Advertising Supplement for HITS 2015

Inside:

Articles from HITS 2015 Instructors:

Narcotics Dog Case Law Update

- Ted Daus

A Look at PackTrack

5 Reasons SWAT & K-9 Do Not Work Well Together

- Jeff Barrett w www.HITSK9.net

Inside:

Articles from HITS 2015 Instructors:

Round One for Legal MJ vs. Narc Dogs

- Ted Daus

A Look at Blue 9Pet Products

10 Things to Know Before You Get Into K-9

- Jeff Barrett

Lead Sponsor 2015 HITS

HITS 2015August 18-21, 2015

Jacksonville, Florida Sponsored by :

HITS, the Real World of Police Dog Training

Professionalism, Experience and Diversity in K9 Training is our com-mitment to America's K9 handlers.

Our training staff, the same guys who have build their reputations on integrity and hard work, have hit the road with training classes that are designed to help you succeed. Check out our latest training schedule and reserve your place in class.

Whatever your level of skill and no matter what your K9 specialty, our team of expert trainers will spend the one on one time in every class to help you achieve your goals. You've trusted us for nearly 10 years to bring you the very best in K9 training. Now let's get to work doing some hands on training classes together.

Stay Safe,

Your HITS Team,Jeff BarrettTed DausJeff MeyerAndy Weiman

\ Legal Marijuana

State vs. The Narcotics Dog Alert

Round One in Coloradoby Ted Daus

his past May in Colorado a small step in the right direction was achieved. A Colorado State District Court Judge (Trial Level) authored an opinion that an alert by a narcotics canine

trained in the odor of marijuana (along with other odors) was still probable cause to search a vehicle at a timely routine traffic stop. Now this case does not man-date that other judges in Colorado follow it nor does it have any authority over other judges in other states but it is truly is a small victory in the right direction.

The opinion is well reasoned and well thought-out. It covers Colorado law and what appears to be a case of first impression in Colorado. It also discusses current federal law along with other state law on the subject and how that impacted the judge’s decision in this case. So the written opinion will provide each handler a good understanding of the legal argument and will aid your prosecutor in court if they get a similar challenge in your jurisdiction.

Factually the case happened like this (the stop was on video): On September 5, 2014 at around 11:00 p.m. Deputy Baker of the Moffat County Sheriff s Office was on routine patrol. He observed in front of him a pick-up truck hauling a flatbed trailer with piping on it. He did not observe a readable plate on the trailer because he was not in a position to see it. Deputy Baker credibly testified that the trailer's rear running lights were not on. He pulled the vehicle over for the taillight violation. Defendant told Deputy Baker that the trailer's lights had been working before.

Upon approach to the vehicle, Deputy Baker recognized the driver as Defendant from previous police contacts with him. He had arrested Defendant about three years ago for possession of methamphetamine after a traffic stop. Defendant's dog was the only other occupant in the truck. Deputy Baker's general practice is to call for the K9 unit when he makes a traffic stop, and he did so on this occasion. Sgt. Folks responded from just two blocks away and arrived with his dog, Kilo, in about a minute. When he arrived and throughout his encounter with Defendant until the hand search of the truck, Dep-uty Baker was still processing the traffic stop to issue a warning. Such process usually takes Deputy Baker five-ten minutes. The time Deputy Baker used to process the traffic violation was not unreasonable.

Sgt. Folks and Kilo approached the driver's side of the truck where Sgt. Folks engaged in friendly conversation for one minute and eight seconds-they have known each other for 20 years. Sgt. Folks had been involved in the methamphetamine arrest of Defendant approximately three years ago. Sgt. Folks then directed Defendant to the matter at hand and asked Defendant if he had any drugs in the truck. He specifically asked about meth-amphetamine, heroin, ecstasy and cocaine. Defendant stated that he had none. Sgt. Folks did not ask Defen-dant if he had any marijuana in the truck. Sgt. Folks di-rected Kilo to deploy. Kilo's behavior began to change; he became more agitated and intense. He began to sniff the handles and seams of the car door and he jumped up, putting his paws and nose into the driver's window. This behavior was an alert by Kilo. Sgt. Folks does not elect to search a location solely on an alert by Kilo. At this point, Defendant's dog poked his head out of the window. Defendant pushed his dog back into the back-seat, and Sgt. Folks pulled Kilo away from the car. The gentlemen briefly joked about Defendant's dog, after which Sgt. Folks again directed Kilo to deploy. Kilo sniffed at Defendant's hand, which was dangling out the driver's window, and, within seconds, began to bark at the door. Barking is one of Kilo's formal, trained indi-cations that he detects the odor of a narcotic.

