A well-trained tracking dog can be the deciding factor that determines success in both criminal investigations and search-and-rescue operations. When the stakes are high, demanding the highest level of performance from your K9, you need training methods relied upon by police forces and SAR teams around the world. Dr. Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak show you how to train your dog in clean-scent tracking, a proven method that trains dogs to follow a particular scent on a track, while ignoring cross-tracks and other odors. In K9 Professional Tracking, you'll learn how to train a clean-scent tracking dog you can count on. You'll also learn to fully understand what your K9 is and is not capable of in the field. With the right knowledge and techniques, you'll be able to train tracking dogs to the highest professional standards.

A hands-on, practical approach to training your K9 for IGP levels 1, 2 and 3 Learn how to: Implement a successful training program for the three phases of Schutzhund: tracking, obedience and protection. Use expert tips and advice for passing the IGP trials. Become a better trainer by understanding the theory behind the most effective K9 training techniques. K9 Schutzhund Training provides beginners with an excellent introduction to the field and helps expert trainers stay on top of their game with the latest techniques. Using proven methods rooted in classical and operant conditioning, Dr. Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak, world-renowned specialists in training working dogs, have developed this practical and positive Schutzhund training program. The excellent results trainers achieve through positive reinforcement prove the effectiveness of Resi and Ruud's methods, which are based on more than 30 years of research and experience. In Resi and Ruud's definitive guide for modern Schutzhund training, you'll find the advice and encouragement you need to help you succeed in the IGP trials.

Enhance your K9’s detection capabilities and unlock the power of its nose with scent and odour line-up training. The use of detector dogs to find or identify scents or odours has a long history, and has risen dramatically in recent decades in all different areas of detection, including drugs, explosives, missing persons, and more. But even with this increase, there remains a lack of information about the different ways to train dogs in scent identification and detection, and even less about the many ways that training can go wrong. K9 training experts Resi Gerritsen, Ruud Haak, and Simon Prins wrote this book so all trainers have access to the knowledge they need to train capable detector dogs. This book introduces both professional and amateur dog handlers to the basics of scent and odour line-up training and their applications in K9 scent identification and detection work. From training schedules to the fascinating history of nose work in policing, this book is designed to be a practical, accessible, and informative resource for K9 officers, professional or volunteer search-and-rescue workers, competitive dog trainers, and enthusiastic hobbyists alike.

Whether you re searching for drugs or a missing person, "K9 Scent Training" will improve your K9 team s capabilities in the field. Use proven techniques to train your dog for: Scent identification line-ups to indicate a scent connection between crime-scene evidence and a suspect. Tracking along a wide variety of track types, including the cold track, the broken-off track and tracks that run over or under cross-tracks. Detection work for searches in buildings, vehicles, open terrain and more. In this must-have guide for SAR teams and police K9 trainers and handlers, Dr. Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak present everything you need to know to build or improve a scent training program. Scent training involves high-stakes work, and in the case of a search for a missing person, the right training for your K9 can mean the difference between life and death. Beginning with the science behind odors and how dogs perceive them, Resi and Ruud show you how to harness that knowledge to eliminate training problems and maximize your dog s potential. You ll learn how to start scent training for young dogs using simple exercises before building up to more complex training. Finally, using techniques they ve perfected over decades, Resi and Ruud share their specialized, step-by-step programs for advanced scent identification training and tracking. Get a free ebook through the Shelfie app with the purchase of a print copy."

Understand dog behavior to work with, not against, your K9 s instincts. Learn how to: Recognize and interpret your K9 s expressions, gestures and signals. Use operant conditioning to efficiently and humanely train K9s. Plan and execute effective K9 training programs for search and detection, patrol, remote guided camera, attack, and more. The art and science of training police, military and other service dogs continue to evolve as we learn more about dog behavior. In this revised edition of "K9 Behavior Basics," expert dog trainers Dr. Resi Gerritsen, Ruud Haak and Simon Prins share the essentials every trainer needs to know about these advances in K9 training. You ll learn how to successfully implement or improve your dogs training programs using operant conditioning. The authors outline key concepts in dog behavior and communication and provide practical approaches to operant conditioning. They share proven techniques and solid advice from their more than thirty years of specialized K9 experience. Whether you re just starting out or are a seasoned pro staying up-to-date, "K9 Behavior Basics" has something for you. Get a free ebook through the Shelfie app with the purchase of a print copy."

Create a safe, successful K9 training program that results in reliable protection dogs. Learn how to: Select the optimal breeds, temperament and physical and mental characteristics for protection work. Master the obedience-training techniques that form the foundation of protection training. Use the methods of the Dutch Police Dog (KNPV) program, which produces some of the finest police and protection dogs in the world. Dr. Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak, leading dog trainers from the Netherlands, share their proven, comprehensive program for training dogs for personal protection. Their cutting-edge techniques and work with the International Red Cross, the United Nations and the International Rescue Dog Organization (IRO) have placed them in world demand. In this fully revised and updated edition of K9 Personal Protection, Resi and Ruud start with the basics, including how to select the right dog for protection work, how to properly raise a protection dog from a puppy and how to correct a dog s bad behavior. Next, they cover fundamental obedience training for protection dogs, such as training for heelwork, the recall, the send away and more. Finally, they present a complete program for training reliable protection dogs, from basic exercises and decoy techniques to the exercises of the KNPV program. Get a free ebook through the Shelfie app with the purchase of a print copy."

