By Ed Frawley

Other articles on Texas K9 and Marcus Cook:

• The Tarrant County Jr. College Narcotics Puppy Program
  
• Update - on Texas Police K-9 Assoc. Their Narcotics Puppies Program
  
• An Article on Marcus Cook from the Dallas Morning News

If you find this article interesting I have created a link at the bottom to read what other officers have had to say about this issue.

After being on a couple Internet e-mail chat lists (and talking to a number of other people who have been on other lists), I have come to the conclusion that these so-called open discussions on dog training are nothing more than an extension of the egos of the people that run the lists (they are called list moderators.) I say this after just getting kicked off the TEXAS K-9 POLICE ASSOCIATION chat list.

This K-9 list is supposedly a list dedicated to the open discussion of police K-9 training issues. After being on the list for several months I found it anything but that. To get on the list you need to be a police officer or a retired police officer with an interest in K-9. The list moderator's name is Kathleen Weaver, a truly bizarre woman who is not a cop. To begin with, that contradiction should have sent up flags. To describe this woman as temperamental would be a gross understatement.

My problem with the list moderator and her mentor (Marcus Cook - the President of this organization) began a month or so ago when I took a position against using pseudo drugs for police narcotics dog training. My position is that pseudo drugs are non narcotic. They are not illegal to own. If a K-9 officer trains too much with pseudo narcotics how can he say in court that his dog only indicates on the odor of narcotics. The fact is that he can not make that statement. The scent agent in pseudo cocaine (methyl Benzoate) is manufactured by the metric ton in this country. It’s used in everything from perfume to candy. Does anyone other than me smell a problem here?

I guess one of my problems is that when I have an opinion on something that I strongly believe in I don't voice my opinion in a humble enough way. That can ruffle the feathers with people on the other side of the fence. I fully admit to this. On more than one occasion (after sleeping on the issue), I have sent private e-mails to people apologizing for the way that I worded my comments.

Well I was chastised for taking a forceful position on this issue. She was concerned that I would hurt someone’s feelings by sounding too aggressive.

Shortly after this incident, the list began discussing a drug dog training program that is being used in Texas. A professional trainer from Canada has moved to Texas and has started a private business selling police dogs (I hear he is a nice guy). He has started a puppy narcotics training program. The way it works is that he gives new K-9 officers 8 week old puppies. These officers come to his facility for a couple of weeks to learn how to imprint the smell of narcotics on their drug toys. The handler and puppy then go home for a number of months of play training. At 6 to 8 months they come back and are certified under the Texas Police Canine Association.

I took a controversial position on this program. I agreed that early training is a great idea. Imprinting young dogs has great results if it is done right. In fact I have a video on how to imprint bite work on 8 week old puppies.

I disagreed with puppies being certified by the Texas Police Dog Assoc. at 4 to 8 months of age (see the article I wrote on this subject). There is no question that the puppies can find drugs both in training and every now and then on the street. But puppies are not mature enough to deal with the stress that goes along with distraction training and the normal street work for a narcotics detection dog. I have handled a narcotics detection dog for 7 years and trained a number of drug dogs. I went to my first police k-9 narcotics dog seminar in 1978. I have tried to narcotics train 8 month old dogs in the past. I found no puppy to be mature enough at 6 or 8 months to be considered a full time narcotics detection dog. That's like me saying that just because I can get one of my Leerburg puppies to bite a sleeve, do a courage test and do a bark and hold at 7 or 8 months it's OK to certify him to be a patrol dog. I don't think so!!!

While I was not chastised for my comments on this subject, it was evident that I ruffled a few Texas feathers.

Then last weekend a post was made asking if anyone heard or knew anything about a home study course being offered for police K-9 officers?

My response was that even though I have produced dog training videos since 1980, I do not think anyone can learn how to become a police K-9 handler from a book or a training video. The subject is just too complicated and there is too much to learn. I said that unless the home study program included a hands on session under an experienced K-9 trainer the potential students should be careful to examine the motives of the school. That seems to make sense to most sane people.

When I first read the initial posting I had never heard of the school or its program. I thought some professional dog trainer was trying to cash in on police officers that didn't know anything about dog training by selling them some foolish home study program - WRONG AGAIN ED !!!!

I soon found out it was a Texas State University or Tech school that Marcus Cook helped design the curriculum for. OOPPPS!

So then I get this nasty e-mail from Kathleen Weaver (who I have renamed the list moderator from hell). She had not posted my last response to the list. She warned me that "I was already on probation with the list" and did I know that Marcus Cook designed this program and was I sure that I really wanted my thoughts on his home study course posted to the list?

I explained that this was not a personal attack on Marcus Cook. When I wrote my response I did not know what school was offering the course or who designed the program. I told her I thought the goal of this list was an open discussion on police K-9 issues. So with this in mind I told her to post my e-mail. I also told her that I was not impressed with her threatening e-mails. OOOPPPPS AGAIN ED!!!