Sgt. Folks searches a location only upon a trained indi-cation by Kilo. Although a short, unintelligible sound is heard on right before Kilo's bark, the court finds that this sound was not a cue for Kilo to indicate. Sgt. Folks credibly testified that he has not trained Kilo to alert or indicate to sounds or movements, so Kilo would not know to respond to such a sound, and the court so finds. Additionally, it is not clear on the audio of the CD who actually made that sound-Sgt. Folks or Defendant.

Defendant exited his truck with his dog and stood on the sidewalk with the two other officers. Deputy Baker did a hand search of the truck and located a zippered bag in the glove compartment which contained two syringes, three jewelry baggies, a red straw with white residue, a closed Altoid tin and a vial. Some of the items field

T

Thus, the court is left squarely with the remaining ar-gument by Defendant that Kilo's ability to alert and indicate to marijuana renders all of his alerts and indi-cations, including this one, no longer viable since the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana was le-gal under the constitution of this state on September 5, 2014. Since the officers' only basis for probable cause to search the vehicle was the dog sniff, Defendant argues that the methamphetamine found must be suppressed.

The Legal Argument

Defendant cites the court to two Massachusetts cases. Of course, a sister state's appellate court decisions are not binding on this court, People v. Weiss, 133 P.3d 1180 (Colo. 2006), but the court finds them to be fac-tually distinguishable, at any rate. Commonwealth v. Cruz, 945 N.E.2d 899 (Mass. 2011) involved a valid traffic encounter where when the officers approached the vehicle they smelled only the odor of burnt marijua-na . At the time the possession of one ounce or less of marijuana had been decriminalized in .Massachusetts . The two occupants became very nervous. In response to a question, the driver said he had smoked marijuana earlier in the day. Neither officer saw any contraband or weapons in the vehicle . Safety of the officers was not an issue. Based solely on the odor and the way the oc-

tested positive for methamphetamine. The straw had residue, and other methamphetamine in the amount of 0.0622 grams was seized.

Outline of the Issues

The problem arises, however, upon the evidence that Kilo is trained to detect the presence of marijuana. Marijuana under one ounce became no longer con-traband under Colorado law for persons older than 21 years, effective December 12, 2012. CoLo. CoNsT. art. XVIII, § 16(3). Kilo is unable to distinguish among the narcotic varieties that he has been trained to detect; he simply alerts and indicates when he detects what he is trained to detect, and that includes marijuana. The hand search of the vehicle required either consent, People v. Arapu, 283 P.3d 680 (Colo. 2012), or probable cause. People v. Hill, 929 P.2d 735 (Colo. 1996). Defendant ar-gues that Kilo may well have detected only marijuana so that there could have been no probable cause that contraband was located in the truck, since marijuana is no longer contraband under the laws of the State of Colorado. This last legal issue for the court to address is apparently one of first impression in Colorado. Coun-sel provided to the court no Colorado appellate case law on the issue of legalized marijuana and dog sniffs, and the court has located none.

Oregon has taken a completely different direction than has Massachusetts. The Oregon court of appeals has de-termined that the detection of marijuana gives officers probable cause to search an automobile because mari-juana is contraband irrespective of whether the amount possessed is under one ounce and decriminalized. State v. Smalley, 225 P.3d 844 (Or. 2010). That court did rely on the language of an Oregon supreme court case that distinguished contraband and crime evidence to justify the search of a lawfully-stopped vehicle. "By using the

phrase, 'contraband or crime evidence,' the court signaled its understanding that the two things were not identi-cal and that probable cause to believe in the presence of either could justify an auto-mobile search . ..." Id. at 848. Thus, the substance located was not suppressed.

