Episode 202: Detection Deep Dive with Darren (DJ) Holmes⁣

This is our fourth episode from our HITS K9 conference series. Speaking of HITS, they will be returning August 26-29, 2024 at the HYATT REGENCY in New Orleans, LA. Get your tickets to this conference early!⁣ hitsk9.net⁣

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Darren DJ Holmes wants to know the “What am I doing”. That he could be doing better, the why, and the how when it comes to detection based training. ⁣

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Holmes cut his teeth with hunting dogs. He was an amateur competitor in hunting and retrieving, and then got into defense contracting. ⁣

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Eric talks about how bird dog hunters are light years ahead of the rest of the dog world when it comes to training. ⁣

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The gents talk about Holmes’ operational training for his defense contracting, and off leash safe stand off distance with Marines and IEDS. Holmes talks about how they had 70 days to certify once procured and shaping this program. After his IED contract, Holmes stayed in defense contracting for a few more years, then made the switch back to training dogs full time. After Covid hit, he threw his hat in the law enforcement arena working in the jail, then special assignment moving prisoners and high risk transports. From there, they got a grant approval to start a K9 program in the detention center. He started from the ground up creating the dog program with the center. The guys talk about the fentanyl problem and the “do we / don’t we” problem. The guys then get into the science piece.  They talk about how more teachers have Dr. in front of their names, how it has gotten more science based, and how they feel like the science should back up what they are saying. When science and art mix, it gets a little funky at times. This is an important conversation for everyone to listen to and see how science fits into what you are doing as a handler.

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