The Kansas Police Dog Association Certification Rules provide a structure for certification trials of canine teams. These rules will be strictly adhered to, unless exception is made by the Executive Board of Directors. The judges’ decision shall go unchallenged during the certification process. Any appeal of a judge’s decision shall be made to the Vice President or designee at the conclusion of the exercise. The appeal shall be heard and voted on by the Executive Board of Directors, taking a unanimous decision of the board. A successful appeal shall result in the repeat of the appealed exercise.
1. All time limits during the certification trials will be at the discretion of the judge(s). If the judge(s) realizes that the dog or canine team is not searching/working, they have the ability to notify the handler of a failure after a reasonable amount of time.
2. All scoring during certification trials will be on a pass/fail basis and no point system will be utilized.
3. In the event of necessity, the judges have the authority to deviate from these certification rules, with the approval of the Executive Board of Directors, as long as the deviation does not change the basic curriculum of the trial.
4. RULES OF REFIRES: All refires will be scheduled at the direction of the Executive Board of Directors and will be held only after the canine team has the opportunity to meet with a trainer during the event. Refires will be allowed as scheduled by the Executive Board of Directors and teams will not be required to have a waiting period before attempting a refire.
5. If a canine team needs to be certified at a time other than the dedicated certification seminar, they will notify a member of the Executive Board of Directors. The Executive Board of Directors will approve a judge, based on the criteria in the KPDA By-Laws, and the team may be certified by successfully completing the trials under the direction of that judge.
PATROL DOG TEAM
This is a test to determine the canine’s ability to perform required tasks, as well as the handler’s ability to control and interpret the canine’s behavior.
1. A patrol dog team must successfully pass the obedience stage of certification to continue through the remaining portions of the patrol dog team testing.
2. During the patrol dog team testing, the canine may wear an electronic training collar. However, should an electronic training collar be worn the handler shall either prove to the judge(s) that the collar is deactivated and/or give the remote control to the judge(s).
3. No training aids will be used in the field to out or recall the dog.
4. Patrol dog team certifications will be on a “pass/fail” basis and no scoring methods will be utilized.
OBEDIENCE PHASE:
In order to continue to patrol dog team trials, each canine team must successfully pass the obedience phase trials. The canine teams will not be permitted to continue to patrol dog team trials if they do not pass this phase. During the obedience phase, the canine team must display off-lead obedience in the following phases:
a) Right turn in motion
b) Left turn in motion
c) About turn in motion
d) Down in motion
e) Recall to heel or recall and down
f) Gun Fire Drill
Note: Judge(s) will have the discretion to determine canine is under control of handler during exercise.
Gun Fire Drill:
a) The canine team shall demonstrate control during gunfire. This exercise will be conducted at a location away from any other testing sites so as not to interfere with other control work. The canine team shall move from a starting point to a pre-determined position of cover. The concealed helper shall fire one round. The canine shall not flee the area and must not fight the handler. The certifying official will inspect all guns and blank ammunition prior to use.
CRIMINAL APPREHENSION PHASE:
During the criminal apprehension phase, the handler must demonstrate control of the canine in the following field situations:
1.) Minimum Force Test (Recall / Bark and Hold / Down and Detain):
During this trial, a helper shall be concealed in a position ahead of the starting line. The handler will give verbal warnings and the helper will come out from behind cover and begin to flee. The handler will again give verbal warnings and then release the canine. Once the canine is released, the helper will stop moving and remain still. The canine shall be downed, recalled, or given a command to detain before the apprehension is made. A fixed visual marker shall be placed to ensure each trial is the same, and the handler knows when to direct their canine. The recall point should not be more than one-half (1/2) the distance to the decoy and commands should not be given before the canine gets to the visual marker line. Canine’s can have no contact with the decoy what so ever during this trial, to include hitting, scraping or brushing the decoy. Any contact will be considered a failure.
2.) Personal Protection – Guarding Suspect Test:
The canine team shall demonstrate control while guarding a suspect. Following an apprehension, the canine shall be commanded to sit, down, or stand and guard the helper who will offer no further resistance. The handler will approach and perform a pat down search of the helper. The handler will step back, call the canine to a heel position and escort the helper back to a predetermined area. (The commands shall be at the direction of the judge.)
3.) Courage Test:
The canine team shall perform a courage test. The handler shall send a canine to apprehend a fleeing helper. As the canine approaches the helper, he / she shall turn and threaten the canine. When the canine makes the apprehension, the helper shall strike the canine once. (The strike shall be done with an approved training device on a less sensitive part of the dog’s body.) The handler may verbally call the canine to a heel or down position, or physically remove the canine from the decoy. Once the dog has released, the handler has the option of giving verbal commands to move the suspect from the dog versus moving the dog from the suspect to make trial more realistic to what would be encountered in real utilizations. (The commands shall be at the direction of the judge.)
All of the field control exercises shall be performed off lead. The helper shall wear a full-body bite suit. The handler shall remain at a pre-determined spot, selected by the judge, unless otherwise noted in trial rules. The handler shall move from that spot only when directed to do so by the judge, or at the conclusion of the exercise.
