Vom Kaiserhofe Police Dog Training

By Tom Brenneman

In Vom Kaiserhofe Police Dog Training, Tom Brenneman, police K-9 supervisor, handler, trainer, and judge with over thirty-seven years of law enforcement experience, gives you the information on how to train your police dog through natural instinctual drive using positive rewards and never any force training. He shares proven techniques and information every police dog handler and trainer need to know to be successful on the street.

You’ll learn:

About the different drives of dogs and how understanding the complexities of drives can be the most important aspect of K-9 behavior which can help you in selection testing and training of your police service dog.

Maintenance training, recommended equipment, including the proper use of the remote training collar.

Training the detection dog, handler skills and how to teach the police K-9 self-discovery.

Case law for detection dogs and how it can help you on the street and in court.

Training the police tracking dog and applicable case law.

Police service dog training, bite development, and how to identify problems and make proper corrections.

Patrol and detection dog certification and how to selection test your next police service dog.

Obedience training for the police service dog.

Building search, area search, and using the police K-9 for high-risk situations.

Your police service dog and the law including the police dog as a use of force and how inadequate and inconsistent training can get you into trouble.

This book is essential reading for all instructors, handlers, and decoys. It will improve the effectiveness of all K-9 personnel. Mr. Brenneman believes that effective, long-lasting results can only be achieved with time, patience, and positive reinforcement.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685265434

Book preview

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Vom Kaiserhofe Police Dog Training

Tom Brenneman

ISBN 978-1-68526-542-7 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-68526-543-4 (Digital)

Copyright © 2022 Tom Brenneman

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

This book is dedicated to K-9 Author.

After seizing many illegal narcotics, K-9 Author was killed by a drug cartel member.

Through investigation, we found out the person who was hauling the illegal narcotics was a hired person in the cartel, and they had put a $5,000 paid hit out on K-9 Author.

They did surveillance on my house and my kennel. The large number of illegal narcotics that my dog found were put into the newspaper. That is how they were able to identify K-9 Author at the kennel—through the newspaper picture.

They were able to drug K-9 Author until he was disabled. They then cut the lock on the kennel and picked K-9 Author up and carried him through the privacy fence and placed him onto the hood of my patrol car. They then cut his throat with a knife, and K-9 Author bled out on the top of my hood. I came home at 7:00 p.m. that evening and found him.

This book was written to help K-9 officers become better educated and more informed on working their police service dog on the street.

I first started working a police service dog on the street in 1980 and did so until 2012. I owned and operated Vom Kaiserhofe Training Center from 1981 until 2019.

Vom Kaiserhofe Training Center

trained over one thousand police service dogs for law enforcement and private-security companies

provided eighty-eight police dog seminars in the United States, Canada, South America, and the Caribbean

also provided training for the general public in obedience, family personal protection dogs, and behavior problems

also provided expert testimony for dog cases across the United States

Chapter 1

Drives of Working Dogs

Tips for Maintenance Training for Your Patrol/Drug Detection K-9

Proper Use of the Remote Training Collar

Different Languages of Commands

Drives of Working Dogs

Drives in general

Drives are genetically influenced, so they are dictated by the gene pool of the breeding specimen. Subsequently, if specimens with high and incidence of a desired drive are bred, the likelihood of offspring with that drive is increased. Drives are subconscious impulses to exhibit a particular response to stimuli. There are numerous drives; each can exist in a variety of intensities.

Character traits

Character traits are mental qualities which are not drive related. Some character traits are genetic, and others are environmental. Character traits are clearly exhibited as drives and have just as much influence on the overall performance of the dog.

Definitions and examples of the instincts, drives, and character traits:

Self-preservation instinct is the genetically based blueprint for behaviors which deal with the past, present, and future life of the individual dog. An example is a dog that will find food for itself if the handler does not provide adequate amounts of food. Another example is a dog that has a high level of fear.

Species-preservation instinct is the genetically based blueprint for behaviors which deal with the past, present, and future life of the dogs’ species. An example is a dog with high level of retrieve drive. This dog subconsciously is bringing prey back to its pack leader, the handler, before consuming any itself.

Hunting drive

Hunting drive is the subconscious impulse to hunt using the senses of smell, sight, hearing, or taste.

Hunting behavior is synonymous with searching behavior exhibited by a dog.

