Articles by Kevin Sheldahl

By Leerburg  |  Last modified: June 2, 2025

URL Copied!

Kevin Sheldahl is a retired Deputy Sheriff who began training with police service dogs in 1982. In his career, he trained K-9 Teams for his department as well as neighboring departments as a Deputy Sheriff. He has experience deploying patrol, detection, SWAT and tracking canines spanning the duration of his career. He is credentialed as a Master Instructor, Certifying Official, and Police Dog Judge. Kevin has participated in numerous dog sports such as Schutzhund/IPO, ring sports, and police sports. Currently, Kevin instructs courses in Basic Patrol & Detection in the Albuquerque Metro Area and teaches advanced course at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wisconsin. View his website here.

Articles

Here are a list of Leerburg articles written by Kevin Sheldahl:

• Fox Valley Technical College Courses with Kevin Sheldahl
• American Schutzhund: Continuing to Grow and Continuing Forward!
• American Schutzhund: The Three Phases
• American Schutzhund: Something Old, Something New, Something American!
• Police Service Dogs: The Bark and Hold
• The Essentials of a Canine Program
• On Compulsion and Inducements: The Why for Each in Police Dog Training
• Dangers of Detecting Fentanyl and Explosives in K9 Training
• Detection Dog Training: Controversy?
• So You Think You Want To Be A Police Dog Handler?
• The Case for Compulsion in K-9 Training and Deployment
• What to Expect in a Quality Basic K-9 Handler Course
• Police K9 Decoy Work and New Course
• Training the Working Dog, Being a K-9 Handler
• The Importance of Finding a Legitimate K-9 Instructor for Training Your Police Service Dog
• The German Shepherd as a Police Service Dog
• Selection Testing for the Police Service Dog
• What Should You Expect from a Bonafide Police Dog Instructor?
• Suit Work for Police Dogs
• Use of Force with a Patrol K-9 and the Importance of Verbal Release
• Vocabulary Among Dog Trainers: A Nearly Un-navigable Terrain
• I Have a New Police Service Dog. What Do I Need?
• A Logical Approach - Practical Tracking for the LEO (Part 1)
• Evidence Along the Track - Practical Tracking for the LEO (Part 2)
• Bomb Dog Training Aid Evaluation: ScentLogix™
• Thoughts About the Current State of Biting Dog Sports and Working Dogs
• More on the State of the Biting Dog Sports and the Working Dog
• The Timeline of Behaviors for a K9 and Handler in a Detector Canine Sniff

Kevin Sheldahl is also a producer for several of our courses. Check out his courses below.

Kevin Sheldahl Courses

If you are looking for a more interactive way to train with Kevin Sheldahl, there are several self-study dog training courses you can take online at Leerburg Online University:

• K-9 Detector Dog Training
• Training the Police K9 Decoy
• Muzzle Fighting for Police Service Dogs (With Ed Frawley)

Want more from Kevin Sheldahl? Check out his DVD: Certification and Deployment Standards for the Police Service Dog w/ Kevin Sheldahl.

Police K-9 Equipment

Shop Training Supplies

Enroll in Training Courses

About Author

Leerburg

Established in 1982, Leerburg is a family-owned business that first started as a video production company. It has since expanded and now curates quality dog training equipment, online streaming services, and online courses led by expert trainers like Michael Ellis. Leerburg caters to trainers from all walks of life, whether they are a beginner with a new puppy to an advanced dog trainer competing in protection sports. Learn more about Leerburg here.

Share this article on social media:

URL Copied!

Have a dog training question?
Ask Leerburg.