2025 Currently Planned Classes
As of July 21, 2024
More Classes will be added when we have them.
To see class times see our Schedule page .
Quick Links to: K9 Patrol Classes, K9 Explosives Classes, K9 Narcotics Classes, K9 Science and Behavior Classes
K9 Patrol Classes
* Indicates new class or instructor for IPCA
Advanced K9 Tactics
- Ernie Wolosewicz
This course provides training, communication, and deployment strategies that will allow K9 handlers to successfully integrate with any team from a small patrol officer search team to a large SWAT team deployment. The course is designed to teach not only K9 handlers but also patrol officers, tactical operators, and command staff how to accomplish effective integration. Upon completion of this course participants will have the knowledge and ability to develop and implement effective operational deployment strategies utilizing strong behavioral control, of the K9, combined with proven police tactics. The course will cover deployments in arrest team functions, entry teams, containment teams, area searches and building searches. This course can be tailored to the specific needs of any department.
Removing Conflict from Your Training
- Eric Stanbro
We discuss the most common conflicts between handler and K9, how we created them, and how to repair the relationships. Identify things you are doing on and off duty, and at training, to fracture your relationship with your dog. Give you a true understanding of how to be a leader to live and fight for, and not a punisher to fear and fight against. Show you how to use the e collar to fix issues created by the e collar.
Advanced Muzzle Fighting
- Ricky Farley
Muzzle fighting is vital part of law enforcement K9 training but there is so much more than just rolling around letting the dog nudge you around. This presentation will cover problem solving, tactics, and techniques to really bring your K9 partner to the highest level. Additionally, Ricky discusses proper fit and maintenance of a muzzle, and additional equipment that enhance your K9 partners skills and confidence.
Patrol K9 Legal Update
- Mike Kmiekic
Sport Dogs in Law Enforcement
- Oscar Mora
Most dogs in law enforcement come to us from competitive protection dog sports. Dog sports like IGP (Schutzhund), KNPV (Royal Dutch Police Dog Association), French and Mondio Ring Sports plus many others are very common for dogs to have prior training in when they start training in a law enforcement patrol course. These sports are a great foundation for a dog and some agencies even demand that a dog be “Titled” before they will consider purchasing it. Then why not actually know what the dog is trained to do so you can use this foundational training to have clearer communication and accelerate your training and problem solving?
This presentation will expose students to the various dog sports and their different elements like tracking, object guard, and many others to give you some deeper understanding on where your dog’s different behaviors are coming from. Oscar will also incorporate training techniques used in the various protection sports to increase your dog’s performance during street deployments.
K9 Supervision and Management
- Gary Aulis
K9 Supervisors and Managers are in the best position to prevent many of the issues we face in the K9 discipline and man of todays supervisors and managers have no K9 experience to build on. Regardless of your experience level with K9’s this seminar will provide you with information you can use to mitigate liability and improve your unit with significant impact in minimal time. We will cover information about starting or expanding a canine unit, including equipment, handler selection, trainer selection, training and liability. There will also be discussion on topics such as case law, documentation, in-house training sessions, handler development and developing unit culture.
K9 Explosives Classes
* Indicates new class or instructor for IPCA
Explosives Explained- Initiation Theory
- Paul Orcutt
Proven but not Perfect Explosive Detection Dog
- Chris Willingham
This class covers the life cycle of training both the Explosive Detection Dog (EDD) and the EDD team. Following this cycle, we’ll connect the dots on learning theory and principles of conditioning concepts most critical for the new EDD, discuss operational utilization and deployment of an EDD team, deepen knowledge on handler development and set plans in place for advancing the skills of the team. Whether you’re a handler or trainer, this session will provide valuable takeaways, and actionable additions to your training program.
Operationalization of the Explosive Detection Dog*
- Brad Gillispie
Detection dog training - From foundations to scenario based training
- Tobias Gustavsson
Tracking and detection in the counterterrorism and counter intelligence environment
- Shaun Cummings
The class will include counter terrorism history and training real world deployments.
