Episodes

with Eric @vanessk9 & Ted @Ted_summers ⁣ You guys are always asking for Ted and Eric to answer your questions, to bust myths, to hear infamous rants, and we are happy to oblige!In this episode, your favorite hosts debunk several K9 myths that have been...

⁣Your Working Dog Radio Hosts sit down with Brad Griggs, owner of Canine Services International in Melbourne, Australia, and host of The STIM Podcast! This episode kicks off the first episode of our Australian specials! Brad has a beard to rival that of Ted’s, and almost 2 decades’ experience training dogs. We chat about the differences in legislation between the States and Down Under (both in breed bans, and bitework bans!), the effect that has on training, and even in popular dog sports.⁣ ⁣ S...

“Can’t bite ‘em if you can’t find ‘em” This episode is truly mind blowing 🤯 with the Hide and Seek Expert, Mic Bonin; proving that K9 guys really are the Swiss Army knives of LEO 😎🐕! Mic started tracking at the ripe young age of 12 in southeast Texas,

Hailing from northern Illinois, and the maker of the hottest hot sauce, we introduce Rik Wolterbeek! (We kid, he’s not really from the States, in case his accent gave it away! ) The man is as legendary as it gets, working with dogs for 45 years, a member of KNVP, instructing countless K9 teams through certification, working as a decoy - Rik knows his stuff! Your hosts chat about KNVP’s past, present, and future; the various dog breeds Rik has worked with, and the future of everyone’s favorite, t...

⁣Your hosts, Ted and Eric, talked with Pete Copilillo from Working Dogs For Conservation. As the world’s leading conservation detection dog organization, their mission (which is multi-tiered in Africa, as well as in the US ) of using the dogs’ incredible sense of smell to help protect ecosystems and to help scientists gather information on endangered species, cannot be understated. Additionally, Working Dogs for Conservation uses the dogs, mostly rescues, to track and find invasive species of pl...

Your hosts Eric @vanessk9 and Ted @ted_summers chatted with the current Executive Director of the USPCA, Don Slavik. Slavik worked for the St. Paul K9 department in the 80’s and 90’s as a handler and trainer, and they discussed what it’s like working a Rottweiler K9. Slavik was a trainer, instructor, and course developer for ATF. He developed and wrote lesson plans for two classes on Air Movement and its effects on explosives odors and legal issues for explosive canine teams. He evaluated severa...

Your hosts chatted with Sr Agent Anthony Moore, of the Special Operations Division of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) , stationed in Oklahoma City, and working as a member of the K9 Highway Interdiction team . Moore handles one of these incredible K9’s, and as a certified trainer and instructor , he chats about the incredible importance of leash proficiency and obedience in that environment. The boys also talked about large seizures and how they are connected to terrorism, further solidif...

⁣You asked ‘em, we answered ‘em! ⁣ This Q&A episode is a first for Working Dog Radio BECAUSE it’s the first podcast we’ve recorded with video , WHICH MEANS, each new podcast will also be recorded with video Be sure to check it out and watch Ted and E...

Episode 114: - Jean-Claude Leblanc grew up in the army in the 2/75 Ranger Battalion, and made it to the highest levels of Army Special Operations (trust us when we say the man is a true badass - ). Leblanc handled 4 dogs in the GWOT,

McDonald and Beplay talk about their deployments as US Army Rangers, various stories, and lessons learned during the Global War on Terror. Beplay recounts the first time he saw a MPC work on target. McDonald recounts several stories about MWD Benno, who McDonald lost on his 27th birthday on a mission in Afghanistan, and MWD Lakya, who, on her first mission was shot, causing her to lose her leg (and later was honored for her service and featured on the cover of National Geographic). The guys cove...

Can’t teach an old dog a new trick? Think again! The boys sat down with Sgt. Dick Staal, master-trainer/instructor with the Netherlands’ National Police Agency’s K9-unit (K.L.P.D.). Staal has been training dogs since the 1970’s, and has had his own pin point system since then, including methods for teaching search techniques for evidence/lost objects, retrieves, proper alerts, tracking, suspect searches, obedience, obstacles, and of course – bite work. Staal full heartedly believes in working th...

From Dachshund lover to DoD trainer to pet dog business, Andrew Ramsey has had quite the journey in the dog world, and he’s not done yet ! Your hosts got an inside look at what it was like to work in the K9 and Puppy programs at Lackland; from breeding the perfect working dog and developing their work drives, to decoying for the fur missiles for years ! The dogs Ramsey worked with have been crucial to countless missions, and have saved countless lives - training is truly a matter of life and dea...