One California court reject-ed the reasoning of Cruz in People v. Waxler, 168 Cal. Rptr.3d 822 (Cal. App. 51 Dist. 2014), holding that, despite decriminalization of medical marijuana, mar-ijuana remains contraband and that possession of over one ounce of non-medical marijuana is a crime. Thus, the Waxler court upheld the search that was undertaken when the officer smelled the

odor of burnt marijuana and observed what appeared to be a marijuana pipe on the vehicle's seat.

It is important to keep in mind that this case, under Esparza, is about a person's legitimate expecta-tion of privacy under both the federal and state constitutions . Esparza, 272 P.3d at 368. When the Colorado constitution was amended to make possession of small amounts of marijuana legal, the fact that marijua-na was contraband un-der federal law was unaffected.

cupants were acting, they were ordered out of the car. Four grams of crack cocaine were found on the defen-dant. Commonwealth v. Daniel, 985 N.E.2d 843 (Mass. 2013) also involved a proper traffic stop where the offi-cer smelled only burnt marijuana. The driver produced to the officer two small bags of marijuana, upon the of-ficer's inquiry. The officer searched the defendant solely "based on the smell of marijuana and his movements." Id. at 847. After the officer removed the defendant and the driver from the vehicle, he searched it and found a firearm and called for backup. The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts af-firmed the suppres-sion of the cocaine and the firearm in each case because of an illegal search. The court noted that, although marijua-na was still contra-band in Massachu-setts since it had not been legalized, the possession of small amounts of mari-juana had been de-criminalized to a civil i n fraction. The court stated "without at least some oth-er additional fact to bolster a reasonable suspicion of actual criminal activity, the odor of burnt marijuana alone cannot reasonably provide suspicion of criminal ac-tivity to justify an" order to exit a vehicle and search the contents. Cruz, 945 N.E.2d at 911. In neither of the Massachusetts cases did the court discuss the illegality of marijuana under federal law.

The obvious factual distinction between the case at bar and the fact patterns in the Massachusetts cases is that it was marijuana only that the officers smelled or could have smelled. In the case at bar, Kilo is able to detect five separate substances, four of which are illegal under Colorado and federal law and one of which is legal un-der Colorado law but remains illegal under federal law.

"By using the phrase, 'contraband or crime evidence,' the court signaled its under-

standing that the two things were not identical and that probable cause to believe in the presence of either could justify an automobile search . ..."

protections against governmental intrusions than the protections granted by the federal constitution." People v. Hillman, 834 P.2d 1271, 1279 (Colo. 1992). "(l]n ev-ery case i n which our supreme court has recognized a greater protection under the state constitution than that afforded by the federal constitution, it has identified a privacy interest deserving of greater protection than that available under the Fourth Amendment." People v. Rossman, 140 P.3d 172, 176 (Colo. App. 2006). At this point in the evolution of the legalization of marijuana, however, this court is constrained to recognize that

marijuana remains contraband under federal law and there exists no expectation of priva-cy in its possession under either the federal or state constitutions.

The District Court Judge denied the motion to suppress and found that the use of the dog was timely and proper and provide probable cause even though it was trained on the odor of mar-ijuana.

If you would like to discuss this decision fur-ther, I will be at HITS in Jacksonville Florida this August. I will be happy to answer your questions an provide you with a written copy of the courts orders. Stay Safe……..Ted Daus

Marijuana was not completely freed of its characterization as contraband when the Colorado constitution was amend-ed in 2012 because it remains contra-band under federal law. Caballes, 543 U.S. 405. There is no legitimate expecta-tion of privacy in contraband under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Id. Likewise, the Colorado Supreme Court has "decline(d] to find that article IL section 7 [of the Colorado Constitution] protects any privacy inter-est in the possession of contraband . . .." Esparza, 272 P.3d at 370.