The next morning I got an e-mail from Marcus Cook saying that I was kicked off the list. He indicated they would review my position in 30 days and maybe (if I was a good boy) they would let me back on again. In a later e-mail Marcus stated that I was not kicked off the list because of my position on his school or these other issues but because some list members had complained about the way I make my points. YEH RIGHT MARCUS! I guess my position on certifying 6 month old puppies would upset those that run the course and those that have certified their dogs at that age. It may even upset the people that run the organization that allows puppies to be certified. My position may even upset the people that try and put together a home study course on how to become a police K-9 handler.

Marcus's e-mail reminded me of that old saying - "don't shit a shitter!!!" A month or so ago I was chastised by Weaver on the open list. What I should have kept (and posted) were all the e-mails I got from other officers saying how tired they were of Kathleen Weaver’s arrogant attitude and her silly threats.

So needless to say I doubt I will be back on the Texas K-9 list. If you want to see how this evolved (it makes interesting reading), I put the actual copies of my last postings to the list (and their responses) below, including the threats from the list moderator from hell and my discharge papers from Marcus Cook.

The moral of this story is that these chat lists are not all that they seem. They are closely audited and controlled. The fact is that they are one-sided extensions of the agendas of the list moderators. The frustrating thing is that if you are kicked off a list there are a lot of nice people on the lists that never hear the other side of the story when you abruptly disappear from the list. You have no recourse to ask the other list members if they agree with having you gone.

LISTED BELOW ARE:

Copies Of The Original E-Mail Posting That Resulted In Me Being Kicked Off the List:

The First Question About the Home School for K-9 Handlers:

I had seen in a magazine not too long ago about a home study course offered by a school in Texas. I think I read something about it on the TX K-9 Assoc. page too.

I was just wondering if anyone out there has tried this and what they think about it. If anyone has any info on the cost and how to get it, I would appreciate that info too.

Thanks
Dan Nelson

My Response to the Posting on Home Schooling:

Unless this home study course has a portion of their curriculum dedicated to in-house hands on training you should stay away from the program. I make the majority of my living producing K-9 training videos and have for 16 years. I do not believe that a student can learn everything they need to know for this career from a book or a training video - it’s impossible. There is simply too much that needs to be learned and there is no substitution or shortcut for hands on work under a knowledgeable instructor.

So if there is some school or organization that claims to be able to teach you at home, you had better take a serious second look at their motives.

Ed Frawley

The Response from the List Moderator from Hell:

From: kathleen@txk9cop.metronet.com (Kathleen Weaver)
Date: 13 Apr 97 16:32:12 -0400
Subject: At Home Training Course
Organization: TX K9 Police Assn BBS Texas K9 Police Assn BBS
To: Frawley@Leerburg.com
Cc: marcus@txk9cop.metronet.com

I've got you on review right now - and I think you'll want to know before I release this message that Marcus Cook (state director) and I put in a great deal of work on this. Let me know if you still want me to release it.

MY ANSWER:

Kathleen,

I guess I am a little confused.

Where is the problem? I don't think you can run a home training program no matter who does the curriculum. Where is the problem with this? I thought this list was an open discussion between K-9 officers.

I kind of take this e-mail as a threat. I hope that you don't mean it like that because I am the wrong person to threaten over something like this.

Since I had no idea what course this man was talking about or who designed it, there certainly could not have been any intent to defame anyone. You need to re-read the original posting - it did not say seminars - it said a home study course for K-9 officers. I suggest you release this message and be very careful about how you write your e-mail.

When you feel like an apology I will be waiting.

Ed Frawley

2 DAYS LATER I SENT THIS E-MAIL:

Kathleen,

I am still waiting for an apology or an explanation.

Ed

My Pink Slip from Marcus Came The Next Morning:

Ed,
I have pulled your access from the Police K9 List. Please be advised that my reasoning is not in response to your statements from topics, past or present on the list, but I keep getting complaints on the "way" that you approach and deploy your advise and opinions.

As a full time supervisor with a police department the one thing that I will not allow is officers going at each others throats. It is of a negative nature and product to waste energy in that avenue. After all we are all on the same side.

Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions re guarding my decision. I have placed your access for review in 30 days, at which time your access may be restored to the K9-LIST.

I wish not to upset you nor anger you in any fashion. I truly respect your actions and advise as a trainer and enjoy your tapes most avidly and hope to continue doing so. I have learned a great deal from your teachings. But the over-all attitudes of the list is my main concern from my stand point within the association.

Sincerely,

Marcus Cook
State Director
Texas K-9 Police Association for
Certifications & Standards
Lake Dallas Police Department, (TX)

In following days Marcus Cook posted messages stating that the real reason I was kicked off the list was because of the private e-mail feuds that I had with Kathleen. There were no private e-mail feuds other than ONE request for an apology after she threatened me with extinction. The e-mails posted above are the only contacts I had with this woman. In fact, the week before I had sent her a nice e-mail with some ideas on things she could do to help her get hired as a reserve officer in local police departments.