Operational Detection K9s · Since 1999

Trained for the field, not just the yard.

Detection dogs and handlers built for deployment — reliable under pressure and defensible in court. Agencies and working teams nationwide.

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LSOC Courtroom-Defensible Standard Train · Certify · Consult · Place 530 Hackney Street, Lincoln, AL 35096

A full class of K9 officers and their certified detection dogs with patrol vehicles

Officers, handlers, and dogs trained and evaluated to a courtroom-defensible standard.

In short

K9School is David Latimer's operational detection practice — retired police chief, FBI National Academy graduate, trainer since 1999. We train, evaluate, consult, and place teams that work in the field and hold up in court.

Years operational experience

200+

Teams trained & deployed

100+

Agencies & orgs served

Find your path

One standard. Four ways we work with you.

Whether you're deploying a K9 unit, becoming a handler, fixing a program, or buying a working dog — start where you fit.

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Agencies

Finished dogs and trained handlers your unit can put to work.

For law enforcement →

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Handlers & Trainers

Handler and instructor training that prepares you to work the dog — not just collect a card.

Courses & seminars →

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Consulting

Stand up a new program, or audit and repair the one you have.

Program help →

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Detection Dogs

Placement-ready dogs for bed bug, arson, conservation, narcotics and more.

Check availability →

30-second finder

Not sure where you fit? Start here.

Which best describes you?

Why K9School

A weak team is a liability before it is a training problem.

A dog in a patrol car or on a screening line is a liability decision first. We build teams that survive deployment, audit, and court.

Behavior is evidence. We train the search before the sit — reading the dog, not just rewarding the final response. See the method →
Field-first training. Ready for the environment they will work in — not just the yard.
The whole team. Reliability lives on both ends of the leash.
Courtroom-defensible. Blind testing, behavioral documentation, and handlers who can explain the search — taught by a retired chief and FBI National Academy graduate who testifies as an expert.

Meet David Latimer

Detection dog driving to a training reward — reading the dog through the response

“I've learned high-pitched praise, I've learned alerts, I've learned ‘show me,’ I've learned leash control. I plan on taking it back to Maryland with me and being one of the best dog handlers possible.”— Devin Reynolds, Maryland
Watch him say it →

From the field

One standard, many missions.

Narcotics, bed bug, arson, tracking and more — the same field-first approach across every discipline.

Watch

See the work.

LSOC promotional video - video still — **LSOC promotional video**
Who we are and the standard we train to.

Straight answers

Do you work with departments outside Alabama?

Yes. We're based in Lincoln, Alabama and support agencies and working teams nationwide. Placement, on-site training, and handler certification are all available beyond the region — we travel to you, and the sponsoring agency covers reasonable travel costs.

Are your dogs and handlers certified?

Every team is developed and evaluated against the LSOC courtroom-defensible standard — behavioral documentation, blind testing, and handlers who can explain the dog's work — so your records hold up in procurement and in court. See the certification page for details.

What disciplines do you cover?

Narcotics, explosives, firearms, currency and electronic-storage detection for agencies, plus commercial disciplines including arson/accelerant, bed bug, and conservation detection.

How fast can we get started?

Most engagements begin with a short scoping call. Timelines depend on the program and dog availability — training timelines are estimates, because dogs and handlers progress at different rates.