The Full Story
K9 GUILD
Guild is defined as a group of artisans who oversee the practice of their craft, are for mutual aid and support the pursuit of a common goal. The founders of the K9 Guild, have a combined 70+ years of experience, serving in roles that have spearheaded some of the most intuitive developments within the working dog industry. These roles have guided some of the industry's most innovative advancements in canine scenting abilities, training protocols, standard development, and institutional growth of programs supporting the Department of Defense, Federal Government, Law Enforcement and the Public and Private Security Sectors. The K9 Guild aims to provide recognized subject matter experts in respective fields to provide individualized full spectrum K9 program support. We are proactive, innovative, and unwavering in our commitment to excellence. We have an intrinsic need and are driven by a deep-seated passion to protect our profession and preserve the craft.
We place canines, their handlers and our clients above all else. The safety of the American people depends on it.
Services
We provide continuing education for K9 programs that involves ongoing professional development to keep handlers and trainers updated with industry advancements. Our certification program validates the proficiency and competence of working dog teams, while reviews and audits assess the effectiveness and adherence of K9 programs to established standards. Together, these services ensure continuous improvement, accountability, and optimal performance in K9 programs.
Interested in Vapor Wake? We are hold a Vapor Wake license through Auburn University and we are licensed to train, certify and instruct all Vapor Wake courses. If interested in Vapor Wake, give John Pearce a call at (256) 310-0705, or email at jpearce@thek9guild.com
Continuing Education
What courses will your canine and handler (team) attend together after your canine team has finished initial training and certification? Continuing education for your team will further challenge their performance and better prepare them for an ever-changing threat. The K9 Guild takes a multi-prong approach to Continuing Education. Our first focus is the handler, updating the handler’s knowledge and skills. Providing the handler critical information on recent threats and lessons learned and updating the handler on handling training aid materials safely. The handler will also be updated on new training methods and techniques to optimize their canine’s performance. We will then focus on the canine, training with the canine to troubleshoot any performance issues and improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency. Finally, we will focus on the team, by conducting real world scenarios and replicating the real-world environment. We can develop this course around your organization’s mission to better meet your needs. We can also conduct this course off or on-site, depending on the customer’s desire.
Certification
Certification of traditional detection canine teams & Vapor Wake® teams plays a vital role in ensuring their proficiency and reliability in various fields. ANSI/ASB Standard 088, recognized as a benchmark in the industry, provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating and certifying explosives and firearms detection canines. This standard establishes rigorous criteria for assessing canine team’s skills, performance, and behavior, aligning with the highest professional standards. Adhering to ANSI/ASB Standard 088, certification programs validate the competence of working dogs, instilling confidence in their handlers, clients, and the general public. It serves as a reliable measure of excellence, promoting accountability and consistency in the training and utilization of working dogs across different disciplines. Our Vapor Wake® evaluation guidelines incorporate both the ANSI/ASB Standard along with the highest standard in body-worn detection, our licensed Vapor Wake® evaluation guidelines.
Evaluation- Audits of K9 Program
Investing a lot of money in canine services and programs? We will provide you with an independent SME to audit your current canine services, training programs and operational policies. The audit will provide you an in-depth analysis of deficiencies with recommended best practices and regulatory guidance. This could include “Red Team” operations to ensure teams are fully engaged and operating according to SOPs and policy. Lessons learned will be confidential and discussed only with our client.
Organizations can identify areas for enhancement of services, address weaknesses, and optimize the overall functioning of the canine services and programs received or provide. Assessments maintain high standards, promote accountability, and ensure canine teams are equipped to perform at their best, ultimately contributing to the safety and success of their missions.
Assessments / Evaluations
​
The K9 Guild offers various Assessments and Evaluation programs to keep your K9 team(s) consistently performing reliably all the time. Our evaluators are recognized Subject Matter Experts in their canine training discipline and understand the intent behind the evaluation process. Our assessments and evaluations are IAW ANSI/ASB Standard 088, First Edition 2020, General Guidelines for Training, Certification, and Documentation of Canine Detection Disciplines and ANSI/ASB Standard 092, First Edition 2021, Standard for Training and Certification of Canine Detection of Explosives.
-
Operational Program Assessments. The K9 Guild’s SMEs will review your operational requirements based on your operating instructions and policy, conduct a site survey / operational task analysis’, and make sound recommendations to your operations. We can assist you in developing operational and training plan that compliments your mission and ensures stronger effectiveness and efficiency.
-
Training Proficiency Assessments. The K9 Guild SMEs will conduct a quick but full training proficiency assessment on your K9 team(s) and provide you and/or your K9 training staff with a complete in-depth overview of your K9 team’s deficiencies, strengths and weaknesses with sound and proven training recommendations. We will follow-up with you and/or your K9 training staff to ensure your canine teams improve.
-
Evaluation for Certification / Recertification. The K9 Guild has accomplished Evaluators that have experience proctoring various evaluation guidelines for government agencies and private security. We’ve certified numerous standard explosives & firearms detection canine teams and canine teams certified in body worn or PBIED. We’ve certified canine teams throughout the nation for Mass-Transit, Shopping Malls, Schools, Special Events and general Security/Law Enforcement Operations. The K9 Guild has a standard Explosives Detection Canine Team Certification Guideline and a PBIED/Body Worn Certification Guideline for Explosives and Firearms. Both guidelines exceed ANSI/ASBs Standard 088, First Edition 2020, General Guidelines for Training, Certification, and Standard 092, First Edition 2021, Standard for Training and Certification of Canine Detection of Explosives. However, we can develop an evaluation guideline that compliments your mission and operational environment. We can tailor the guideline to meet and/or exceed the ANSI/ASBs and give you the greatest picture of your team’s reliability. Our process will provide your agency with a detailed report on individual K9 team’s performance. We identify deficiencies, strength & weaknesses in a detailed report providing observations and recommendations to improve the overall team performance. We will also provide an individual certification letter for each individual canine team being tested.