CONTROL FROM VEHICLE PHASE (Optional if dog is not routinely on patrol – i.e. Prisons):
Handler must demonstrate control of the canine from the patrol vehicle. The team will make a simulated pedestrian check. The canine shall not engage the decoy until the handler is assaulted. As long as judge(s) determine canine is under control, the canine may exit the vehicle prior to the assault, but will not have any contact with the decoy until the assault occurs. The handler will call the canine from the fight to heel position. The helper will offer no more resistance. During the exercise, the handler shall not have any physical contact with the dog prior to the dog disengaging.
BUILDING SEARCH PHASE:
The canine team must locate a suspect concealed inside a structure. The judge will hide a helper inside the structure in a location unknown to the canine team. The helper shall sit approximately 20 minutes before the search begins. The canine team, and one or two search team members, shall move to the entrance and give a verbal warning. The suspect will fail to reply to the verbal warning and the canine shall be sent “off-lead” to search the interior. The canine must indicate to the handler that the suspect has been located. The handler will not be allowed to enter the area of the search until the dog has alerted, or at the discretion of the Judge. The handler shall advise the judge of the indication. If the judge confirms the indication, then the handler will have the option to 1) call the canine to heel, where it will be leashed, 2) approach and leash the canine, then bring it back to a safe area, or 3) the handler can take cover and then call the dog back to heel. The indication follow-up action will be one of the preceding unless otherwise dictated by written department policy. The policy must be provided to the KPDA Board Members for consideration before the trial begins.
The helper shall be in civil attire during the event. During area this phase, the decoys/ helpers will be hidden, concealed, or placed in areas tested in advance and proven to be safe from decoy exposure to an accidental bite. If, during certification, no such safe area can be found by the hosting agency(s), then it is the judge’s discretion to allow a bite sleeve to be in the vicinity of the decoy for safety. Upon completion of the search it shall be noted on the handler’s certification check off sheet that equipment was present/ utilized in the exercise. The judge may advise the handler to continue the search if he or she feels the canine has odor, but has not pinpointed the location of the suspect.
AREA SEARCH PHASE:
The canine team must locate a suspect that is concealed within an open, but confined area. The judge will hide a helper within the defined area in a location unknown to the canine team. The helper will sit approximately 20 minutes before the search begins. The canine team, and one or two search team members, shall move to the starting point and give a verbal warning. The suspect will fail to reply to the verbal warning and the canine shall be sent “off-lead” to search the area. The canine must find the suspect and give a clear indication to the handler. The handler will advise the judge of the indication. If the judge confirms the indication, the handler will have the option to: 1) call the canine to heel, where it will be leashed, 2) approach and leash the canine, then bring it back to a safe area, or 3) the handler can take cover then call the dog back to heel.
The helper shall be in civil attire during the event. During area this phase, the decoys/ helpers will be hidden, concealed, or placed in areas tested in advance and proven to be safe from decoy exposure to an accidental bite. If, during certification, no such safe area can be found by the hosting agency(s), then it is the judge’s discretion to allow a bite sleeve to be in the vicinity of the decoy for safety. Upon completion of the search it shall be noted on the handler’s certification check off sheet that equipment was present/ utilized in the exercise. The judge may advise the handler to continue the search if he or she feels the canine has odor, but has not pinpointed the location of the suspect.
Comments:
a) The judges’ are responsible to set up all tests to insure that each team gets a fair and equal opportunity.
b) Any unjustified false indication, as directed by the handler, shall be considered a failure.
c) Each team may retest on one exercise within the “PATROL DOG TEAM” section, as dictated by the rules of refire noted in the section entitled “IN GENERAL.”
d) Area searches may consist of open areas, car lots, etc. and be at the judges’ discretion.
e) All building searches will be similar when availability dictates.
f) All exercise time limits are at the judges’ discretion. If the judge views that a canine or canine team is not working during any particular certification exercise, then that individual exercise will be considered a failure.
g) No training aids will be used in the field to out or recall the dog.
h) During Patrol Dog Team trials, the canine is to have no contact with the decoy, unless noted in the trial description/rules. Judges may allow non-aggressive, incidental contact at their discretion if they determine the contact was not detrimental to the trial.
i) Order of control work may be at judges’ discretion however it will start with the Obedience Phase.
TRACKING / TRAILING
A helper shall lay a track, at the direction of the judge, unknown to the canine team. The handler will be given a starting point with no direction assistance. There will be no scent pads at the beginning of the track / trail. The handler has the option of starting at a scent article, however the judge must be notified of the handlers wish to have a scent article available prior to the exercise. Corners laid in the track shall not be ninety-degree turns. The track should be laid at a jogging speed by the helper in civil attire and the wind at his / her back. The judge may elect to have the helper hide at the end of the track in an area that is not easily accessible by the canine, such as in a tree or vehicle, or place a training reward (such as a kong) at the end of the track. The track should be approximately twenty minutes old at the time the team is allowed to begin. The judge shall be aware of the location of the track laid by the helper and will proceed with the canine team while conducting this exercise through the entire track / trail. The tracking time allowed for this exercise will be at the judges’ discretion. If the judge determines a team is not tracking / trailing the exercise will be considered a failure. Each team will be allowed one re-test in tracking / trailing in accordance with the refire rules in the section entitled “IN GENERAL.”
