Working K-9 Seminar
June 10th-14th
Owego, NY

K9 Handlers Seminar June 10th-14th, 2024 Owego, New York

Registration deadline June 1, 2024

The Owego NY Police Department and the Southern Tier Police Canine Association Incorporated will be hosting a working Police Service Dog Team seminar.

Training will be conducted for the following deployment profiles: Protection, Problem Solving, Tracking, Explosive and Narcotics Scent Detection

*NEW* Booby Trap Scenarios for Scent Detection

Instructors: (BIOS APPEAR BELOW)

Duane Shaffer

Gary Creed

Rick McCulskey

*NEW* Sarah Carver

Additional Trainers being added often keep checking back.

New York State Testing/Certification Available, along with independent Association Testing/Certification Available for Eastern Police Canine Association Inc (www.theepca.com) .

Lunch provided daily and included in fee.

K-9 Team Seminar Cost $225.00

Phone contact: Larry Vanek (607) 343-1487

GARY CREED

Retired Staff Sergeant Royal Canadian Mounted Police Senior Trainer and acting Officer in Charge of RCMP Training Centre

Gary joined the RCMP in 1992 and at the completion of basic training was posted to General Duties in Coronach, Saskatchewan. In 1997 he was transferred to Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. During his time in Saskatchewan, Gary was actively involved in the RCMP Police Dog Service Imprinting program. This program involved raising potential police dogs for the RCMP. After 6 years and 6 potential puppies, Gary was accepted into the RCMP Police Dog Service. Gary completed dog training in 2000 and was posted to Kelowna, BC. Gary worked 3 different police dogs while stationed in Kelowna, Dasty, Axel, and Rocket. Gary was trained in all aspects of police dog work including tracking, searching, criminal apprehension, obedience, ERT, Tactical teams, explosive and narcotic searching, land and avalanche Search and Rescue. In 2012, Gary was promoted to the RCMP Police Dog Service Training Centre as a pre trainer where he oversaw the imprinting program and help prepare dog for formal training. In 2014, Gary was promoted to a Trainer for the RCMP PDS where he trained police dog teams in all aspects of Police work. In 2017, Gary was promoted to his current position of RCMP Police Dog Service Senior Trainer where he is responsible for all aspect of the RCMP PDS training program along with the annual validations for all RCMP dogs in Canada.

Gary will assist in tracking and scent detection and will present his Fentanyl detection program that he developed.

DUANE SHAFFER

Trainer TSA Miami Dade, FL

Duane is a well-known trainer and is currently a K9 Trainer with the TSA in Miami, Fl. Duane has handled a K-9 as a patrol officer, sergeant, lieutenant and captain, the unit’s supervisor with the Binghamton, NY Police Department retiring as such. Duane worked as a K9 Trainer contractor in Afghanistan. Duane is one of the founders of EPCA and STPCA. Duane is one of the directors of EPCA and STPCA. Duane is the president of the EPCA as well as an examiner, and trainer for EPCA and STPCA.

Duane will be conducting scent detection training.

Rick McCulskey

Rick is the President of the Southern Tier Police Canine Assocation Inc and a NYS DCJS trainer for all deployment profiles in NYS. Rick is well known in the Central, South and East of the United States having certified and competed in scent detection with NAPWDA and NNDDA with all remembering "that black dog" (Sig).

Rick will be joining Duane as a scent detection trainer.

*NEW*

SARAH CARVER

Sarah joined the United States Navy right out of high school from Cheyenne, Wyoming. She wanted to join K9 since she started, and everyone told her that was never going to happen. ⁣She was persistent, spent her off time volunteering in the kennel, making connections, and not taking “No” as her final answer. Three years in, and she finally got what she was working so hard for. Sarah spent the next five years as a Military Law Enforcement Officer and Military Working Dog Handler.⁣

⁣Sarah's experience includes handling dual purpose bomb dogs, single purpose narcotics dogs, K9 training, and K9 veterinary care.⁣ She shares stories about her first two dogs (both of whom were 12 years old, and could care less about her), her first green dog (a dog that shouldn’t have been working, but it taught her a lot!), a scrappy little Jack Russel Terrier (and why she feels obedience is still important, even for the little guys! The JRT made such an impression on her, he ended up being her favorite to work).

Sarah was an instructor/trainer with Brad at Pacesetter K9⁣ and has since started her own company CJC K9 and is traveling the country decoying and instructing at K9 seminars.

Follow her at @cjccanine on instagram

Sarah will be conducting training in problem solving, protection, decoy training and obedience.