We select & train the best scent detection dogs in the world.
Welcome to Kip K9, led by Canine Master Trainer and industry pioneer, David Latimer.
​
David has been training elite narcotics, arson, tracking and insect detector dogs for over 20 years. Founder of the World Detector Dog organization, former fire chief, police chief, FBI academy graduate and AirForce Veteran.
David is known world wide for training working dogs, handlers and other trainers.
​
David has a rigorous selection process to find dogs with the basic instincts needed for scent detection. Hire us to select and train your next working dog.
We Now Train Rat Dogs!
My name is David Latimer. I'm a retired Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police. I'm also a veteran. I attended the FBI National Academy in 2011 at Quantico, VA.I've been training and using dogs for police, fire and private interests since 1999. During my career, I trained hundreds of dog and handler teams to detect narcotics, arson evidence, explosives, termites, bed bugs, mold, tracking, apprehension and in other disciplines. A list of references from some of the teams we've trained is available on request.
​
​
​
​
​
The World Detector Dog Organization, founded by myself, Stephen Dodge and Steven Yerger in 2005 is now a multinational organization with members across North America. WDDO is open to all private and public interests from the canine scent detection profession. Our membership includes police officers, fire fighters, pest control operators, health professionals, academics and others. WDDO offers the most comprehensive and unbiased certification testing procedures available in the canine industry. All WDDO tests are structured randomized, double blind Anyone with an interest in the profession of canine scent detection is encouraged to join and become a part of one of the leading and fastest growing organizations in the canine industry.
OUR
SERVICES
BUY TRAINED DOGS
We train dogs for whatever you need them to find. We find the right breed and dog and train them to suit your business needs. Finding the right dog and training them is an art that KipK9 has developed over 20 years.
DOG SELECTION
Dog selection is often overlooked by trainers and handlers alike. But the fact is, if you don't start with the right dog, you aren't ;likely to reach your goal of becoming a top canine detection team. The best training program will not produce a top work dog unless it has the proper drive, personality and even the right physical size to move freely in the environment where its target odor wil be found. We've learned how to test and select the right dogs at Kip K9. Our success in this industry shows that.
HANDLER TRAINING
Scent detection is as much about the handler as it is about the dog. The dog and its handler are a team that must learn to work together and learn how to communicate with each other. No handler can be effective without learning to "speak dog". Even the best trained dog will not continue to perform at its best if it isn't handled properly. At Kip K9, we've been training handlers for over two decades, we know what to teach and how to present it in an understandable and practical way. We know and we teach what you need to know to be successful. Handler training must also include familiarization with the target substances being sought by the team. What physical hazards are associate with such substances? How to recognize certain substances that present a health or physical threat and how to safely handler such substances is a crucial aspect of handler training that many K9 Academies ignore.
NARCOTICS DETECTION
Illicit narcotics are problematic in many areas of our country. Much of the crime committed in the US can be traced back to the abuse of narcotics. Gangs, cartels and other criminals thrive by exploiting the misery created by the sale of illicit narcotics to children and vulnerable people. The most effective, portable and efficient means of detecting the presence of narcotics is using a properly trained dog. Law enforcement has used dogs to find narcotics for many decades and they have been an effective deterrent to the drug trade. Kip K9 can train a dog and handler in all the needed areas of narcotics detection, including search and seizure law related to K9 searches. David used his own dogs and trained dogs for many other departments during his years as a police officer. David can help your department create and maintain an effective drug detection K9 program. Kip k9 also believes that handler should be aware of the potential risks associate with certain street drugs. Some such drugs can enter the bloodstream though contact or inhalation of particulates. The proper use of protective equipment when needed can make handling such drugs much safer. Kip K9 teaches handlers to recognize such hazards and how to safely deai with them,
TRACKING
Tracking/trailing of lost people or fleeing suspects is a capability that all public service organizations should have at their disposal. At Kip K9, we teach dogs to follow tracks across various surfaces, asphalt, grass, gravel, concrete and others. We can train a dog to find who ever you're looking for.