An example is a dog that seems to be a natural and tireless searcher. The dog seems to search well from the first day and probably received an excellent evaluation on the hunting drive phase of the dog’s selection test.

Hunting drive is extremely desirable for a police service dog.

Prey drive

Prey drive is the subconscious impulse to grasp prey and vanquish it or kill the prey.

Prey drive is often observed in a dog that becomes fixated on a training aid and holds onto it tenaciously. The higher the prey drive, the more exaggerated the behavior. Some dogs may even be lifted off the ground and swung in circles while hanging onto a training aid. This would be an example of a near 100 percent prey drive.

Prey drive is extremely desirable for a police service dog or detection dog.

Retrieve drive

Retrieve drive is the subconscious impulse to bring prey to the pack leader. This drive is exhibited when a dog returns the training aid to the handler time after time.

The dog may even drop the aid at the handler’s feet. Frequently, the dog may behave as if it wants the object thrown again and again.

Retrieve drive is extremely desirable for a police service dog or detection dog.

Air scent drive

Air scent drive is a subconscious impulse to hunt by sniffing windborne odors. This drive prompts the dog to check air currents for odors as opposed to sniffing the ground.

An example is a dog that frequently keeps his head high and may even stand on its hind legs to check the air for scent.

Air scent drive is extremely desirable for a police service dog or detection dog.

Tracking and trailing drive

Tracking and trailing drive is the subconscious impulse to hunt by smelling ground disturbances, odors called scruffs. Trailing is a subconscious impulse to hunt by smelling the ground and airborne scents for what is called rafts. Tracking dogs will hunt with their nose close to the ground following ground disturbances. Trailing dogs will hunt with their nose in the air sniffing for airborne scents.

Tracking and trailing drive is usually not needed for a detection dog but is needed for a patrol dog.

Rank drive

Rank drive is the subconscious impulse to raise status within the pack social order. A dog with a high level of rank drive will be driven to challenge the authority of the handler. This may be seen as growling, snapping, or biting during a correction. It may also be seen when the handler teases the dog excessively with a training aid. Still another manifestation may be observed when encountering a strange dog. The rank drive dog will attempt to dominate the newcomer, often resulting in a dogfight.

Rank drive is not desirable in a police service dog or detection dog.

Subordinate drive

Subordinate drive is a subconscious impulse to accept the rank and will of the pack leader. A dog with high subordinate drive accepts its position below the handler and, in extreme cases, frequently acts handler sensitive. This drive prompts the dog to readily accept tasks required by the handler.

A moderate level of subordinate drive is extremely desirable for a detection dog.

Trainability drive

Trainability drive is the subconscious impulse to perform the will of the pack leader. This drive is observed in the dog that performs a task after only several repetitions. An example is a dog that begins indicating after only five indications and training sessions.

Trainability drive is extremely desirable for a police service dog or detection dog.

Pack drive

Pack drive is the subconscious impulse for social contact with pack members. This drive is observed in the dog that seeks out the company of its handler, another person, or another dog and never wants to be alone.

An example is a dog that frequently looks at its handler during Hundeauslaufen. This is a break time for the dog wherein they are allowed to play together as a group. Most frequently the dogs are muzzled during this activity.

Pack drive is extremely desirable for a police service dog or detection dog.

Play drive

Play drive is the subconscious impulse to have the physical contact with the handler, another person, or even another dog. This drive is most frequently seen in young dogs and is sometimes overwhelmed by other drives when the dog matures. A high-drive play drive dog may act just like a puppy when it is out for Hundeauslaufen. Sometimes this behavior may be misinterpreted as aggression by dogs with low prey drive.

Play drive is extremely desirable for a police service dog or detection dog.

Activity drive

Activity drive is a subconscious impulse to be consistently physically active. It is not hyperactive but rather only active. Although activity drive is mental, its manifestation is physical.

Activity drive enhances all other drives due to its characteristics. An example is a dog seems to get bored when at home. It may run around constantly, dig up flowers, or just be a nuisance when left alone.

A moderate level of activity drive is extremely desirable for a police service dog or detection dog.

Fight drive

Fight drive is the subconscious impulse to measure physical prowess with an opponent. There is no vicious or vindictive attitude associated with it. It is similar to the human soldier’s lust for combat or human boxers’ drive to test his skills against another.

Fight drive is not desirable for a detection dog. Fight drive is extremely desirable for a patrol dog.