The German Shepherd is the most famous dog breed in the world, renowned for its loyalty, devotion and adaptability. As a working dog, the German Shepherd has distinguished itself with its even temperament and suitability for a wide range of tasks, especially in police and military work. Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak take fans of the German Shepherd on a fascinating journey through the breed's history and development, from its origins in the 19th century to its spread around the world as one of the top working dog breeds. They also examine the reasons for the breed's recent decline in popularity as a working dog, with many police agencies now using other breeds. Anyone who owns or works with German Shepherds and wants to improve their knowledge of this incredible breed should read this book.

Make sure your K9 investigation work holds up in court. Based on Resi and Ruud s previous book, K9 Fraud, with updated content and a new chapter. Learn how to: Avoid the most common mistakes handlers make. Become a better trainer and handler with a scientific understanding of scent and tracking work. Train your dog for scent-identification lineups using the scientifically proven Dutch standard. Faulty K9 investigations often have serious consequences: the guilty might walk free, and the innocent might suffer. Internationally recognized dog handlers and trainers Dr. Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak use real-life case studies historical and recent to highlight K9 errors that can derail entire investigations. Each of these mistakes, such as influencing your dog s results or relying on contaminated scents, damages your reputation and the value of your work. But with the right knowledge and training protocols, you can minimize investigation errors. K9 errors have hampered investigations from the earliest uses of dogs for police work in Europe to twenty-first century cases such as the 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States. Don t let the same mistakes happen to you and your team. Get a free ebook through the Shelfie app with the purchase of a print copy."

Everything you need to know about one of the world's most versatile working dogs Anyone who owns or works with Labrador Retrievers knows they are a special breed. Originally bred as a hunting dog in the nineteenth century, the Labrador Retriever is renowned for its intelligence, gentle ways, and adaptability. The same traits that allow the Labrador Retriever to excel as a hunting dog make it a versatile working dog. Its friendly disposition makes it one of the most popular family pets as well. Expert trainers Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak take you on a deep dive into the origins and history of the breed before exploring the traits and characteristics that distinguish it. Then, they provide training basics for the Labrador Retriever to get you started, and they examine the wide range of service and detection tasks the dog is ideally suited for. If you work with a Labrador Retriever or want to start working with one, this book offers a valuable guide to the many possibilities this breed offers.

Training that works by harnessing your dog s instincts. Learn how to: Stimulate your dog s natural hunting drive for effective SAR training. Start your dog s training program with an easy, three-step process. Develop skills in a variety of search operations, including wilderness, avalanche and disaster scenarios. Dr. Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak have trained search and rescue dogs for more than 30 years and have taken part in rescue operations around the world. They serve as training directors and international judges for the International Red Cross Federation, the United Nations, the International Rescue Dog Organization and the F?d?ration Cynologique Internationale (FCI). Based on their decades of study and experience, their innovative SAR training method is rooted in a firm, scientific understanding of K9 instincts. Step-by-step instructions, dozens of illustrations and photographs from the field establish a professional K9 SAR program to benefit both beginners and experts. Get a free ebook through the Shelfie app with the purchase of a print copy."

Improve the performance of your K9 drug detection team with this practical guide by expert trainers Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak. Topics include selecting the right dog for drug detection work, training basics, K9 first aid, planning a search action, and identifying different categories of illegal drugs.

Enhance the operational capabilities of your K9 explosive detection teamLearn how to: Train your K9 to detect the six principal chemical categories of explosives.Choose the right search method for your operational requirements.Care for and administer first aid to your explosive detection K9.In the high stakes realm of explosive detection work, where even the smallest mistake can have fatal consequences, the margin of error is zero. When you and your K9 are in the field, only the highest level of training will get the job done. Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak have worked with police departments around the world to help them improve their K9 explosive detection training programs, and in this book they share their expertise for handlers and trainers looking to enhance their own performance.They teach how to pick the right dog for explosive detection work and how to properly execute three types of searches in training exercises: controlled, blind and operational. They show you how to train K9s to detect the odors of the six principal chemical categories of explosives, and they go over the many factors to keep in mind that might influence a K9's work. Handlers also learn how to properly conduct search actions in the field as well as how to train K9s for the special tactics needed for mine detection work.

The Belgian Malinois is an exceptional working dog used by police and military units everywhere. In this book, Dr. Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak explore the history and development of the Belgian Malinois to understand why it's one of the top working breeds in the world. While closely examining the evolution of the Malinois in police work, Resi and Ruud also showcase how the dogs are used in variety of other roles, including tracking, drug detection, cadaver search, bed bug detection, and more