Recently, I met with a law-enforcement agency I’m representing in a K-9 civil litigation lawsuit. During the meeting with the attorney, the K-9 handler, his back-up officers, and the K-9 supervisor, we agreed the deployment was textbook. But when we looked further, we discovered a number of potential problems that could be used against the agency in court. This article discusses what to look for in your K-9 policies and procedures in order to bulletproof your agency’s K-9 unit.

Read more>>>

Know whether your K-9 can function in an OC-contaminated environment.

I am often asked about the effects of Oleoresin capsicum (OC) pepper spray on police service dogs. The K-9 handlers asking have two specific questions. First, can a K-9 locate a target odor, either human or object, in an OC-contaminated environment? Second, can a K-9 fight in an OC-contaminated environment?

Read more>>>

Get your K-9 team off to the best start by selecting the handler first.

I am going to make a bold statement: I would be willing to bet that most agencies spend more time testing a canine than they do a handler. If that statement is true, I wonder why? Both are part of a team, and the most important part of the team is the handler. You can take a great dog and place him with a poor handler, and the end result will be a poor team.

Read more>>>