Operational Detection K9s · Since 1999

Trained for the field, not just the yard.

Detection dogs and handlers built to hold up where it counts — reliable under pressure, defensible in court, ready for real deployment. Trusted by 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

Certified K9 teams — officers, handlers, and dogs trained to the LSOC standard.

In short

K9School is the operational detection-dog practice of David Latimer — a retired police chief, FBI National Academy graduate, and detector-dog trainer since 1999. We train, certify, consult on, and place detection dogs and handlers built to perform in the field and hold up in court, to the LSOC courtroom-defensible standard.

Years operational experience

200+

Teams trained & deployed

100+

Agencies & orgs served

100%

Trained to the LSOC standard

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 detection dogs and certified handlers your unit can deploy with confidence.

For law enforcement →

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Handlers & Trainers

Handler and instructor certification that makes you ready on day one — not just credentialed.

Courses & seminars →

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Consulting

Stand up a new detection program, or fix and audit 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

The buyers we serve can't afford a team that fails.

A dog in a patrol car or a screening line is a liability decision before it's a training decision. We build teams that stand up to the real test — the deployment, the audit, the courtroom.

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. Practical readiness for real-world deployment, not controlled-yard performance alone.
The whole team. We train the dog and the human end of the leash, because reliability is a team property.
Courtroom-defensible. Evaluated to the LSOC standard with blind testing and documentation that stands up in court — from 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 to a recognized standard?

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.