Is the woman buried in the basement?! (What about under the septic tank?!) Tune in to find out!! Your hosts sit down with Melissa Morgan, who has had experience working disaster dogs, FEMA dogs, cadaver dogs, and SAR dogs since 1999 (we’re pretty sure that’s longer than some of you have been alive!). Check out the pros and cons of thumbs vs feet, hear about how stringent the FEMA Fundamental Skills Assessment is, and tune in to hear some WILD stories from an expert in the field. Melissa is enter...

The guys sit down with former Law Enforcement Officer of two decades (of which, he spent 10 years as a K-9 handler and trainer ), Justin Rigney, founding member and former President of the Florida Law Enforcement Canine Association, with nearly three decades of professional dog training experience . They discuss the power of food based reward training, and bust some myths as well . Justin specializes in bridging the gap of communication between human and canine by utilizing a proven training sys...

Your hosts interview Michael Kmiecik of Sheepdog Guardian Consulting, 24-year law enforcement veteran and K9 handler of 15 years, and they did all this in between HRD scenarios . The trio chats about the Utah decision, best practices, some outs, and the Big Bad Boogie Man; liability . What area of K9 has the most liability?? Hint: it has nothing to do with the dog! So sit down, shut up, and learn something from the subject matter expert! ⁣ ⁣ HUGE thank you to Michael for joining us. Follow him...

“The dog doesn’t know he’s protecting the President, he’s doing this because he’s protecting ME” - Retired Secret Service dog, DHS Award for Valor, USSS Award for Merit, AMC Top Dog Award, PDSA Order of Merit, K9 Hurricane needs no introduction!

Episode 106: Michael Goosby - the only guy we know who can pull off 21 Jump Street AND blacked out BDUs for the LAPD K-9 unit. Eric and Ted talk to Michael Goosby from LAPD K9. Goosby is a veteran police officer and K9 handler. He brings a unique view on law enforcement coming from one of the largest agencies in the country. They cover handler and dog selection, case law and liability, and several other topics. Great sit down interview, and one we’ve wanted to check off the list for a while...!...

You guys have been asking, and here it is! What are some common mistakes we see handlers make? What are some tips for new handlers? You want stories? Here you go! Your hosts did this episode just for you guys! Tips, trade “secrets”, stories, and more! So stop, sit, and learn a thing or two ⁣ 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗘, thank you to our amazing partners:⁣ @KineticDogFood⁣ www.kineticdogfood.com⁣ 513-615-6904⁣ @horizonstructures ⁣ 888-447-4337⁣ www.horizonstructures.com/commercial-dog-kennels⁣ @rayalle...

This episode is a Two-for-One; the guys sit down with Michele and Jenna (both of the DOD). ‍♀️Jenna went through the MPC program years ago during her time with Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO),

Episode 103: Maria Goodavage Welcome to Working Dog Episode 103, the third episode of our 2020 Ladies of K9 series . The guys sit down with former USA Today journalist, and published author, Maria Goodavage, to discuss a different angle to Working Dogs. Goodavage has published a handful of books, including “Soldier Dogs, the Untold Story of America’s Canine Heroes”, “Top Dog, the Story of Marine Hero Lucca”, “Secret Service Dogs, the Heroes Who Protect the President of the United States”, and m...

Welcome to Working Dog Episode 102, our second episode of our 2020 Ladies of K9 series . The guys sit down with Erin Purgason, of Highland Canine Training . During her career as a sworn law enforcement officer in North Carolina, Erin has worked with the D.E.A., U.S. Customs and Border Protection, A.T.F., North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations and also served on several multi jurisdictional task forces, spending much of her time undercover. She has handled/trained scent hounds, drug dogs, ...

Welcome to Working Dog Episode 101, the start of our 2020 Ladies of K9 series . The guys sit down with Debbie Johnson, of K9's United . Debbie talks about how the loss of a local K9 pushed her to action. During the process, she learned the unfortunate truth in our industry; K9 units aren't always supported well. This new knowledge spawned the beginning of K9s United. Debbie talks about their mission, and the successes they have had ! She also highlights some things that need to be addressed in o...

Here it is folks, the big ONE HUNDRED Can you believe it?! We are celebrating this milestone with an EXTRAVAGANZA ! And who better to kick this celebration off with, than with THE Michael Ellis! This guy is truly a household name, even if you don’t know him, you know OF him. Anyone can train a dog, only a handful of folks can train a dog well, but even FEWER can teach others the subtle skills of dog training - and Michael falls into that last category , so much so, the Michael Ellis School for D...

Eric and Ted finally nail down Evan from Denmother K9. Evan talks about how he became a go to guy for dogs that end up in bad situations and his knack for being around when dogs get into bad situations. He talks about the transition from working on soldiers to also working on dogs. They cover some common stuff every handler ought to carry in a trauma kit, some best practices and some myths, snake bites and heat injuries. They also cover something that is not a myth; you should not stick a cough ...