Team Training - Handler & K9

There's more to canine scent detection than holding a leash. If you're going to be a part of a successful and effective canine scent detection team, you must perform as a part of that team and develop a specific skill set and body of knowledge. Successful handlers develop a basic skill set that is honed and further developed through practice and training throughout their career. One of the most important skills in this set is the ability to observe the dog and “read” its body language and the subtle changes that take place in response to target odor recognition. A well trained handler is able to read the cues offered by a well trained detector dog during a search pattern. These cues allow the handler to know when the dog may have encountered an odor of interest. We will teach you how to recognize such cues, however slight, and determine when further investigation of a particular area or item is warranted. This skill is just one of the essential skills and abilities that we teach handlers in our finish classes.

Just like your car, you and your dog will eventually need a “tune up”. Handlers can unknowingly develop bad habits that negatively affect the team's performance. The staff at FSI is trained and experienced at watching a team work and identifying problem areas that may seem small at the time, but that could lead to big issues in the future. FSI has helped hundreds of detector dog teams over the years to reach their full potential and no matter who trained your dog, we can help you too. Our training program will help you and your dog to correct these habits and get you back to searching effectively and efficiently. We recommend that you participate in such training annually. Usually the most convenient time is in conjunction with annual recertification testing.