Detection dogs get time to shine during Idaho K9 training conference

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) - Handlers and their partners who specialize in drug detection had their time to shine in Rexburg on day two of the Idaho K9 training conference. Some of Tuesday's exercises took place in Eagle Park, near Rexburg's Nature Park and at the Madison County Fairgrounds.

The goal of the training scenario was to help handlers tune their recognition of their dog's indicator behavior and help the dogs get used to picking up the scent of drugs in different environments. We spoke to Rexburg Police Department Officer and K9 handler Ally Greenhalgh who shared with us how the course was with her and her dog.

"We actually did pretty well this morning. The wind helped us a lot more than it hurt us. It's changing a lot while we're out here. So when I first came in, it was blowing in one direction, and then halfway through my search, the wind switched directions, which helped me, but it could have hurt some other handlers, depending on what, order they do the hides in. But we did pretty well. My dog loves running around open areas, and so he was able to find both of the hides that we have out here," Officer Greenhalgh said.

She said the course can help the officer and dog pair and can be helpful in recall or lead techniques. But the scenario does so much more.

"It's really helpful to help you recognize the change of behavior in your dogs because you can look at them from kind of further away. You're not right next to them. So you can send your dog through the park and just watch him work and then it's easier to recognize the head snaps and the body movements that they do, and to watch them just work back as close to that source of odor as possible," Officer Greenhalgh said.

After the field scenario, groups went through the buildings of the Madison County Fairgrounds doing some building searches.

"Hopefully, some buried hides there underneath to kind of challenge our dogs, to not just look at objects and entries. We're going to be doing some open-area searches out there as well. We've got a big complex with a ton of buildings that the county has let us use for free to kind of challenge our dogs in some different scenarios that maybe they don't see all the time," Officer Greenhalgh said.

On Wednesday, many of the K9 officer pairs will be learning more about first aid techniques and the laws surrounding K9 officers in the field.