VENTOSA KENNEL

8 WEEK INSTRUCTOR COURSE

February 10 – April 4, 2025

April 14 – June 6, 2025

July 14 – September 5, 2025

September 15 – November 7, 2025

October 27 – December 19, 2025

Police K9 Instructor/Trainer Course Syllabus

This course is designed to prepare the experienced K9 handler for the role of instructor/trainer. The training emphasis is on developing the skills necessary to conduct initial training and in-service training for a law enforcement K9 program.

1. Instructor Guidelines and Objectives
   1. Defining the role of K9 instructor
   2. Developing K9 instructor skills
   3. Choosing appropriate training methods
   4. Teaching correct training practices
   5. Teaching correct handler techniques
2. Police K9 Selection and Training
   1. The suitable police dog
   2. Understanding K9 drives
   3. Understanding K9 temperaments
   4. Testing for appropriate drives
   5. Selecting a suitable police K9 candidate
   6. Developing K9 drives
   7. Building block training
   8. Choosing the correct training approach
   9. Analyzing training problems
   10. Training issues and problem solving
3. K9 Handler Selection and Training
   1. Defining the K9 handler skill set
   2. Interviewing, testing, and selecting the K9 handler
   3. Creating the learning environment
   4. Understanding teaching approach differences
   5. Choosing the appropriate teaching approach
   6. Matching teaching approaches to student personalities
   7. Student motivational techniques
   8. Typical student handler problems
   9. Student handler problem solving
4. Obedience Training
   1. Understanding and teaching the obedience foundation
   2. Teaching the fundamentals of obedience training
   3.  Apprehension
   4. Building searches
   5. Area searches
   6. Article searches
   7. Tracking
   8. Teaching practical obedience
   9. Developing correct instructional techniques
   10. Teaching the reward and correction system
5. Patrol K9 Training and Utilization
   1. Teaching the various patrol training disciplines
      • Apprehension
      • Building searches
      • Area searches
      • Article searches
      • Tracking
   2. Decoy work
   3. Deploying the Patrol K9 team
      • Teaching best practices for deployments
6. Narcotics Detection K9 Training and Utilization
   1. Understanding and teaching K9 scent capabilities
   2. Teaching various scent detection training methods
   3. Choosing the appropriate training method
   4. Training techniques for drive building in the detection K9
   5. Search techniques for building, vehicle, open area, and parcel searches.
   6. Problem solving for the narcotics detection K9 team
   7. Teaching best practices for deployments.
7. Explosives Detection K9 Training and Utilization
   1. Explosives familiarization and identification
   2. Handling and storage of explosives
   3. Teaching various detection training methods
   4. Choosing the appropriate training method
   5. Narcotics detection vs. explosives detection
   6. Search techniques for building, vehicle, open area, and parcel searches
   7. Problem solving for the bomb detection K9 team
   8. Teaching best practices for deployments
8. Administration
9. K9 unit record keeping
10. K9 unit initial and maintenance training
11. Testing and certifying for the K9 unit

Course Schedule: 8 weeks (Includes lodging) 

If you have additional questions, please call 252-370-5353.

OUR POLICE DOGS AND OUR POLICE K9 TRAINING SCHOOL IS SECOND TO NONE

We guarantee any K9 team trained at Ventosa Kennel will be capable of passing certification requirements with any certifying organization in the US today.