K9 Narcotics Classes
* Indicates new class or instructor for IPCA
Border Trends and Intelligence - Updated for 2025
- Benjamin Joseph
- Co-Instructor with Rob Pagan
Cartel Traps
- Jeremy Bedingfield
The Cartel Traps course is a comprehensive tour through a vehicle search for hidden compartments. You can expect to not only learn how to identify and locate hidden compartments, but you will also learn how to simply clear the natural voids criminals use to hide contraband from you everyday.
Odor Chemistry of Fentanyl and Other Drugs
- Lauryn DeGreeff
The presentation will address the critical need for safer training methods in preparing canines for the detection of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid. Traditional canine training for drug detection often involves using actual substances (bulk drugs) like fentanyl, which poses significant health risks to both the dogs and their handlers. To mitigate these risks, researchers and commercial entities have actively been exploring alternative training aids that can mimic the odor of fentanyl without the associated dangers. Considerations, including odor profiles, stability and degradation, and training aids related to canine detection of drugs including fentanyl-related opioids will be discussed. Finally, training aid selection, storage and handling will also be covered.
Obedience to Odor
- Kenny Lichlider
Narcotics K9 Legal Update
- Ted Daus
Developing a well trained detector dog handler- Techniques and scenarios for a better team
- Andy Weiman
K9 Science and Behavior Classes
* Indicates new class or instructor for IPCA
Reinforcement Strategies for the Detection Canine
- Craig Schultz
This module of instruction will challenge the assumptions of traditional reward applications used in detection canine training. Often reinforcement is considered as a 1-dimensional application that increases or maintains behavior when the canine performs correctly. This is typically done by applying an “all dog” approach rather than assessing the single dog in front of you. However, advancements in behavior analysis provides us a more comprehensive toolbox from which to draw. By understanding the behavioral attributes of what makes something valuable as a reinforcer and learning how to evaluate particular components that drive behavior and motivation, we are able to keep the dog in its “thinking brain” rather than spinning out of control. There are many strategies that can be used to maximize performance while training new behaviors and maintaining old behaviors. This training will outline the various reinforcement strategies that can be added to our reward arsenal, and it will also highlight when to use them appropriately to maximize their benefit and when too much of a good thing is tanking your training.
At the completion of this training you will understand:
- How to evaluate the dog in front of you to determine which reward options will be most effective
- How to make adjustments to accommodate all levels of motivation
- How to regulate motivation to prevent overstimulation
- How to oscillate between different reward options to achieve different objectives in training or deployment scenarios.
Odor Movement 101
- Lindsay Waldrop
This course covers the basic principles of fluid movement at different scales and the physical properties of air and odor that affect the process of odor-plume development. Additionally, it will discuss how dogs interact with a plume, the distribution of odors in various search environments, and the effects of common weather conditions on odor movement. Strategies for aiding detection dogs in difficult search environments will be discussed and developed.
K9 Trauma and First Aid
- Jo-Anne Brenner
Dispelling K9 Odor Myths – Advancing K9 Science and Standards
- Ken Furton & Kelvin Frank
This talk will cover some of the latest discoveries in our understanding of the ability of canines to detect odors and as science progresses many odor myths are being dispelled and our scientific knowledge is being used to in the development of national standards aimed at improving the performance of detector dog teams. Common canine odor myths will be discussed and the current scientific facts available will be highlighted. Examples include how sensitive are dogs really compared to sensors, can dogs follow 24 hour old human scent trails, can dogs reliably complete human scent lineups, can dogs differentiate marijuana from hemp, what chemicals are dogs using to find mass storage devices and to find emerging drugs such fentanyl, how quickly does odor move and how can neutral odors such as universal detection calibrants be used to improve the performance of detector dog teams. This talk will also cover the history and latest efforts to develop national standards for detector dogs beginning with SWGDOG best practice guidelines in 2004 which then transitioned to OSAC Dogs & Sensors guidance documents in 2014 which were then were used to develop ANSI-accredited standards by the American Academy of Forensic Science Standards Board (ASB) beginning in 2016. There are currently dozens of national standards that have been approved or are in the approval process. This talk will conclude with an explanation of how the attendees can get involved in the approval process including through the International Commission on Detector Dogs (ICODD).
Electronic Storage Devices
- Jeff Calandra
Jeff will be discussing the history of electronic detection dogs, what odor they are finding.