Episodes
In this episode, Eric and Ted discuss various topics related to K-9 programs, service dogs, and the Hero Academy with guest Danique Masingill. Danique shares her background in military police and her journey into the world of service and crisis response dogs. The conversation highlights the importance of dogs in mental health crises, particularly for first responders, and addresses the challenges of funding and policy in K-9 programs. The episode culminates in a discussion about the mission...
Published 11/07/24
Published 11/07/24
In this episode, Ted Summers and Eric discuss the evolution of canine programs in military operations with special guest Shannon Krieger. Shannon was a “Plank Holder” of the Special Operations Canine Program and has watched the explosion over the last 20 years of Tactical Canines. Shannon shares his journey from a high school volunteer to a key figure in developing the Program. The guys cover the impact of 9/11 on military canine programs, the importance of dog selection, and the challenges...
Published 10/24/24
"This is a hunting exercise, not a biting exercise!!" In this episode, Ted and Eric discuss various aspects of dog training, focusing on building searches, proximity alerts, and tracking methodologies. They share insights from their experiences in handler schools, emphasizing the importance of teaching dogs to hunt rather than bite. The conversation also covers techniques for managing vocal dogs during searches and introduces the 'Triple Track' method for enhancing tracking skills. This isn't...
Published 10/10/24
“Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough” Mark Twain. The guys sit down with WarHogg Tactical and Duco’s Handler Rick Hogg, We catch up since last he’s been on with a few new awesome projects like Scott’s Wish the “Duco Project”that he’s been involved in. Drew Kellerman helps us highlight the Heritage Distilling Company and their fundraising efforts for veteran and canine support, culminating in the introduction of the War Dogs Edition whiskey.  Rick shares...
Published 09/26/24
With so many countries banning tools of the trade, what does that look like for the US? Eric and Ted are joined by Jason Purgason, the owner of Highland Canine and the president of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP). They discuss the challenges and importance of training tools in the dog training industry, as well as the legislative efforts to ban these tools. They emphasize the need for a unified voice within the industry to protect the use of training tools. Jason...
Published 09/12/24
Some of our most popular episodes are the guys dropping knowledge! The guys sit down mano y mano discuss their recent experiences and upcoming training classes. They drop knowledge bombs on training techniques and strategies, including the power of twos in obedience and bite work, and the use of negative reinforcement in tracking. They emphasize the importance of variability and anticipation in training, and provide tips for handlers to improve their dogs' behaviors. In this conversation, Ted...
Published 08/29/24
Eric and Ted are joined by Justin Zook, the CEO of Horizon Structures, one of our fabulous sponsors. They discuss the different types of dog kennels that Horizon Structures offers, including individual runs and larger kennels for multiple dogs. They also talk about the customization options available, such as AC, heat, drains, and welded wire. Justin shares how they have made improvements to their kennels based on feedback from customers, such as reinforcing seams and using  polyurethane...
Published 08/15/24
Eric and Ted say this is ABSOLUTELY one of this year's best episodes! In this conversation, Eric and Ted are joined by Ryan Smith, a fire chief, fire marshal, and police chief from Texas. They discuss Ryan's work with his accelerant detection dog, Ember, and the challenges and training involved in this specialized field. They also touch on the use of drones and the importance of supporting their podcast on YouTube. The conversation covers topics such as the need for accelerant dogs, the...
Published 08/01/24
Eric and Ted are joined by Krista Smith, the founder of Harlow's Heroes, a nonprofit organization that supports retired and current canines. Krista shares her personal story of domestic violence and how her dog, Barrett, provided comfort and inspiration. She explains how Barrett's legacy led her to start Harlow's Heroes and discusses the organization's mission and goals. Harlow's Heroes is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports retired K9 units by providing them with medical care, nutritional...
Published 07/17/24
In this Episode, Ted and Eric interview Jennifer Arnold, the CEO of American Aluminum, a company that specializes in manufacturing canine vehicle inserts. They discuss the history of American Aluminum, the importance of quality products, and the evolution of canine vehicle inserts. They also touch on the challenges of working with car manufacturers and the need for proper safety measures in police vehicles. American Aluminum Inserts is a company that specializes in manufacturing custom canine...
Published 07/04/24
In this episode, Ted mentions we do a lot of things in K9 that don’t make sense. ⁣ What is one thing that you have realized in K9 that just doesn’t make sense? ⁣ ⁣ Your Working Dog Radio hosts, Eric @vanessk9 & Ted @ted_summers, sit down with owner of Elite Canine Training & Outfitters, and Got your Six K9s, Jeremy Van Beek. ⁣ This is our fifth episode from the Hold the Line K9 Conference Series.  In this episode, the gents discuss Van ⁣Beek's background and how he fell into his...
Published 06/20/24
Your Working Dog Radio hosts, Eric @vanessk9 & Ted @ted_summers, sit down with K9 Handler Jesse Owens. ⁣ This is our fourth episode from the Hold the Line K9 Conference Series. In this episode, the gents discuss Owens’ 9 years of experience as a female in law enforcement and her 5 years of experience handling K9 Wilson. ⁣They talk about the challenges and advantages of being a woman in a male-dominated field, the importance of networking and seeking help, and the physical demands of the...
Published 06/06/24
Your Working Dog Radio hosts, Eric @vanessk9 & Ted @ted_summers, sit down with a first time guest on the podcast; owner of Integrity Nose Worx, Bill Gaskins!⁣ ⁣ This is our third episode from the Hold the Line K9 Conference Series. In this episode, the gents discuss detection work, and the importance of situational awareness. We sit down with Bill Gaskins who spent 21 years in the Air Force, course Director of 5 different College Credit awarding canine training programs where he...
