INTERNATIONAL POLICE CANINE ASSOCIATION POSITION CLARIFICATION STATEMENT REFERENCE THE USE OF REAL vs COUNTERFEIT (PSEUDO) CANINE TRAINING AID ODORS

Recently a social media post from a private sector enterprise (private company) that promotes the sales of pseudo aka counterfeit canine detection scent training aids, could upon reading, leave the impression , infer, allude to or leave open to interpretation, that the International Police Canine Association advocates and/or endorses the products this company sells or the use of similar non-authentic training aids that are available to the law enforcement and private sector canine community.

To clear up any confusion, misunderstanding or uncertainty, IPCA is now disseminating this determinative position of our Association.

IPCA DOES NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, AS IT APPLIES TO UNITED STATES LEGAL DOCTRINE, ADVOCATE, ENDORSE, OR PROMOTE THE USE OF PSUEDO OR COUNTERFEIT CANINE TRAINING ODORS FOR LAW ENFORCENMENT CANINE DETECTION TRAINING.

Further, our position on this subject is supported by our legal counsel and by a myriad of well-respected scientists within the scientific canine community.
Reference narcotic detection canine law enforcement training, by using pseudo or pretend odor the canine is clearly and unequivocally, without argument, being trained to target an odor that by its very nature is NOT ever illegal to possess. The position of IPCA is this method is, indeed, NOT the BEST PRACTICE.

Using pretend, non-genuine training odor(s), raises a fundamental foundational PROBABLE CAUSE issue which could be the center of any Motion to Suppress, wherein, a canine was used as the instrument to gain or seek probable cause.

IPCA does readily acknowledge that in some circumstances, in some Countries, law enforcement must use training aids that are not real because of limited or restricted access to real target odors. In most of these situations, PROBABLE CAUSE to search or seize is NOT a legal issue.
Below are standard everyday synonyms for both the words
‘Authentic’ and ‘Pseudo’ :

Authentic Synonyms:
ORIGINAL * REAL * ACTUAL * BONA FIDE * TRUE * ATTESTED
UNDISPUTED * RIGHTFUL * LEGITIMATE * LAWFUL * LEGAL
VALID *THE GENUINE ARTICLE * THE REAL THING

Pseudo Synonyms
BOGUS * SHAM * PHONEY * IMITATION * ARTIFICIAL * FAKE
FEIGNED *PRETENDED * FALSE * FAUX * SPURIOUS * COUNTERFEIT * FRAUDULENT * DECEPTIVE * MISLEADING
ASSUMED * CONTRIVED

-APPROVED IPCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MARCH 10 , 2025