EVIDENCE SEARCH
One item (shell casing, glove, knife, etc.) will be placed into a grassy area. The item shall sit for at least fifteen (15) minutes before the search begins. The handler shall notify the judge, in advance, of how his/her canine will indicate to the item’s location. The canine must locate the item. The judge will determine the boundaries, time limit, and whether the canine has indicated to the items’ location. The judge(s) shall ensure the articles are properly and sufficiently scented to give every team a fair trial.
NARCOTICS DETECTION DOG TEAM
This is a test to determine the canine’s ability to locate and indicate to different narcotic odors, as well as the handler’s ability to interpret the canines’ behavior.
1. Narcotic Detection Dog tests will be given on the handler’s choice of narcotics. During this exercise, no psuedo drugs will be allowed. A total of eight (8) aides (two of each odor – Marijuana, Cocaine, Methamphetamines, and Heroin) will be placed, unless the canine is not trained on Heroin, in which case a total of six (6) aides will be placed. The canine team must correctly locate and indicate to 6 of the 8 hides, or 4 of the 6 hides, in order to successfully pass this trial.
2. All teams shall test in at least three different environments (structure, vehicle, and parcels or luggage.) If only two odors are being used, then marijuana can only be used once. All aides will be divided throughout the environment at the judge(s) discretion and based on availability of environments.
3. All of the narcotic aids shall be no less than ten (10) grams and no larger than fifty (50) grams in weight. The aids will be concealed from view in a location unknown to the handler. The aids must sit for approximately thirty-minutes (30) prior to the start of the search.
4. During the search, only the handler, judge(s), and official helpers are allowed in the search area. This will be strictly enforced.
5. There will be at least one judge in each area.
6. No one shall discuss any details of their search until all teams have had the opportunity to complete their searches.
7. The canine must clearly indicate to each find without a false indication. The handler must confirm the indication to the judge by either lifting his/her arm or by verbal communication.
8. If the indication is correct, the judge shall confirm it as such. The judge will have the discretion to remove an area of the search due to false indications. If an area is consistently false alerted, the searches must stop and the judges will meet with the Board of Directors.
9. Certifications will be on a “pass/fail” basis and no scoring methods will be utilized.
ENVIRONMENTS:
1. Structure:
a) There shall be only one narcotic odor per room.
b) The narcotic aid may be placed anywhere within the search area as long as the canine has odor available and no access to the aid.
c) At least one (1) blank / clean room shall be used.
d) The time allowed for each search will be at the judge(s) discretion.
e) No scented rewards/toys/articles will be allowed in the search areas. Any reward article being introduced into the search area will be inspected by the judge(s) to ensure there is no drug odor on the article before the trial.
2. Vehicle:
a) Shall consist of at least three separate vehicles.
b) No more than one aid per vehicle and no more than two aids per five vehicles.
c) The narcotic aid may be placed anywhere within the search area as long as the canine has odor available and no access to the aid.
3. Parcels:
a) Shall initially consist of no more than one aide per five (5) parcels. For each additional hide, a minimum of two (2) parcels shall be added, i.e. for 2 hides, 7 parcels are required (luggage, briefcase, packages, etc.)
b) A Parcel shall be removed from the search area if it becomes damaged or a narcotic aid is removed after completion of a test.
Comments:
a) The judges are responsible to set up all tests to insure that each team gets a fair and equal opportunity.
b) Any unjustified false indication shall be considered a failure.
c) Each team may retest on one narcotic odor and must retest in the environment failed, as directed by the rules of refire under the section entitled “IN GENERAL.”
d) Judges shall have discretion on using a new search area with the approval of the Board of Directors.
CADAVER DETECTION DOG TEAM
This is a test to determine the canine’s ability to identify and locate the odor of a cadaver as well as the handler’s ability to interpret the canine’s behavior.
1. There will be a minimum of two (2) tests given
2. Legal procurement of the testing aids will be the sole responsibility of the agency requesting certification. The testing aids will be delivered to the judge in a container that is safe to handle.
3. All teams shall test in at least two (2) different environments to be selected from the following: Structure (with debris), Vehicle, Field (with brush), Under Water, Buried or Elevated.
4. The size of the testing aid shall be at the discretion of the judge(s). A minimum of two testing aids are required. All testing aids shall contain both bone and soft tissue.
5. During the search, only the handler, judge(s), and the official helpers are allowed in the search area.
6. There will be at least one judge in each search area.
7. The canine must clearly indicate each find without false indication. The handler must confirm the indication to the judge by either lifting his / her arm or by verbal communication.
8. If the indication is correct, the judge shall confirm it as such. If the indication is false, the team may retest once in the same environment failed.