Conclusion of the Court

That prosecution may not result un-der Colorado law after the seizure of an amount of marijuana that is legal to possess under state law is a different is-sue than the expectation of privacy itself in the possession of the substance under the federal and state constitutions. The court recognizes that the clean facts of this case may well justify the pronouncement of a legitimate pri-vacy interest in the legal possession of small amounts of marijuana under the Colorado constitution that does not exist under the federal constitution. "While a state court may not construe its state constitution in a man-ner that infringes upon federally guaranteed rights, it remains free to find in the state constitution greater

At this point in the evolution of the legalization of mari-

juana, however, this court is constrained to recognize that marijuana remains contra-band under federal law and

there exists no expectation of privacy in its possession under either the federal or state con-

stitutions.

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WTX-KITWireless PTT Kit $125Our new wireless PTT kit features BTLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) technology that eliminates the need for recharging batteries. Consisting of two parts: a radio adapter and a finger PTT.

The radio adapter uses a standard 3.5mm, 4-conductor jack, allowing use of any standard “off-the-shelf” cell phone headset (not included). The convenient finger style PTT switch utilizes an easy-to-change coin cell battery, providing up to 2 years of operation before requiring replacement.

• Simple to use radio adapter gets power directly from the radio. No battery charger required.• 3.5mm, 4-conductor jack allows use of standard “off-the-shelf” headsets (great for undercover use)• Finger PTT is small, lightweight, and easy to carry or mount on steering wheel, handlebars, etc.• Finger PTT uses CR2032 coin cell battery for up to 2 years of service life• Easy to pair and even replace individual adapters and PTT (dynamic pairing − NOT fixed pairing)

BTH-600Heavy Duty, Water Resistant, Wireless Speaker Microphone $200The new BTH-600 is the more powerful, heavy-duty Bluetooth RSM requested by our customers. Based on the SPM-4200 StormTrooper™ series, the BTH-600 is water and dust resistant, and has incredible battery life.

• Wireless Bluetooth version of our StormTrooper™ series• Noise reduction microphone element• Push button volume controls (UP and DOWN)• Easy to change cell phone battery provides up to 40 hours of operation and 30 days of standby on a single charge• Includes micro USB charging cable and universal wall charger• Operating range of up to 10 meters (30 feet)• Built-in wireless PTT compatible with PRYMEBLU® radio adapters• Alternate versions are available for use with cell phone and tablet Push-to-Talk apps

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Contact: Dinah Hanson: dhanson@pryme.com PH: 714.257.0300 X107 TOLL FREE: 800.666.2654

BTH-300-KIT 2Bluetooth Headset Kit w/Acoustic Tube Earphone $150The BTH-300 converts any Apple iPhone (4-conductor jack) compatible wired audio accessory into a Bluetooth headset. Use your own accessory or one of PRYME's D-Ring style Boom Headset or Dual-Element Throat Mic. These two professional series headsets combine with the BTH-300 for maximum operation performance.

• 10+ hours of battery life• Built-in wireless PTT• Built-in microphone (for earphone-only applications) with auto-switch technology• Covert LED, hidden so it does not attract attention• Adjustable volume controls that remember settings, even when unit is turned off• Micro USB charging jack compatible with 1000s of aftermarket battery chargers• 360˚ metal, swivel, clothing clip allows user to wear comfortably• Compatible with PRYMEBLU® radio adapters and most cell phones (supports dual-pairing operation)

Compatible withPRYMEBLU WirelessBluetooth Adapter(BT-510 shown)

WTX-KITWireless PTT Kit $125Our new wireless PTT kit features BTLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) technology that eliminates the need for recharging batteries. Consisting of two parts: a radio adapter and a finger PTT.

The radio adapter uses a standard 3.5mm, 4-conductor jack, allowing use of any standard “off-the-shelf” cell phone headset (not included). The convenient finger style PTT switch utilizes an easy-to-change coin cell battery, providing up to 2 years of operation before requiring replacement.

