On this episode of the Police K9 Training Podcast host Jeff Meyer sits down with Danny Ziem from Echelon Front to unpack leadership dynamics inside small, specialized units — especially K9 teams. Danny, a full‑time instructor with Echelon Front, explains how Extreme Ownership principles apply to K‑9 units, special operations, and first responders at every level.

Topics covered include the common challenge of supervisors who treat K9 programs as an extra duty, how handlers can “lead up the chain” to build influence and secure resources, and practical ways to detach from emotions, get curious, and present capabilities in a way that helps command. Jeff and Danny explore how small teams can avoid swapped priorities (team over mission), how to make your unit indispensable to the larger organization, and how humility and perspective drive better outcomes.

The conversation also addresses handling internal friction: identifying why a teammate is disgruntled, using curiosity to de‑escalate conflict, empowering experienced members, and the value of honest, inclusive debriefs that collect lessons learned from every position. 

To Read Danny Ziem's Bio or to contact him, check out: https://echelonfront.com/instructors/danny-ziem/ 

To contact Jeff Meyer, email him at: [email protected]

To see more about Jeff and the classes that are offered go to: www.Policek9Training.net  

Thanks to this shows sponsors:

AceK9.com

______________________________________________________________________________

KATS K9 Record Keeping  www.katsplatinum.com

______________________________________________________________________________

Ray Allen K9      https://www.rayallen.com/ 

____________________________________________________________________________

The Next Level K9    https://www.thenextlevelk9.com/ 

_____________________________________________________________________________

For information about the Colorado K9 Conference https://coloradok9conference.com/ 

In this episode Jeff Meyer is joined by detection expert Cameron Ford to tackle a common problem: narcotics dogs that perform well inside but become distracted, avoidant, or ineffective when searching vehicles on traffic stops. They break down likely causes (low reinforcement value, negative associations, or flooding by repetitive, stressful exposures) and outline a practical progression to restore motivation and reliable searching on cars.

Key topics covered include identifying the root cause of vehicle avoidance, dialing training back to simple contexts, building reinforcement history and value for cars, using rituals and signals (for example a special collar routine) to predict fun, and staged exercises where a trainer teases a vehicle and the handler pays the dog quickly on odor acknowledgement — not always waiting for a full trained final response. They also discuss changing locations/cars, varying reward schedules (roughly 60% positive to avoid over‑expectation), the role of quick reward timing ("pay on sniff"), limited pairing with reward items if necessary, and how handler relaxation and clear start/finish cues (e.g., saying "all done") improve outcomes.

Cameron and Jeff emphasize avoiding flooding (recreating stressful traffic-stop conditions repeatedly), preventing handler frustration from cascading into poorer performance, and tailoring the progression to each team. They note most cases are fixable with consistency: simplify the task, create value, reward early, then rebuild duration and precision.

To contact Jeff Meyer, email him at: [email protected]

To see more about Jeff and the classes that are offered go to: www.Policek9Training.net  

Thanks to this shows sponsors:

AceK9.com

______________________________________________________________________________

KATS K9 Record Keeping  www.katsplatinum.com

______________________________________________________________________________

Ray Allen K9      https://www.rayallen.com/ 

____________________________________________________________________________

The Next Level K9    https://www.thenextlevelk9.com/ 

_____________________________________________________________________________

For information about the Colorado K9 Conference https://coloradok9conference.com/ 

Join host Jeff Meyer and guest Ron Cloward for a focused Q&A on two hot administrative topics in police K9: one dog and out and should a supervisor work a dog also? 

The episode examines what a strict one-dog-out rule looks like, why many administrators favor it, and the downsides Jeff and Ron see: loss of institutional expertise, continual churn of inexperienced handlers, and declining program quality. They discuss practical alternatives and compromises—such as allowing experienced handlers to re-test for their assignment when a dog retires, implementing performance reviews before denying reassignment, and using policy as a tool to address personnel problems rather than removing experience wholesale.

On the question of supervisors working dogs, Jeff and Ron unpack pros and cons from both sides: liability and supervisory focus versus unit buy-in, continuity, and leadership presence. T

Listeners will walk away with concrete talking points to present to chiefs or administrators, considerations for writing or revising canine policy, and recommendations for supervisor training and unit continuity. 