Published 05/23/24
Your Working Dog Radio hosts, Eric @vanessk9 & Ted @ted_summers, sit down with a repeat guest who truly needs no introduction; CEO and Founder of Tarheel K9, and Co-founder of PSA, Jerry Bradshaw!⁣ ⁣This is our second episode from the Hold the Line K9 Conference Series.  In this episode, the gents discuss the concept of drive capping in dog training. They explain that drive capping involves using obedience commands to control and contain a dog's expressive drives, allowing them to be...
Published 05/09/24
⁣Your Working Dog Radio hosts, Eric @vanessk9 & Ted @ted_summers, sit down with East Hartford Police K9 Handler and CPWDA Trainer and Vice President, Todd Mona.⁣ ⁣ This is our first episode from the Hold the Line K9 Conference Series ⁣and the gents chat with a repeat guest, Todd Mona. Mona has been a police officer with East Hartford PD in Connecticut for almost two decades, and has been a K9 handler since 2006.⁣ ⁣ In this conversation, your hosts and Mona discuss the use of tone...
Published 04/25/24
⁣Your Working Dog Radio hosts, Eric @vanessk9 & Ted @ted_summers, sit down with⁣ Darren “DJ” Holmes and chat about his background, his current work with dogs, and training them to detect fentanyl. ⁣ They also discuss changes in training and certification, such as eliminating aggression to gunfire and certifying dogs on marijuana, the concept of false responses in dogs and how it relates to training and contextual learning. They explore the role of poor imprinting in false responses and...
Published 04/13/24
Your Working Dog Radio hosts, Eric @vanessk9 & Ted @ted_summers, sit down with⁣ Canadian Police Dog Handler and Trainer, Jason Born, a canine handler and trainer from Edmonton, Canada. Born is certified as a Patrol Dog Trainer by the Canine Law Enforcement Accreditation Registry and has served as a tracking judge at the Canadian Police Canine Association National Championships. Born shares his background in law enforcement and canine handling. The gents discuss the puppy program in...
Published 03/28/24
Your Working Dog Radio hosts, Eric @vanessk9 & Ted @ted_summers, sit down with⁣ returning guest, KD Mathews @kdmathews, for a 2 hour long jam packed episode of all things dog and balance! In this episode, the gents discuss Mathews’ retirement from decoy work and his passion for jiu-jitsu (stay tuned for a BJJ-related update from Eric!). They then delve into the importance of relationships in dog training and how it affects behavior, the concept of ritualistic behavior and its role in...
Published 03/14/24
Join us on our member platform through our youtube channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8D9WOH6ny8eoiTCxFNpBtQ/join Your Working Dog Radio hosts, Eric @vanessk9 & Ted @ted_summers, sit down with⁣ Richard Hunton from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). ⁣ ⁣ Many of you may have seen the heartbreaking story about the loss of K9 Rico, who was killed during a manhunt. ⁣ ⁣ In this episode, Eric and Ted are joined by Richard Hunton from the...
Published 02/29/24
Do you live in a state where marijuana is still illegal? If yes, you NEED to listen to this episode. ⁣ ⁣ Disclaimer: They want us to let all of you know that this study will come out after it is peer reviewed the 23rd of February.⁣ ⁣ Episode 207:⁣ Scientifically Speaking, Hemp VS Marijuana⁣ Your Working Dog Radio hosts, Eric @vanessk9 & Ted @ted_summers, sit down with⁣ Steven Antommarchi of @nextlevelk9texas⁣ about a huge K9 study that aimed to see if marijuana trained dogs would hit...
Published 02/16/24
Get your pen and paper out, and start taking notes! Eric @vanessk9, Ted @ted_summers, and Alesha @wdrginger sit down to discuss what it takes to run a successful canine business. As you guys know, Eric owns Ridgeside K9 Ohio and Vaness K9 Academy, Ted and Alesha own Torchlight K9 and Torchlight Pets. The trio get into the nitty gritty and talk about everything from the challenges, strategies, and what you need to know! ⁣ ⁣ They emphasize the importance of understanding the business side of...
Published 01/27/24
If weed is legalized, do you get rid of your K9 that was imprinted on it? ⁣ Your hosts sit down and talk about everything marijuana! This is a really important episode to sit down and listen to. Ted and Eric talk about the whole “un-imprinting” thing people are trying to do in relation to marijuana. They talk about court cases, share examples, and talk about states that are either making marijuana legal, medical, and/or recreational, like Ohio recently did. They talk about how that affects...
Published 01/04/24
Your Working Dog Radio hosts sit down with second time guest, Benito Olson. (Olson previously joined us for Episode 11- Master at Arms Benito Olson, and gave us an inside look at the event that should have killed him, so be sure to give that a re-listen!). In this episode, the gents chat about Olson’s upbringing, a divided home, a father in prison, and being an “underdog”. They delve into his military history, Operation Iraqi Freedom, the detonation that critically wounded him, while burying...
Published 12/14/23
This is our fifth episode from our HITS K9 conference series. Speaking of HITS, they will be returning August 26-29, 2024 at the HYATT REGENCY in New Orleans, LA. Get your tickets to this conference early!⁣ hitsk9.net⁣ The gents chat with Brad Gillespie about teaching two different tracking classes at the HITS K9 Conference. In this episode, we get heavy into tracking, and Gillespie’s extensive experience. Gillespie has been handling and training Police and Military Working Dogs for...
Published 11/30/23