• Simple to use radio adapter gets power directly from the radio. No battery charger required.• 3.5mm, 4-conductor jack allows use of standard “off-the-shelf” headsets (great for undercover use)• Finger PTT is small, lightweight, and easy to carry or mount on steering wheel, handlebars, etc.• Finger PTT uses CR2032 coin cell battery for up to 2 years of service life• Easy to pair and even replace individual adapters and PTT (dynamic pairing − NOT fixed pairing)

BTH-600Heavy Duty, Water Resistant, Wireless Speaker Microphone $200The new BTH-600 is the more powerful, heavy-duty Bluetooth RSM requested by our customers. Based on the SPM-4200 StormTrooper™ series, the BTH-600 is water and dust resistant, and has incredible battery life.

• Wireless Bluetooth version of our StormTrooper™ series• Noise reduction microphone element• Push button volume controls (UP and DOWN)• Easy to change cell phone battery provides up to 40 hours of operation and 30 days of standby on a single charge• Includes micro USB charging cable and universal wall charger• Operating range of up to 10 meters (30 feet)• Built-in wireless PTT compatible with PRYMEBLU® radio adapters• Alternate versions are available for use with cell phone and tablet Push-to-Talk apps

A C C E S S O R I E S F O R 2 - W A Y R A D I O S

Wireless Accessories for Public Safety

Contact: Dinah Hanson: dhanson@pryme.com PH: 714.257.0300 X107 TOLL FREE: 800.666.2654

BTH-300-KIT 2Bluetooth Headset Kit w/Acoustic Tube Earphone $150The BTH-300 converts any Apple iPhone (4-conductor jack) compatible wired audio accessory into a Bluetooth headset. Use your own accessory or one of PRYME's D-Ring style Boom Headset or Dual-Element Throat Mic. These two professional series headsets combine with the BTH-300 for maximum operation performance.

• 10+ hours of battery life• Built-in wireless PTT• Built-in microphone (for earphone-only applications) with auto-switch technology• Covert LED, hidden so it does not attract attention• Adjustable volume controls that remember settings, even when unit is turned off• Micro USB charging jack compatible with 1000s of aftermarket battery chargers• 360˚ metal, swivel, clothing clip allows user to wear comfortably• Compatible with PRYMEBLU® radio adapters and most cell phones (supports dual-pairing operation)

Visit our booth

to receive 25% off a new

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Create your own training sched-ule at HITS. At HITS, handlers can plan their own training schedules and choose only the

classes that interest them. By designing and personalizing your own training schedule, you get the classes you want and nothing more.

HITS has the largest selection of K9 Training classes. At HITS, handlers can choose from a variety of courses and we offer

6 simultaneous classrooms that give you more choices every day. Unlike the small-er conferences, HITS pays the instructors to travel across the country to come train you. We don’t use infomercials as fillers for your quality training sessions. Quali-fied and experienced educators make a real difference and it’s what sets us apart and makes HITS so popular.

HITS offers 3 full days of train-ing. At HITS, we give you more training and more choices. Unlike other, smaller venues,

HITS offers more training. Take advantage of 3 full days of professional training from some of the industry’s most knowledge-able K9 instructors.

HITS moves from east to west each year. We know travel costs can be prohibitive so we move the conference around each

year. We want to bring the training to every interested handler and by moving it around, we’re bound to get near enough to make it possible for you to attend.

HITS has the largest vendor hall at any K-9 conference. From buying dogs to buying leashes, HITS brings you all

the great vendors that you’ve come to trust and many that you might have never met. Looking for new resources for all your K-9 needs? HITS is the place to check out all the latest in the industry.

HITS networking is like no oth-er. With more than 600 attend-ees, instructors and vendors, the wealth of information sharing

at HITS can help you find solutions to every problem your K-9 unit faces.

Why10 Reasons HITS Works

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HITS Training is cost effective. There simply isn’t any training venue that compares to HITS when it comes to value and

experience. HITS training is designed to help handlers, supervisors and administra-tors of K-9 units. Our classes are tailored around the most popular K-9 disciplines in the US today. From the streets to the prisons, our classes help educate the entire chain of command at a reasonable tuition.

