Vohne Liche Kennels

(Explosive and Narcotic Detection Dog Specialist)

Capabilities - Narcotic Certification Standards

The following standards will be met to acquire the Vohne Liche Kennels certification. The following guidelines are recommended, approved and set forth by SWGDOG.

Narcotics Used For Certification:

 

  1. The narcotic detector canine shall be tested on the substance odors for which it is trained.

  2. The handler must advise the evaluator, prior to starting the test, of which odors the dog is trained on. The team will not be tested on odors that have not been previously imprinted.

  3. The test shall include the 4 basic odors marijuana/Hashish, cocaine, heroin/opiate and methamphetamine. Additional odors such as crack, hash and ecstasy can be used but not in place of the basic odors.

  4. Certification testing shall be conducted with no less than 5 grams of the actual substance to be detected.

  5. All odors for which the dog will be certified must be tested.

  6. The testing odors shall be packaged in a manner safe for the canine throughout the certification.

  7. The testing odors shall be maintained in a manner to avoid loss or destruction.

  8. Testing odors shall be stored in a manner that prevents odor contamination or physical contamination, i.e. the materials shall be stored in separate labeled containers.

  9. Testing odors shall be obtained from a reliable and documented souce such as the DEA lab.

  10. Required security procedures pertaining to the testing odors shall be followed according to local, state and federal laws.

  11. Required substance registrations shall be current and accurate records maintained.

  12. Testing odors shall be replaced every 1-3 years, sooner if contaminated or compromised.

  13. Disposal/destruction of the testing aids shall follow local, state and federal guidelines.

 

Parameters of test:

 

  1. The test shall include a variety of searches designed to evaluate the canine’s ability to recognize the odor, respond to the odor and the handler’s ability to recognize this response.

  2. The test shall be designed to resemble normal operational searches by using vehicles, buildings, parcels, luggage etc. to conceal substances.

  3. The test shall include scenarios resembling searches within the normal operational environment and include at least 3 different searches (see categories below) designed to evaluate the canine’s ability to recognize the odor, respond to the odor and the handler’s ability to recognize this response. Not all odors will necessarily be in each type of search and some search areas shall contain no odors (blanks).

  4. Types of searches and susuggested maximum search times are listed below.

    1. Parcel searches with 2-6 articles per odor should take 1 minute to search 2-6 parcels.
    2. Baggage searches with 2-6 articles per odor should take 1 minute to search 2-6 bags.
    3. Person/crowd searches: as permitted by state and federal law, with 2 persons per odor should take 1 minute per person.
    4. Building/room searches (the room may contain zero to three aids depending upon the size and environmental conditions). Rooms that are minimum 200 – maximum 1200 sq. ft. with furniture should take 1.5 minutes per minimum 200 – maximum 1200 sq. ft.
    5. Motor vehicle searches including interiors and exteriors (3-6 vehicles per search using passenger cars and trucks, 3 minutes per vehicle).
    6. Open area/perimeter searches of minimum 1,000 – maximum 10,000 sq. ft. per search, should take 1-3 minutes per minimum – maximum 10,000 sq. ft.

  5. The dog/handler team must demonstrate the ability to detect all trained odors.

  6. For successful certification, the canine/handler team shall achieve at least a 90% confirmed alert rate for certification and a false alert rate not to exceed 10%.

  7. Excessive handler errors, as defined by the certifying authority, shall result in failure of the team.

  8. Disqualification due to time should be left to the discretion of the certifying authority. The test should end if the certifying authority determines that the dog/handler team is no longer working (e.g. observable behaviors to be added in final annotated version).

Search Areas:

 

  1. Natural distracters are normally present in the testing area.

  2. Placement of distracters in the certification area is required when no natural distracters are present.

  3. Care must be taken not to place artificial distractions in a manner that causes contamination of the test odor.

  4. Proofing/Verification of certification area should be conducted prior to the actual certification using a certified canine team who is not participating in the certification. This practice is designed to show that the trained odor is present in the target locations and nowhere else, including the blank areas.

  5. Certification should not be conducted in areas in which narcotics detection canine teams have recently trained or certified.

Assessments:

 

Certification for narcotic detection dogs should be comprised of a comprehensive assessment, which includes elements of odor recognition.

    1. Odor recognition assessment.

      1. The handler shall be advised of the parameters of the search.
      2. The handler shall know the number of target objects, but not the placement.
      3. The evaluating official shall know the desired outcome of the search.

    2. Comprehensive assessment.

      1. The handler shall be advised of the parameters of the search, yet shall not know the desired outcome.
      2. The handler shall not know the number or placement of the target objects.
      3. The evaluating official shall know the desired outcome of the search.
      4. The assessments shall include a blank search.

    3. Double-blind assessment.

      1. No participant or observer present at the assessment location(s) shall be aware of the parameters of the search.

CERTIFICATION:

 

The canine team shall be evaluated by an approved K-9 team evaluator prior to general law enforcement deployment and at least once annually. If the canine team fails the testing, they may re-test after a 24 hour period.

    1. The K9 team evaluator should have a minimum of 4 years’ experience as a law enforcement K-9 handler or a certified law enforcement/military K-9 trainer; and,

    2. Their certification must be under the authority of a Police Training Counsel/Academy or Post.

    3. In order to avoid any perceived conflict of interest between the evaluator and the K-9 team, the evaluator cannot certify the team the first time if they:

    1. Were the primary instructor for the handler or the team.
    2. Were the primary trainer of the dog.
    3. Are the dog’s handler.

Certifications are good for a period of 1 year from the date of testing.

Certification Forms and copies of the Certificate are property of VLK and shall be kept on file by VLK.