07/13/2026
Always growing and learning.
I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the Indiana Search and Response Team for an incredible 32-hour, three-day workshop. Throughout the weekend, we placed a heavy emphasis on K9 Trailing and Human Remains Detection, while also getting in some Area Search runs.
Over the course of the seminar, teams worked through a variety of operationally focused scenarios while continuing to build and refine their individual skills. I am incredibly proud of every K9 team for stepping outside of their comfort zones and embracing challenging problems that pushed them to grow.
The goal of every workshop I teach is not simply to create successful searches, but to help handlers develop a deeper understanding in reading their dog, interpret the environments, and critically think during a deployment. We strive to bridge the gap between training and real-world operations by designing scenarios that mirror operational searches.
Everyone enjoys a successful find—and they should. Those moments are rewarding. The greatest lessons often develop from difficult problems and even unsuccessful runs. Every search, regardless of the outcome, provides valuable experience, strengthens the team, and makes us better prepared for the day someone is counting on a deployable K9 resource.
Thank you again to everyone who dedicated their weekend to learning, growing, and of course their wonderful hospitality!
