# Career as a canine handler...?



## Jonathan Hoffnagle (Dec 31, 2009)

I am interested in pursuing a career as a canine handler and have been researching different organizations that utilize working dogs. TSA's program caught my eye and I thought I would see if anyone on the forum had more information on the program. Outside of TSA I was thinking about joining a branch of the military, maybe the air guard as I am also a pilot and would like to take advantage of free tuition to finish my degree. I have loads of debt from flight training and don't really have any other way of funding my education as I can't take out another loan. Even though I have invested alot of time and money into flight training I feel that a career as a canine handler is what I really want to do. I have contacted Fidelco hoping to volunteer with them and I am planning on contacting a local business that sells police dogs to start to gain more experience in the field. My question to everyone on here is how you achieved your position as a handler and how you recommend me going about doing the same? I appreciate everyones help.


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

I started in the military by attending the old Sentry Dog School back in the middle 60's. Then it was just a matter of right place at the right time. I was one of very few people that stayed in the MWD program their entire military career (23 years) Due to some luck, right place, right time I was also part of the intial feasibility study programs for patrol dog, drug dogs and explosives detectors. I was also fortunate enough to be part of mine, tunnel and tripwire training as well as some other classified projects through the Land Warfare Laboratory and other groups. I was able to work in nearly every facet of the military program. When I retired, TN was looking for a dog trainer and I was looking for a job, so here I am, 44 years later and I'm still training and working with dogs. Don't know it all, but (he says modestly) answers are harder to come by. I do admit to not having the passion for dogs and training I once had. 

DFrost


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## Kevin Barrett (Dec 16, 2009)

Your pushing 6000 post David I would say you still have plenty of passion for working dogs. LOL


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## Jim Nash (Mar 30, 2006)

I grew up with dogs . As a kid we had a great GSD mix that my dad taught in PPD . He actually bit a burlar coming in our house . 

My uncle was also involved in a local Sheriff's Department's K9 unit . So I grew up around the kind of dogs I would work with some day . As an adult I worked with hunting dogs also . 

When I became a Police Officer in St Paul I always wanted to be a PSD Handler there and knew their reputation . 

I also knew to keep my mouth shut about it and work at being the best Cop I could be first . I loved hunting down badguys . Because of that I often got the K9 guys work looking for suspects that ran from me . I got to back them up on searches or see them chase down guys running from me . Seeing them track or area search for a guy and find him were awesome . Then seeing them do battle just cemented my goal of one day handling one . 

In my first year on the job just off FTO , I had seen a good friend(fellow Officer) get killed on the job and a K9 guy I looked up to killed also looking for the shooter . 

After being a Police Officer for 5 years I put in for a K9 position and got it . From there once I got started I was hooked and working and training K9s consumed me . I love the thrill of the hunt and training K9's to do the job in order to find badguys and keep others safe became very important to me because of my earlier experiances as a Police Officer . 

If you go the Police Officer route I suggest you don't let others know right away you want K9 . Most Cops want those they work alongside of to be focussed on being a good Cop . They don't want to worry about a guy who may just be using being a Police Officer position as a gateway to being a K9 Officer and possibly not taking his/her current job as seriously as they should . 

As you get some time on volunteer for the K9 unit in anyway you can (if they do that) . Also as a Cop get them work . They remember the guys that get their dog some action . 

Most importantly the good skills you learn from being a Police Officer will greatly help you in being a good K9 Handler . 

Also remember once you get into K9 work to balance that with your family . It's easy to become addicted to the work . Unfortunately I realized that part too late .


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## Rick Cadez Jr. (Dec 1, 2009)

Jim couldn't have said it any better. Very good info to pass along


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## Mike Lauer (Jul 26, 2009)

i am not knocking anyone but a lot of police handlers are just handlers, not trainers.
I would get a dog and train it, you're going to make hundreds of mistakes and better to learn now


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Mike, I can't argue with that. It does however, depend on the type of police program a handler begins with. For example, in our program, a new handler will train a green dog. While that doesn't make him a trainer, it does give that handler and view from start to finish, on how a dog is "built". Over the life of a handler, should he/she choose, they assist with other classes, take more responsibility for in-service training and develop a training style of their own. While many police officers will be content to be "handlers", many, if through nothing more than osmosis will start to develop as trainers. I think it's very difficult to train a dog from start to finish, attend mandatory 16 hours training per month and not learn something about training.

DFrost


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## Jim Nash (Mar 30, 2006)

I agree with you on that David . We do the same thing . Green dog and handler in a 10 week course for Patrol work and an additional 4 week course for detection later . 

The old saying " The only thing 2 trainers can agree on is that te 3rd one is wrong." comes into play big time here . 

As a trainer I actually had trouble training handlers with previous experiance training K9s in OB or sport work . Their are simularities but differences also . When I asked them to go a certain route in training you could almost see the conflict bouncing around their heads , with what I was asking them to do and what their civilian Training Directors had been telling them for years . 

Give me a green dog and green handler any day . We tended to progress much faster because they simply believed what I was telling them and pulled off what I was asking 100% . 

