Gary's K-9 (photo) -Ask your K-9 / dog training questions.

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:28 pm

Besides being Detective Forums Global Moderator and Senior Investigator Gary is professional dog handler and authority on canine behavior. This collage is of Gary’s personal K-9. If you have any dog training or K-9 questions feel free to direct them to Gary.

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 3:00 pm

If any member wishes to post an image of their pet(s), feel free to post in General Discussion.

Thanks
watchman

Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 5:39 am

Hey Gary,
Just got started working on a pilot K-9 Program for CA DOC. Just picked up two dogs which I am starting to train in cell phone detection. I have been the departmental trainer since 1987 and retired in 2006. They brought me back as a Retired Annuitant to do the pilot. I was very leary at first as I did not see that their was a difference from a cell phone and any other piece of electronic equipment. However after doing research and talking with Arizona, Maryland, and Florida DOC"s who all have working contraband dogs it seems it is feasible. Have 2 very high drive Mal's which should make it work. If you have any information or experience in this type of detection work please advise. As it stands now I am usisng the tried and true method I generally use with my drug detection dogs, just changing up the odor.
Thanks,
Wayne

Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 8:23 pm

Roadman

Interesting question for Gary.
In addition to your new job, are you still conducting backgrounds and or other investigations?
Being we’re on the topic of dogs let me add this tip for non professional investigators. On few occasions I have used “walking a dog" as a reason to be in a residential or commercial area. It enabled me to gather info and record notes without getting burned. Using a sociable nondescript dog; dressing appropriately and acting ordinary always worked for me.

Is it raining in your part of Ca.?

watchman

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 5:32 am

Roadman
sorry that i have not got back to you
sooner then this i have not done that sort of training but i have spoke to a mate from custom e he says that they use a a old cell phones the way that you train for drugs also the cell if in use is on a low frequencies
so they use scanners to monitor the the lower bands from 30.0000 MHZ up he also so said that some dogs will react to the hope this is of help do you know some in your custom dept they may be of help

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 6:13 am

Watchman,
Yep, still doing backgrounds. Most of my work right now is with ICE and CBP. Most of the local PD's are not doing very much hiring due to the budget here in CA. I have a few people I can trust and heve been using them to do some of my local stuff outside of ICE/CBP. When i initially got the call from CDC headquarters asking if I would do this work was kinda slow so I told them I would look into the feasibility of using the dogs to find cell phones. Problem is they brought me back at my sergeants rate and I am making so much friggin money at this it is hard to turn down !!

Gary,
As far as the training goes... I had to first figure out what made a cell phone "Unique". I was able to detrmine there are 4 destintive odors to a cell phone that other electronic equipment does not have. I am using the "Transfer of Odor" method to teach the dog the odor. I have a large glass jar which i layer cut up cotton towels and broken up cell phones. I seal the jar and allow the oder to get into the cloth then roll up the towels and tie them with cotton string. I use these throw toys for the dog, changing out the towes frequently so the dog is not just hitting on his own scent. Once I am sure the dog has it I start hiding the toy somewhere that the dog can scratch it out like boxes etc... From there is just a matter of progressively making the finds harder and more realistic and hiding the cell phones rather then his toy. When I am serching with the dog I generally have someone with me and when the dog alerts I have them throw his toy at his nose. The theory...... I search, I pin point odor and SOB if my toy don't pop out of the wall !!! I do not like using the ball as I have had problems with dogs alerting on balls. I got my training back in the 80's from a German Trainer named Carl Fabritz, who was a German policman/dog handler and trainer. This method has worked well for me so I have stuck with it over the years.

Roadman

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:59 am

Roadman
thanks for the update i have not done training on cell
phone but your method may be old but if it works use it i manly train GP k9 drug and Sp that is firearm and anti Terr if you no what i mean do use use the KATS software for you k9 units if so what do you make of it we are just using it for the first time

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:52 pm

Roadman

Interesting subject, keep us updated if you will.

Will dogs be used to detect cell phones hidden on visors as well as inmates? Which prisons have you worked in?

Thanks for the update.

watchman

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:56 pm

Watchman,
This is the first I have heard of the "Kats" software. What is is????? i have worked CMF (CA Medical Facility) and CA State Prison Solano, both in Vacaville. However when I was running the K-9 units we were a statewide unit and have been in all 33 joints at one time or another. This cell phone thing is a real big problem. Gangs are using the phones to run their illegal drug business and call hits out in the streets. Eack prison has a recording system taht records all outgoing inmate phones and that has been a valuable source of information in the past. Problem is the cell phones circumvents this. Last year alone they discivered 812 cell phones jsut at CSP-Solano. Problem is the legislature refuses to criminalize bringing in the cell phones. I will be using the dogs at all entry points as well as in the housing units. Do not know at this point if we will use the dogs on visitors. This is California and the courts are so friggin liberal it is hard to get anything done.

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 5:12 pm

Roadman
Kat's is software for keeping training info on your k9 and the handlers info info for vets etc i know that it is in use by law enforcement but did not know if inf use by doc
I find your post very interesting

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:09 am

Gary,
I am going to look into the KAT's Software. Anything that makes life easier is worth it !!

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:56 am

Gary,
I downloaded the 30 day trial version of KATS40. At first it looked as though this would be neet. However I started loading in the information on K-9 Teams and it would not let me input/select a team on a given training session. I tried to go tot he next step however it will not allow you to go forward until you input a team. looks to me like this software has problems.

Wayne

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 3:44 am

Watchman,
Thanks for the news article. Actually this guy Lambert actually is responsible for getting me into this program. last October he came up to CSP-Solano toput on a demo. Headquarters got ahold of me and asked me to observe and report on my findings. I hid three cell phones in an open area (Lunchroom) and three phones in a cell. The dog did not locate any of the phones. The cell should have been easy and we left the phones in the cell fro over three hours before we had him search. Anyway, I could not make an evaluation on that one demo. Lambert could not tell me why the phones were "Unique". I told headquarters that I would look into it and if I thought it was something that had a reasonable expectation of success I would do it for them. Anyway, I was able to find that there are 4 destint odors to a cell phone. Arizona DOC was a big help as they have done all of the legwork and were good enough to sahre their inforamtion with me. Anyway, CDC brought me back into my old Sergeants Position and here I am doing the training. I am training the dogs for both tobacco and cell phones. So far the new dog I got 10 days ago is kicking butt. He is already alerting to tobacco and will soon introduce cell phone odor to him. Now it is just a matter of doing tons of realistic searches to get him up to speed.

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 5:30 am

Roadman
sorry about that as i have said we are just starting to use the software i will check with the tec department i will get back to you

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 10:57 am

roadman
this is the link for the KATS4
http://www.kats.ca/download.html
if that is the same make sure that when you go to sign in do not put your personal details but leave as it is other wise the software will not work if you still have problems let me know