Von Lewis Working K-9

A consultation includes a review of your dog's history, both with you and prior, as well as any relevant medical background. The professional will observe your dog’s behavior, discuss your training goals, and identify potential triggers for current behaviors. You’ll receive tailored recommendations for at-home management, learn training techniques, and review safety strategies. Consultations typically last 90 minutes to 2 hours and can be held in your home (depending on distance, travel fee would apply for travel radius greater than 50 miles from our location) or meet an agreed upon area.

 Agility training engages dogs in navigating a variety of obstacles, including the A-frame, double stairway dog walk, pause table, and raised platforms, while responding to verbal and non-verbal cues, hand signals, and both on- and off-leash commands. This training enhances their balance, flexibility, and control, providing valuable mental exercise that builds confidence and lowers anxiety levels. By working as a team, agility training strengthens the bond between handler and K-9, fostering mutual trust and cooperation. 

 Detection training teaches a dog to recognize and alert to specific odors, such as drugs, explosives, or firearms. The process begins by introducing the target scent, followed by hiding it for the dog to find. Each successful find is rewarded with a treat or toy, reinforcing the association between the scent and reward. As training progresses, the scent is hidden in more challenging locations to improve the dog’s detection skills. Using positive reinforcement, this months-long training builds a reliable detection dog that alerts to the odor by sitting or lying down.

 Patrol training prepares K-9 teams to work effectively together through exercises in agility, obedience, and tactical deployment. Training includes search, tracking, and scouting drills, as well as bite and protection work, suspect apprehension scenarios, and handling gunfire exposure. Dogs are trained in building searches, evidence recovery, scent discrimination, and variable surface trailing, ensuring they’re well-prepared for diverse real-world situations. This comprehensive training enhances both the dog’s skills and the handler’s ability to guide them in patrol tasks.