We got the bugs worked out since the last episode and we were both able to participate. We both really enjoyed this episode and feel as though there are many great lessons to be learned. Hope you all enjoy the conversation and get some nuggets of wisdom or inspiration.  Jay Nix,  is a Sergeant with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, in Florida, where he has served as an active-duty law enforcement officer since 2000. He started his K9 career in 2002 as a handler assigned to the patrol...

Caught up with Mike Lilley for an interview. Unfortunately, Rich was having some technical difficulties and could not join us. We will be rectifying this by the next episode. I believe you will find Mike's methods to be innovative and sound. The proof is always in the pudding. His name is more and more becoming synonymous with solid tracking. He's just one of the more humble, pleasant, talented men in the business. Hope you enjoy this one as much as we did. There's a lot of information to...

Once again we got an opportunity to have a conversation with Hans about dog training. The first episode was very popular with our listeners. Many folks felt we just scratched the surface on a few key topics. So, in part two, we were able to dig a bit deeper.  We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.  Hans Verbruggen Professional Dog trainer I 've been living amongst dogs since my childhood. As a little boy I accompanied my brothers to the dog club. Very soon those dogclubs...

 BENITO OLSON began his naval career as a master-at-arms serving in Bahrain and Kingsville, Texas. His work with military dogs opened the opportunity of a lifetime to serve with SEAL Team Six for multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. He earned a reputation as a go-to handler for dogs at the tip of the spear and earned multiple decorations such as a Bronze Star with Valor and Purple Heart. After medical retirement from the navy, Olson started Patriot Dog Training for law enforcement,...

We anticipate that you will enjoy this conversation as much as we did. There are already plans for a second episode. Hans uses many phrases that simply just resonated with us. Please listen intently as he has  many important things to say and is wise beyond his years.  Hans Verbruggen Professional Dog trainer I 've been living amongst dogs since my childhood. As a little boy I accompanied my brothers to the dog club. Very soon those dogclubs became my ‘world’. Even if I didn’t know much at...

We got the opportunity to get Jeff on the other side of the table. You will find that he is a humble solid source of k9 information. He certainly helped play a role in unifying trainers in this industry. Those of us who have been around awhile remember a time when there wasn't much collaboration. The original Police K9 Magazine most definitely played a role in bringing trainers together. I think we can all agree that we are better unified than divided. We hope you enjoy this episode as much...

Ted is a treasure trove of information when it comes to k9 caselaw. In a nut shell the court system dictates how k9's are utilized in this country.  Decisions made by handlers should align with the prevailing laws. Additionally, LE agencies policies regarding k9 usages should align with the prevailing laws as well. If you are not a handler and have wondered why dogs are used in some situations and not others you may gain some insight from this episode. If you are a handler and not familiar...

What a great conversation with Jerry Bradshaw. We got Jerry to stroll down memory lane at the beginning of the episode. He then dove deep into an explanation about "capping".  For those of you who know Jerry or listen to his podcast "Controlled Aggression" he is a wealth of knowledge. Many folks will want to listen to this episode more than once. He has a lot of great ideas. Jerry Bradshaw is Training Director & President of Tarheel Canine Training, Inc. in Sanford, North Carolina. Jerry...

We think that you will see that Mountain is a teacher at heart and a wealth of knowledge. ENJOY! Mountain was born in Rio de Janeiro Brazil in 1985 and immigrated to the US when he was 4. His younger years were spent in Florida and eventually moved to Vermont his 8th grade year. Upon graduating, he took an athletic scholarship to compete in track and field at Lynchburg college, in Virginia. He did 2 years of premed before feeling a need to take break from his studies.  Mountain enlisted in...

Both Rich and I feel that Erik is doing something special with the implementation of the bark fence. On this episode, he does a great job of describing how he uses it and what he expects the desired outcome to become. This is truly another tool to be added to your program as you seek to develop dogs that will engage with power and control. Erik Good is currently a handler and the head K-9 Trainer at the Ft. Lauderdale Police Department. He is certified by the Florida Department of Law...

We sat down with an old  mutual friend and talked about a myriad of K9 related subjects. We discussed k9 tryouts, the vetting process, hairy deployments, the cyclical nature of things, as well as Eddie's K9 attic deployment system. You will be able to hear how passionate Eddie is about the device he developed and how it can save lives. First In K9 may ring a bell from k9 conferences such as Hits and Hold the Line K9 conference. Eddie currently works with all the K9 teams going through Vohne...

Doug graciously allowed us to interview him and he came forward with some great information. Information that comes from experience working in the field for many years. This episode is chocked full of gold nuggets that handlers can put to use. We hope that you enjoy this one as much as we did.  Doug Roller was a Sergeant and Chief Trainer for the Los Angeles Police Departments (LAPD) K-9 Platoon, Metropolitan Division for 17 years, until he retired in March of 2013. He is a nationally...

