a variety of sizes and colors. You can order the leash here with prices starting as low as $24.95.

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