To contact Jeff Meyer, email him at: [email protected]

To see more about Jeff and the classes that are offered go to: www.Policek9Training.net  

Thanks to this shows sponsors:

AceK9.com

______________________________________________________________________________

KATS K9 Record Keeping  www.katsplatinum.com

______________________________________________________________________________

Ray Allen K9      https://www.rayallen.com/ 

____________________________________________________________________________

The Next Level K9    https://www.thenextlevelk9.com/ 

_____________________________________________________________________________

For information about the Colorado K9 Conference https://coloradok9conference.com/ 

Host Jeff Meyer welcomes trainer Eric Stambrough for a focused Q&A episode in his Police K9 Training Podcast series. After a summer break Jeff is launching shorter question-and-answer shows; this episode addresses a common field problem: how to "reset" police dogs that have been trained for decades with overly high e‑collar stimulation and now react with stress, vocalization, leash‑targeting or inconsistent drive.

Jeff and Eric walk through practical, step‑by‑step methods to rebuild control and trust using the e‑collar properly. Key techniques discussed include starting work on leash, using negative reinforcement (pressure on/pressure off) at very low levels, short, repeated reps (two short sessions of ~10 reps), layering the collar over known behaviors (heal/come), and rewarding with food or praise.

Eric describes a practical progression: initial trust‑building with low stim and leash guidance, one or two days of focused negative reinforcement, then transition to brief taps or tone as a consequence while always returning stimulation to the lowest effective level. Jeff emphasizes avoiding collar dependence and training the dog to perform reliably without constant stimulation. Both trainers stress that numbers are situational — use what the dog needs in that environment and always come back down once control is achieved.

To contact Jeff Meyer, email him at: [email protected]

To see more about Jeff and the classes that are offered go to: www.Policek9Training.net  

Thanks to this shows sponsors:

AceK9.com

______________________________________________________________________________

KATS K9 Record Keeping  www.katsplatinum.com

______________________________________________________________________________

Ray Allen K9      https://www.rayallen.com/ 

____________________________________________________________________________

The Next Level K9    https://www.thenextlevelk9.com/ 

_____________________________________________________________________________

For information about the Colorado K9 Conference https://coloradok9conference.com/ 

Host Jeff Meyer sits down with longtime K9 instructor Gary Haddon for an in-depth episode on detector-dog operations, training philosophy, and real-world deployment. The conversation focuses on obedience to odor: how to bring the dog to the hunt, not the toy, and shape dogs to ignore visual and food distractions while staying laser-focused on scent. Gary and Jeff compare reward strategies (primary rewards vs. markers), building distance, leash-counter techniques, proofing with distractors, and practical ways to teach dogs to re-engage on source odor versus non-productive odors.

To contact Jeff Meyer, email him at: [email protected]

To see more about Jeff and the classes that are offered go to: www.Policek9Training.net  

Thanks to this shows sponsors:

AceK9.com

______________________________________________________________________________

KATS K9 Record Keeping  www.katsplatinum.com

______________________________________________________________________________

Ray Allen K9      https://www.rayallen.com/ 

____________________________________________________________________________

The Next Level K9    https://www.thenextlevelk9.com/ 

_____________________________________________________________________________

For information about the Colorado K9 Conference https://coloradok9conference.com/ 

In this episode Jeff Meyer is joined by Bill Lewis to walk through the Rosenbaum (San Jose) K-9 case and the legal and practical lessons that followed. The conversation covers the appellate denial of qualified immunity in 2024, why that decision drew national attention.

To listen to the first episode about this case scroll back to October 4, 2024, for the episode titled "Shocking Ruling on K9 Case"

To contact Jeff Meyer, email him at: [email protected]

To see more about Jeff and the classes that are offered go to: www.Policek9Training.net  

Thanks to this shows sponsors:

AceK9.com

______________________________________________________________________________

KATS K9 Record Keeping  www.katsplatinum.com

______________________________________________________________________________

Ray Allen K9      https://www.rayallen.com/ 

____________________________________________________________________________

The Next Level K9    https://www.thenextlevelk9.com/ 

_____________________________________________________________________________

For information about the Colorado K9 Conference https://coloradok9conference.com/ 

Join host Jeff Meyer and special guest Eric Stambro for a deep-dive into contemporary detection dog training. In this episode they unpack the concept of "pay on a sniff," marker training vs. direct reward systems, how to reinvigorate and shape reliable alerts, and practical tactics for vehicles, buildings, and large impound searches. 