Now if only these folks with previous K9 training experiance could just shut out all the "opinions" their previous TD's beat into them and trust the direction we were asking them to go in training I think that would be great . The one thing these folks had usually was much better timing in praise and corrections and a more calm confident manner in handling the dog . It was just the "well my other trainer always told me this " stuff that got in the way . 

My advice for those with previous experiance in dog training is if you are going into a Police K9 program (especially one that is proven in producing good street dogs) is be open to what the trainers are asking you to do . Even if it is contrary to what you have learned in the past . That attitude will only get in the way initially . 

If you have a better training method prove yourself first by training 100% their way first . Once you have proven to them you are good capable handler , THEN give them your idea/s . They will not just take your word for it as a new handler , you have to prove you are worth listening to first . JMO.


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## Meng Xiong (Jan 21, 2009)

Thats a cool story man. I wish I had gotten bit by the "bug" much much earlier in my life, then i'd definately pursure it as a career. 




Jim Nash said:


> I grew up with dogs . As a kid we had a great GSD mix that my dad taught in PPD . He actually bit a burlar coming in our house .
> 
> My uncle was also involved in a local Sheriff's Department's K9 unit . So I grew up around the kind of dogs I would work with some day . As an adult I worked with hunting dogs also .
> 
> ...


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Jim Nash says: "As a trainer I actually had trouble training handlers with previous experiance training K9s in OB or sport work . Their are simularities but differences also . When I asked them to go a certain route in training you could almost see the conflict bouncing around their heads ,"

Ha ha, I know exactly what you mean. To my benefit, there is a certain expectations new handlers have of me. I can't think of a green handler that has attended my course and at some point didn't think I was a prick. ha ha. I really try not to disappoint them. That same bluff doesn't work on returning handlers.

DFrost


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## Gregory Escolta (Mar 11, 2010)

Come out to Cali and be a k-9 officer... Good stable job, awesome pension, and they make a killing! starting @ $100k... thats pretty good to me


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## Patrick Salerno (Apr 6, 2009)

Gregory Escolta said:


> Come out to Cali and be a k-9 officer... Good stable job, awesome pension, and they make a killing! starting @ $100k... thats pretty good to me


Sounds good to me. What are the prerequisits? Which county? Do you have a link to an application?


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## will fernandez (May 17, 2006)

David Frost said:


> Jim Nash says: "As a trainer I actually had trouble training handlers with previous experiance training K9s in OB or sport work . Their are simularities but differences also . When I asked them to go a certain route in training you could almost see the conflict bouncing around their heads ,"
> 
> Ha ha, I know exactly what you mean. To my benefit, there is a certain expectations new handlers have of me. I can't think of a green handler that has attended my course and at some point didn't think I was a prick. ha ha. I really try not to disappoint them. That same bluff doesn't work on returning handlers.
> 
> DFrost


I entered handler school having trained my dog from a pup. I went in with my mouth shut and my ears open. The patrol side was a breeze. I had experience but prefered to keep quiet and go along with the program. By keeping quiet I earned the respect of the trainers and have been often asked back to help with problem solving of difficult dogs. 

The narcotic side was something else entirely....


I laid the foundation for narcotics but was very green handling the narc side. I had less problems dealing with the trainer than the green handlers. I understood the trainers frustration and just kept plugging along til I got it. 

I find that green handlers often take stuff to personally and sometimes just need to grin and bear it.


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## Jim Nash (Mar 30, 2006)

Will ,

You gave and are the perfect example of what I was trying to get at for the way I would suggest a new PSD Handler with previous knowledge in training dogs should act when I stated this in a previous post on this thread.



" Now if only these folks with previous K9 training experiance could just shut out all the "opinions" their previous TD's beat into them and trust the direction we were asking them to go in training I think that would be great . The one thing these folks had usually was much better timing in praise and corrections and a more calm confident manner in handling the dog . It was just the "well my other trainer always told me this " stuff that got in the way . 

My advice for those with previous experiance in dog training is if you are going into a Police K9 program (especially one that is proven in producing good street dogs) is be open to what the trainers are asking you to do . Even if it is contrary to what you have learned in the past . That attitude will only get in the way initially . 

If you have a better training method prove yourself first by training 100% their way first . Once you have proven to them you are good capable handler , THEN give them your idea/s . They will not just take your word for it as a new handler , you have to prove you are worth listening to first . JMO . "


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## will fernandez (May 17, 2006)

Thanks Jim


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Kinda like the boot camp nubee in the service that told the Drill Sargent that the military hand to hand training was bs cause he had a blue belt in karate and new better. 
The Drill Sargent showed him different......and he didn't even have to take his shoes off!


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## Gregory Escolta (Mar 11, 2010)

Patrick Salerno said:


> Sounds good to me. What are the prerequisits? Which county? Do you have a link to an application?



San Mateo and San Francisco county pay extremely high... Having said that, getting in there is tough! And you will never get in directly as a k-9 officer... You must go through academy. then between 1-3 years as a regular officer. Only then will you qualify to be a k-9 officer... But check em out... im thinking about doing it, but im too young right now.


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