Guard drive

Guard drive is a subconscious impulse to defend territory by barking, growling, or biting. Since this drive is territorial in nature, it is observed only under particular conditions. It can be witnessed in the dog’s kennel or surrounding property. It may also be seen in a vehicle or even on its own body space.

Guard drive is not desirable in a police service dog or detection dog.

Protection drive

Protection drive is a subconscious impulse to defend the pack leader or member. This drive is observed when either real or imagined danger is perceived. A subtle manifestation is seen when a dog moves between the handler and a stranger and then remains alert. An extreme example is a dog that engages a threatening person although it never had any protection training.

Protection drive is not desirable for a detection dog. Protection drive is extremely desirable for a patrol dog.

Defense drive

Defense drive is a subconscious impulse for the dog to defend itself from real or imagined danger. This drive is sometimes referred to as survival drive. It is exhibited as fight-or-flight behavior. Frequently when a dog is engaged in defense drive, its hackles will be high and his tail will be placed between its legs. An example is a fear biter dog.

Defense drive is not desirable for a detection dog.

Hardness drive

Hardness drive is a character trait which is both psychologically and physiologically based. It is simple, a mental and/or physical resiliency to unpleasant experiences. Hardness is best understood when likened to a pain threshold. A high degree of hardness dictates that the dog can receive a tremendous amount of pain, stress without lasting negative effects. It also means the dog needs stronger corrections when disobedient. Physiologically hardness is a direct relation to the thickness of the sheathing around the nerve fibers in the dog’s body. The thicker the sheathing, the harder the dog. Of interest is the fact the dog can be hard toward strangers or objects yet not so toward his handler.

Softness drive

Softness drive is a character trait which is both psychologically and physiologically based. It is a mental and/or physical sensitivity to unpleasant experiences. Softness is the natural state of the wild dogs. Nature has dictated softness as a survival trait, and it is very effective. The soft dog feels pain and stress more intensely than the average dog.

Softness is an undesirable trait in a police service dog or detection dog.

Courage drive

Courage drive is a character trait which is psychologically yet wholly based on genetics. Courage is simply the absence of fear toward real or imagined danger. Courage is a result of the domestication since selective breeding practices have removed the natural fear of man. An example of courage is a dog that walks onto an expanded metal platform for the very first time it is introduced. Courage is extremely desirable in a detection dog or patrol dog.

Confidence drive

Confidence drive is a character trait which is psychologically yet is environmentally influenced. Confidence is the propensity to be brainwashed. A dog may go onto the expanded metal platform after the second time of coaxing and assurance of safe conditions. The dog that lacks the courage must rely on confidence, requires much more training time. It is critical to understand that competence training is effective only until the dog reaches its crisis point. This is the level of pain and stress at which the dog will revert to its true character. If it is underlying fearful, it will revert to fear. If it is underlying aggressive, it will revert to aggression as its response to the stimuli. Each dog has a different level of crisis point.

Fear drive

Fear drive is a character trait that is psychological but genetically based. It is the recognition of the real or imagined danger. Fear is a natural protective measure to prevent the extermination of the individual and the species. Without fear, a dog would engage in fatal behaviors with and without any care. An example is a dog that will not crawl into a dark aircraft cargo bay and acts unusually shy of the situation.

Fear drive is undesirable for detection and patrol dogs.

Moodiness drive

Moodiness drive is a character trait which is psychological but genetically based. Simply, it is the propensity for the inconsistent behavior. An example is a dog that performs on and off from day to day. One day the work is excellent, and the next it is terrible. When these conditions exist, it is not easily recognizable unless it is an extreme case. Moodiness is a genetic disorder. The factors which triggered moody behavior may be genetic or environmental.

Sharpness drive

Sharpness drive is a character trait which is psychological but genetically based. It is a tendency to react to stimuli with aggressive behavior. An example is a dog that is startled by its handler’s approach and bites him without warning. This same dog would then recognize its air and become its normal self. This is an extreme example, however. Sharpness is based in fear and influence by defense drive. Sharpness is undesirable for detection dogs or patrol dogs.

Aggression drive

Aggression drive is a character trait that is psychological but genetically based. Aggression is the propensity for unwarranted vicious behavior. Aggression is observed most frequently as wide-eyed, wild, and frightening behavior. An example is a dog that notices then with no provocation attacks