HITS offers a chance to win free gifts and training. Our networking sessions offer every attendee the chance to

win donated gifts from our trusted ven-dors. Imagine winning a paid return trip to HITS, a Robotex robot worth thousands of dollars, free record-keeping software subscriptions, K-9 equipment of all sizes worth hundreds of dollars! Yep, it hap-pens...

Why10 Reasons HITS Works7 HITS has classes that are more

than just dog training. Worrying about civil law suits? Wondering if your unit keeps K-9 records

the right way? Interested in upping your game in the courtroom? Interested in finding grants for more equipment? Ever wondered about the health of your dog, the food he eats or emergency first aid? It’s all at HITS...

10. HITS gets better each year because we listen to your needs. We didn’t get this popular because we

thought we knew everything. We listened to our attendees and we still do. We have a great survey process each year that gives our attendees a chance to be heard. We want your ideas about training classes and instructors. If you know of an instructor that deserves to be heard, let us know. We grow larger because we bring you the training you want. 8

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w www.HITSK9.net

Animal Lovers Are Not Always the Best K-9 Handlers I’ve been running a police dog for 27 years now and I’ve come to realize that folks who are true animal lovers can become too emotionally attached to a working dog. The intense love for their assigned police dog can be-come a tactical disaster and place lives on the line when it comes to deci-sion making. A true animal lover will be quick to admit that they would not risk the life of their police dog, if a critical incident developed and a choice had to be made. The broader picture in cases like this, is that every-one involved could be more at risk by not using the dog. Imagine a team of cover officers whose lives are placed in greater jeopardy because you failed to release the dog to bite a suspect. Imagine now, the suspect being shot by cover officers who were confronted by a more attentive suspect, posing a greater life threat. Imagine still, the civil suits that stem from your in-ability to properly use an issued police tool in such a way that could have prevented the escalation of force.

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Things You Should Know Before Getting Into

10K-9

Success Is Equal To The Amount Of Effort

No one will make you great, except you. Seldom will anyone push you to advance your skills, except you. Nothing comes easy and nothing lasts without continuous maintenance. What others see at the end of a seasoned K-9 veteran’s leash is a well-polished and effective police dog and they all want the same. The hard work being done behind the scenes are all too often never acknowledged or even seen by others. What you don’t realize is the amount of commitment that is demanded by excellence. You will only get out of it, what you’re willing to put into it. Never will the department’s allotment of training hours be enough to take you to excellence. If you want to be the best, it’s a life style and a personal commitment.

It’s Not A Place To Hide And Avoid Report Calls

If you’re looking to get out of work, you’ve knocked on the wrong door. The K-9 unit is not a place to hide and enjoy the shade of an old oak tree for an entire shift. A K-9 unit should be filled with self-motivated people. Folks who don’t need a pat on the back for a job well done nor a boot in the rear to be productive or remain so. K-9 handlers should be satisfied in knowing the importance of a successful apprehension or other well done jobs. If you need constant attention to remain motivated, K-9 is not for you.

Have A Sincere Talk With Your Family

Being a K-9 handler, a really good K-9 handler, can mean sacrificing some off duty time to better yourself. The additional responsibilities that come with the dog can affect the entire family and tolerance and flexibility from everyone’s emotions, time and energy can go a long way in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. There’s a true adjustment for a period of time for everyone, the dog included. Make sure your family members are willing to ride through the stressful moments.

Develop A Genuine Public Relations Face

For most agencies, doing public K-9 demonstrations is part of their public relations effort and there’s no dispute about how effective the dogs can be at gathering an interested crowd. You’ll essentially become the face of the department through these demonstrations, so make it a great one to remember. Learn from seasoned handlers how to present a good demonstration and what to say. Watch how other handlers perform and develop your own style of doing things, based on the most commonly asked questions by the onlookers. You’ll be expected to be good at public speaking and knowledgeable about the unit and your dog specifically.