Topics covered include: what paying on a sniff means and why it emphasizes odor value over formal final responses; direct vs. indirect reward systems and how both can be used; timing and use of verbal markers and squeaky toys as bridges to build dopamine-driven search motivation; intermittent and variable rewards; and specific approaches for fixing bookmarking, handler-influence, and false-alert problems.

Practical, street-tested examples and tips are discussed throughout: using blanks and unknown hide counts to build reliability on negatives; positioning odors in the middle of vehicles to prevent dogs from racing around cars; removing handler influence by having dogs work out of sight; charging a verbal marker and increasing sniff duration before teaching a final; and how to structure training to prevent performance drop-offs from the training lot to real deployments.

To contact Jeff Meyer, email him at: [email protected]

To see more about Jeff and the classes that are offered go to: www.Policek9Training.net  

Thanks to this shows sponsors:

AceK9.com

______________________________________________________________________________

KATS K9 Record Keeping  www.katsplatinum.com

______________________________________________________________________________

Ray Allen K9      https://www.rayallen.com/ 

____________________________________________________________________________

The Next Level K9    https://www.thenextlevelk9.com/ 

_____________________________________________________________________________

For information about the Colorado K9 Conference https://coloradok9conference.com/ 

Host Jeff Meyer sits down with guest Michael Nesbeth to preview Nesbeth’s keynote and new class “From Puppy to Police Dog” at the Colorado Canine Conference. The conversation weaves practical training philosophy with real-world examples drawn from decades of working with police and detection dogs, and highlights what handlers can apply whether they raise puppies or work with adult imports.

To contact Jeff Meyer, email him at: [email protected]

To see more about Jeff and the classes that are offered go to: www.Policek9Training.net  

Thanks to this shows sponsors:

AceK9.com

______________________________________________________________________________

KATS K9 Record Keeping  www.katsplatinum.com

______________________________________________________________________________

Ray Allen K9      https://www.rayallen.com/ 

____________________________________________________________________________

The Next Level K9    https://www.thenextlevelk9.com/ 

_____________________________________________________________________________

For information about the Colorado K9 Conference https://coloradok9conference.com/ 

Host Jeff Meyer welcomes Dr. Tiffany Wettin — a veterinarian specializing in equine and small-animal chiropractic, acupuncture, and alternative therapies — to discuss how pain can masquerade as

Practical takeaways include adding a pain/health check to the handler’s toolbox before moving straight to additional training, building a preventive relationship with a qualified chiro/acupuncture vet, and recognizing early signs so adjustments can prevent career‑ending compensations. The episode closes with sponsor mentions (AceK9 heat alarms and CATS canine activity tracking software) and encouragement for handlers to broaden their approach when a reliably trained dog suddenly changes behavior.

To contact Jeff Meyer, email him at: [email protected]

To see more about Jeff and the classes that are offered go to: www.Policek9Training.net  

Thanks to this shows sponsors:

AceK9.com

______________________________________________________________________________

KATS K9 Record Keeping  www.katsplatinum.com

______________________________________________________________________________

Ray Allen K9      https://www.rayallen.com/ 

____________________________________________________________________________

The Next Level K9    https://www.thenextlevelk9.com/ 

_____________________________________________________________________________

For information about the Colorado K9 Conference https://coloradok9conference.com/ 

Host Jeff Meyer returns to discuss common training mistakes he sees in police canine programs and how those mistakes lead to avoidable bites and liability.

To contact Jeff Meyer, email him at: [email protected]

To see more about Jeff and the classes that are offered go to: www.Policek9Training.net  

Thanks to this shows sponsors:

AceK9.com

______________________________________________________________________________

KATS K9 Record Keeping  www.katsplatinum.com

______________________________________________________________________________

Ray Allen K9      https://www.rayallen.com/ 

____________________________________________________________________________

The Next Level K9    https://www.thenextlevelk9.com/ 

_____________________________________________________________________________

For information about the Colorado K9 Conference https://coloradok9conference.com/