Also,

I know next to nothing on breeding (and nothing being more then i know) But i would think this would be probably the best way to get in with the police offices. Granted it would take a few years and you would deffently need to make a name for your self first by selling sports dogs for a bit but go around ask the LEO's what they are looking for in there dogs and aim for that.

 Quote: lisa harrison

This civilian doesn't understand your lingo LOL!
What is LEO? What does MWD stand for?
Is MP-military police? & if so don't you need some type of training for that? Am I posting in the correct area?

Lisa,
You're going to get creamed if you don't know the everyday law enforcement lingo - that will hurt you far more than your worry about being a yankee in a Southern area.
I'd start studying different law enforcement websites and books and try to at least be up to speed on common police terms and slang.

I don't know about that Will, I can teach someone law enforcment lingo, can't teach them to be southern. ha ha

DFrost

Lisa,

Here in Canada there are some LE K-9 units that accept civilian help, some that don't, and some that seek it out. The first thing you need to do is try to find a unit that seems to be receptive to your offer. After that it's a matter of networking with the right people to get you through the door.

Apply for a ride along (with K-9 if possible) to get to know LEOs on the force, go to job seminars, conventions, demonstrations... whatever; just start rubbing elbows. With any luck you'll bump into a guy or gal who knows a guy, who knows a guy, who knows a guy on the K-9 unit and can pass your name along or introduce you. The rest will be up to you.

Lisa,
I don't know if you've considered this factor, but please think of this before you offer your services as a K9 trainer to local PD's.

First, if you work with the department and one of their dog handler teams are questioned/reviewed by a sharp attorney, are you willing to take the stand regarding questions that deal with the training of the handler and dog?

The questioning of your credentials will be *brutual* in court, take my word for it. You won't be paid for the time spent in court, and a sharp attorney will make chop suey out of your National K9 training being the basis of your expertise.
Then if the case is dismissed, that sharp attorney may have his client sue *you* ( the department is ususally home free here ) in civil court on the basis of the other court case.

Think it won't happen? I've seen it done to a trainer that I respected ( but didn't have law enforcement credentials ) and it cost him five grand to a dirtbag and another $3500 in legal fees to his own attorney.
He stuck to pet training after that.

Let's not even go into the liability that you set yourself up with if you intend to training explosive detection dogs....

Lisa, am now a full time K9 LEO. I only recently got hired also this past June. I start the academy 10 Sept. However I have been working the streets since I got hired. I ride with another K9 officer, and we take turns using which dog. I brought my own dog to the dept. fully trained and ready to go. Actually I never had put odors on her yet, but taught her the ground work for Narc detection including how to aggressively respond. Once I got on the dept, I would bring her when we did narc training or when I wanted to train her in narc work and put her on real odors. Her patrol work was done already.
What I did was networked and I found a dept that had just started up a K9 unit after it ended over 10yrs ago. They started off with 2 handlers because thats all they could budget for. I offered to help them out, and explained as for training dogs certainly I know more than the 2 handlers who only had 3weeks from a handlers course. I then asked if I could come in to meet the handlers and discuss what I could offer. I told them we can both benifit from this relationship. They thought yeah, sure what have we got to loose (as they were the blind leading the blind). The chief set up a day for both handlers to be there and I set up a full day of instruction. My plan was to impress them. I covered all sorts of things from A-Z. I knew it would be so much info their heads would be spinning. My seminar was for the 2 handlers and their non-k9 supervisor, but who had been in K9 12yrs ago. He had admitted he forgot more than he knew and wasn't really much use for them these days.
They told me I had mentioned all the same things they heard at the course, but that I went into much further detail and explained all the causes and effects, and understood more of the dogs behavior. They had a few problems with the dogs, and luckily for me it was things I could pretty much correct in that one day. They were impressed at the knowledge, and the depth thatI could go on a subject, past what they were taught at the course, also, they were impressed that I actually "fixed" their dogs in front of their eyes (I know sounds impressive but it was really easy to fix problems, but they had no clue how to).

We went back in and the chief wanted to know what I thought of the handlers and what about the dogs. I gave great reviews for both and explained that I saw potential for some of the best K9 teams in the state. Just what he wanted to hear. But that also meant that there needed to be improvement. Which meant they needed to keep seeing me. Also I brought my dog there that I raised and trained from a pup, and did a demo for them and the chief right outside the station and he was over the top impressed, He looked at me and said, I want our dogs just like that, and was over excited about the control and how my dog listened on the first command and how I could turn her on and off, and looked at the handlers and said, now THAT is a perfect working K9. I was then asked if I had thought about being a police officer. I said yes I thought about it just haven't acted on it yet. He asked if I would be intrested and said they had some hiring coming up. I said sure. He went into his office and got me a Reserve officer application. For reserve, all you have to do is shoot the POST course for firearms and take a written test, and fill out the app, and the chief selects you or passes on you. He of course chose me and I got a uniform, got issued everything, and started riding along with K9 for OJT (on the Job Training). I was more back up and there to learn, but at this point have arrest powers. I went took the Civil Service test, and started the process for full time hire. Finally got it and now I'm K9, and when I get back from the academy, after a month I get my own K9 car and it's off on my own. The thing they liked I had 12yrs infantry in the military, and displayed them my dog training abilities, and the rest is history.

I must say, just to be real, and not avoid it, getting into the police K9 world maybe a tad extra hard given the fact that your a female. I know some AWESOME female trainers, but it took them alot longer and more accomplishments for them to get their final respect.

But try and find out what dept, could use help with K9 then try and apply to their reserve force, most depts have them. That gets you in as "one of them" it takes away the civilian part. Once you start working with one and you are a LEO then another one maybe willing to try you, and slowly you'll progress to a nice resume over the years. But know your stuff.

~CHRIS DUHON

Good post Chris.

Thanks everyone for your great advise, I appreciate it. You all have valid points and some great suggestions. I think i will try to learn some basic LE lingo, read up, purchase some of Ed's DVD's and work my current dogs as much as I can. I am planning on getting a GSP in the beginning of next year to possibly breed and definitly train for a working dog. I am going to contact some dept.'s in my area and hopefully set up a demo of what my dogs can do.If all goes well, hopefully they will be impressed with both their abilities and mine. The "Ride Along" with a K9 Officer would be awesome and I am sure a great experience to say the least. These are some goals I hope to achieve at the beginning of next year. I am sure I will be posting training questions in the future. Anyone heard of Mike Harlow's dog "Sick Nick? He is supposedly a legendary Police Dog.