Things You Should Know Before Getting Into

You Are Going To Be Bitten

It happens to us all. Sometimes it’s serious and sometimes it’s only an unintentional bite. But either way, it’s bound to happen, either by your dog or another handler’s. We try to make training as safe as possible and in many scenarios we can foresee the potential for an accidental bite and take more precautions to prevent it from happening. If your fears over take you, you should seriously reconsider your intentions of getting the job. Your dog will know as will everyone else, your fears will expose themselves.

The job takes a serious toll on your body

Being bitten is a given and most of the time there’s no long lasting damage, other than scars. But if you stay in the unit any length of time as a patrol dog handler, the injuries will come. Your knees, shoulders and back will take the heaviest punishment. The hard hitting dogs are no joke and even after you’ve learned how to properly decoy for them, it’s still risky business.

A Lethal Force Encounter Is One Second Away

K-9 handlers are 7 times more likely to be involved in a shooting than anyone else in the department. Are you mentally committed to such an increased risk? How does your family feel about the prospect of your taking a more dangerous career path within law enforcement? Don’t expect that the dog will be a mitigating factor that will turn the odds in your favor. That fact is, the better the dog’s skills, the more times he brings you face to face with people willing to take your life. Your tactics and skills will see you through.

Your Time In Court Will Go Up Exponentially

Become the expert about K-9. Develop a professional delivery through education. Your confidence levels will rise as your knowledge base broadens about the job you do. Read the latest cases that come from our Courts about the use of force and matters dealing with 4th Amendment decisions. By understanding what the Courts are telling us about our jobs, we begin to shape our performances, our report writing and our court testimony. These things are expected from you because the cases you make can affect the entire K-9 community.

It Can Be A Very Stressful Position

Our egos live and die with the performance of our dog. We earn a reputation anew with every person we catch. With each one we miss that patrol officers think we should have caught, we earn a reputation anew. Never turn the frustration toward the dog or family as either can ruin your life. As far as the dog is concerned, his performances are a result of the quality and quantity of our training agendas. Having a terrible relationship with your dog will be evident and you’ll be the one to blame. There are many self-help activities you can participate in that reduce your stress, but getting into K-9 will definitely bring on the stress when it’s time to perform.

Blue-9 Pet Products took flight in 2013 when conversations with the professional K9 training community revealed the need for a platform designed specifically for training use. We developed several prototypes over a six month period, gathering additional input and testing to ensure that The KLIMB would meet every trainer’s needs. After gathering input from respected trainers working with dogs trained for agility, military and police use, and “working” applications as well as vets and animal behaviorists, The KLIMB was born.

The KLIMB™ was specifically designed to improve the relationship between you and your dog. Having a GREAT relationship with your dog makes them want to please you and makes training much easier! When implementing a KLIMB™ in your dog training, you are taking a big step in investing the time and energy to make a “good dog”.

Where did the concept of the KLIMB™ dog training platform come from? Dog training methods used by professionals often involve a “Place”, “Climb” or “Pause” command. The problem is that many times the command is associated with a mat or dog bed and the dog has a tendency to ‘creep’ out of position. A platform is a more effective training tool than a bed or a mat, as it keeps the dog in position. The platform takes advantage of a dog’s natural tendency to seek a higher vantage point. Being elevated requires more focus and defines boundaries. Most dog training platforms tend to be heavy and bulky to accommodate larger breeds. Or they have a number of parts and require time consuming assembly. Or they’re difficult to clean and cumbersome to transport.

While the KLIMB™ is designed as a dog training platform for everything from basic obedience to freestyle training, professional trainers and groomers love the fact that it is expandable

(units interlock to form whatever platform size is needed), stackable (when assembled AND for compact storage) and fully self-contained. The legs are easily removed and lock into place flush with the KLIMB’s bottom surface. When it’s time to clean up, the KLIMB™ is waterproof and washes clean with any pet-safe cleaner. That makes it great for grooming, too!

Platform dog training is the key to impulse control and focus for dogs.