This was a joint episode with the guys from the Dogs of War Podcast. The DOW podcast just celebrated its third year. Steven "Sway" Hueston was instrumental in helping us get our podcast off the ground.  In this episode we talk about moral, social media, podcast growth, and creative venues for expanding your dog training  business. Additionally, Steven Antommarchi shared some new regarding a study he has been involved in over the past three years. In a nut shell, the study involved the...

Help us welcome one of the most fun people we know to the Working Dog Depot, Matt Wilson.  Matt was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He first got into dog training at the age of 16 at PetSmart. It didn't take long for him to realize there was more to training than what was being offered at a big box store. Matt left PetSmart and started his own training business, Ethos K9. Shortly after starting this business his journey led him to  working at Ray Allen Manufacturing. He is the social...

Say Less - Train your dog to be calm and stable. This allows your dog to think through what you’re asking him to do. Being frantic leads to bad decision making and instability. Brian Hempelmann Brian Hempelmann became a police officer in 1994 with the Westminster Police Department in Colorado. He then became a K9 handler in 1997. Brian has since worked 5 dual purpose K9’s. 4 were dual purpose narcotics dogs and his current is a dual purpose explosive dog. Brian is also assigned to the SWAT...

JEFF SCHETTLERCEO / Police and Military K9 Trainer / Author Jeff Schettler is a retired police K9 handler who worked for the City of Alameda and County of Amador in California and was attached to the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Teams’ K9 Assistance Program for two years. This program was designed to locate and apprehend high-risk fugitives on the run.  He is a certified military trainer graduating from the prestigious US Army’s Leadership Academy also known as Drill Sergeant School. Jeff has worked...

Tim began his K9 career as a Gun Dog trainer in Texas in 1990. He evolved to working dog training and instruction in 2003.  Tim is certified as a State of Texas level 1-4 Security Agent and Personal Protection Officer, NRA Firearms Instructor, Texas DPS Firearms Instructor, Texas DPS Certified Security Instructor, Texas DPS License to Carry Instructor, Texas Police TCOLE Instructor and holds a Security Clearance with the Department of State. He is actively involved in instruction of MMA,...

We are excited about this episode as Pat is someone we both admire and respect. His work across the dog community speaks for itself. He is a true gentleman and man of integrity. We know you'll enjoy the ease at which he describes what he does and why he does it. His experiences come from a lifetime of training puppies and dogs.  Pat Nolan has worked in animal venues for 47 years, gaining a broad range of experience. He has trained retrievers for field trials, detection canines for military,...

In this episode Rich and Howard have a casual conversation about obedience. They differentiate the difference between obedience and manners. It is entirely possible to have a dog that is good at specific obedience tasks, but lacks manners. It's also possible to have a dog that has good manners but lacks good fundamental obedience. Many times what pet owners truly want is a mannerly dog. We hope you enjoy the conversation.  Manners vs obedienceManners outweighs obediencePet peeve, if the...

 Jim O’Brien, handled two police canines while he was a patrolman in the state of New Hampshire. Jim and his canine partners were a huge asset in central New Hampshire and were responsible for the capture and arrest of countless suspects and drug seizures.  Jim developed both canines programs from the ground up and had much success with both programs. Jim was the lead instructor at two kennels in the state of NC where he was tasked with instructing Law Enforcement and Military personnel. Jim...

     Todd Mona is a Sergeant/K9 Handler for the East Hartford Police Department in Connecticut.  He is the founder and lead trainer of the Capital Region Police K9 Academy and the Capital Region K9 Training Group.  Todd has been a Police Officer since 2002 and in K9 since 2006.  After working his first dog K9 Primo from 2006 until 2015, Todd raised and trained his second dog from ten weeks old until present, K9 Casus Belli.  In 2014 Todd earned his Connecticut Police Work Dog Association...

Ken Licklider Vohne Liche Kennels Some 20 plus years ago, both Rich and I separately,  encountered a gentleman whose training would largely shape how we teach detection dogs. His accomplishments are truly too numerous to document in this space. To this day, he continues to  draw crowds at conferences when he speaks. He's charismatic, and humorous, but more than anything he's a talented pioneer in this industry. VLK, has made a huge footprint in the venue of working dogs and Ken has been at...

It's not everyday that we get to chat with research scientists. Sit back and enjoy this entertaining episode filled with many take aways.  Mrs. Jenna Gadberry is a contract Scientist at the US Army Futures Command’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM-CBC) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. Mrs. Gadberry earned her B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of California at Davis in 2003 and enjoyed a 12 year career at the DoD’s Combating Terrorism...

Michael Nezbeth is the Training Director and founder of Grassroots K9, an international training company that specializes in LEO canines. Michael also offers seminars and workshops to LEO and civilians aimed at giving actionable training plans based on theory to practical applications. Michael began his career in the canine industry after graduating with degrees in Psychology and Criminology. His background  has given him the ability to apply a theoretical and systematic approach to practical...