Marshfield, WI (OnFocus) K9 handlers from area law enforcement agencies joined together in Marshfield on Dec. 19 for a training exercise in narcotics detection.
Travis Hill, Solutionz, LLC owner, offered the use of the company’s new location, once a large bar on the north side of town.
“They have a hard time finding places that let them do this, so why not? An old bar would be a perfect situation,” he said.
Samples of narcotics, called training aids, are hidden throughout the building and allowed to settle for a few minutes to build up a lifelike odor for the K9s. The objective is for each K9 to indicate the presence of a narcotic under the guidance of its handler.
“What makes this a good training venue is that it’s big. Our dogs haven’t been here before,” said Portage County Deputy Dan Wachowiak, handler of K9 Yent. “Having that aspect of not knowing where the hides will be poses a challenge to the dog and the handler.”
Seven handlers came together from Marshfield Police Department, Stevens Point Police Department, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, and Marathon County Sheriff’s Office. Each officer takes turns entering the building with the K9 on a leash, breaking up the room into smaller areas to search.
K9s passively alert their handlers of a discovery by sitting down quietly. “We always like to have that final response, which is the sit,” said Wachowiak.
After a discovery, the dogs are enthusiastically praised and often rewarded with a tennis ball.
“We don’t do it every time because dogs like to cheat, and we can’t let them cheat,” said Officer Sam Fox, Marshfield Police Department, handler of K9 Rika.
Instead, K9 handlers will sometimes choose just to praise the dog without rewarding it a tennis ball, a tactic called a variable reward. Since the dogs are prey-driven, they work as hard as they do because they look at the tennis ball as prey, Fox said.
The K9s are well-trained and discover the majority of the hidden narcotics. Their noses are powerful enough to sniff out a place where drugs were once present and even the individual ingredients in a beef stew.
Around 8-10 officers are typically present at the K9 training sessions and attend two 8-hour sessions twice a month to meet the industry standard. Officers use a different location each time to continue presenting a challenge to both K9 and handler.
The training is valuable for the handlers to make sure they’re in check with their dogs.
“It’s about keeping the teamwork between the dog and the handler, and working together,” said Wachowiak.
Author: News Desk
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