Whether you call them platforms, place or pedestals, a small, elevated surface provides an easy way to train animals of all kinds. (Think about traditional lion tamers: remember the pedestals used to position the big cats around the ring?) Platforms are an important training tool because they demand a fair amount of focus on the part of the animal. The platforms are deliberately crafted to be just large enough for the animal to comfortably occupy the space. To remain comfortably perched on their platform, your dog must have “quiet feet,” and quiet feet are a sure indication of a focused mind. All effective dog training requires gaining the animal’s undivided attention and maintaining that focus on the handler until the dog is formally “released.”

We received input from professional dog trainers throughout the US on their wants and needs in platform dog training. The KLIMB™ was designed to meet their exacting specifications for a platform that was stable and durable, yet lightweight, easy to transport and completely washable. It is both dog and consumer friendly, without any sharp edges, fully molded from materials that are comfortable and non-threatening. The resulting platform provides true impulse control: inviting and making dogs feel secure on a perch that very quickly becomes “their own.”

Once a dog is successfully trained to “KLIMB” and stay at rest on the platform, they will be perfectly content to stay calmly in position until they receive the “release” command, oblivious to all distractions, without any form of physical restraint.

The Dog’s K’nose- David Adebimpe

Tactical Tracking & Woodland Ops/ Critical Incident Debrief- Jeff Barrett

Following the Money Trail, Bulk Cash Investigations – Joseph Burke

The Modern Approach to Training A Police Dog- Laz Cabrera

Training With the Use Of A Treadmill- Laz Cabrera

Quick Food Fixes That Will Improve Performance- Jill Kline

K-9 Supervisor, More Than Just a Title- Ron Cloward

Behavior Driven Training- Ron Cloward

Sub Surface Odor for Explosive Detection Dogs- Derek Copeland

Normalization of Risk in Explosive Dog-Dave Dorn

Hidden Vehicle Compartments-Rob Lukason

2015 Drug K-9 Legal Update- Ted Daus

Selecting and Training The Young Police Dog- Steve Dean

K-9’s In Custody- Dave Dorn

Warrior Mindset/ Critical Incident Debrief- Marty Dulworth

K-9 Learning Concepts and Problem Solving- Bob Eden

Making Patrol Dogs Reliable Through Picture Training- Ricky Farley

K-9 Learning & Clear Communication- Cameron Ford

Selection Testing- Bill Heiser

Corrections Special Operations K-9 Overview- Joseph Garcia

The Aggression Model-Armin Winkler

Real World Explosive Detection-Mike Ritland

HITS 2015 Classes-6 Classes going on at a time, you pick your own schedule

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HITS 2015 Classes-6 Classes going on at a time, you pick your own schedule

Identifying & Resolving Problem

Behaviors- Jason Purgason

Service Dog Procurement from 1970 Into The 21st Century- Dave Reaver

Power Biting- Justin Rigney

High Risk Patrol Operations- Brad Smith

Dutch Methods For A Street Worthy Dog- Greg Thomas/ Dick Van Leenan

European Influence On The US K-9 Pro-fession- Greg Thomas/ Dick Van Leenan

K-9s In The Courtroom- Andrew Weiman

The Puzzle of Street Tracking- Armin Winkler

7 Deadly Sins- Bob Wright

Running A Successful K-9 Unit- Bob Wright

Vapor Wake Technology- Paul Hammond

Making Sense of Detection- Randy Hare

Reasons We Get In Trouble- Bill Lewis

Leadership Challenges in The K-9 Unit- Bill Lewis

Trust Your Dog’s Nose- Mike Lewis

Detection K-9 Problem Solving- Ken Licklider

Prison Dogs= Steve Lowe

Bad Religion- Rob Lukason

Tactical Area Search- Jeff Meyer

Fixing Dog on Dog Aggression Issues- Jeff Meyer

Tactical K-9 Casualty Care-Laura Miller

EOD Team Tactics, Techniques and Procedures- Ray Neely

Tactical Police Decoy- Aaron Peterman

Aggression and Decoy Work- Mike Ritland