TEAM CERTIFICATION
We are qualified to certify dogs through the WDDO (World Detector Dog Organization). The dog and its handler must be certified as a team. The WDDO has developed proprietary double blind testing methodologies. These tests were developed by Dr. Lawrence Myers, MS, DVM, PhD, Auburn University Assoc. Prof. of Animal Behavior and Sensory Physiology and Medicine. His unique certification testing methodology insures handlers and their dogs are trained and certified to offer professional services.
EXPLOSIVES DETECTION
Explosive devices are an ever present threat to Americans. Terrorists have learned how to conceal devices from visual inspections, but they cannot hide the explosive components of these devices from a well trained and handled dog. Every day, dogs find explosive devices and prevent casualties by sniffing out the materials needed to create a bomb. Dogs can quickly determine if a device is present in an area and they can quickly clear an area and reliably determine if it is safe and free of such devices. There is no more efficient and portable means of explosives detection than a well trained K9 team. Something that is equally important to training the dog is training the handler to recognize ignition devices or triggers for explosives. Many firms will teach a new handler to work a dog but neglect to train the handler in how to recognize a potential device and to avoid inadvertently causing its detonations. Neglecting this aspect of handler training presents an unreasonable level of risj for the handler, the dog and for innocent bystanders. At Kip K9, we believe teaching the handler how to minimize the risk associated with triggering a device is crucial to training and deploying a competent bomb detection canine team.
PEST DETECTION
Insect pests cause billions of dollars in damages to homes, businesses, crops and industrial processes every day. Visual inspections for pests by humans have very limited effectiveness are slow and labor intense. A properly trained dog can quickly scan large areas for the odor of a pest and allow a quick response to an infestation while it is small and before it grows into a size that may require a business interruption to effectively treat. Most insects can be spot treated, but only if the pests can be located while the infestation is new. This decreases the negative effect on business operations and minimizes losses.
​
RAT DOGS
You can't talk about pest detection today without discussing rat control. Rat populations are exploding in most urban areas and on farms and other areas. Rats carry diseases that can be lethal to humans. They destroy property and can communicate diseases to pets, humans and wildlife. Recent constraints on the use of rodenticides are limiting the control of rat populations through traditional methods. Methods such as baits that contain poisons are being removed from the market by the EPA due to their effect on wildlife, pets and on humans. Traps have never been a very effective means of controlling rat populations, rats are simply too smart for them. If you're ready to incorporate the most effective and proficient rat control method on the market today, we have you covered. Dogs are the greenest of the green methods available for controlling rat populations. Our dogs are trained to hunt nests, burrows and habitats and to eliminate rat populations. It's not unusual for our teams to eliminate hundreds, of rats in one visit. With trained dogs, there are no residual pesticide chemicals to worry about, no harm to wildlife or to humans. Just the elimination of your rat problem.
KEEP
IN TOUCH
530 Hackney St, Lincoln AL 35096​
OUR ADDRESS
CONTACT US
ABOUT
OUR PROGRAM
Kip was the name of the very first arson dog I trained. Kip taught me more about dog training than any trainer or book. Even more importantly, Kip showed me what didn't work in training detector dogs. Kip was a border collie who defied industry stereotypes of what an arson dog should look like. He was also one of the best arson dogs I ever trained.
I still today tend to measure detector dogs by the standard Kip set for detection work. His percentage of accuracy is unrivaled. In lab analysis after lab analysis, Kip's accuracy was confirmed. It became widely know that if Kip said something was present in a sample, you could count on laboratory confirmation for it.
Kip was more than just a work dog, he was my friend and he was a beloved member of my family. When the time came that I had to let Kip go, because of age and an incurable illness that robbed me of my buddy, I held him in my arms as he was euthanized. I will never forget the look in his eyes as his life ended and the peace that seemed to settle on his face. His pain and suffering had ended and as bad as I still miss him, I am thankful that his pain is ended.
Kip was instrumental in collecting evidence that helped solve many cases over the years. I named my company after him as a tribute to the special bond we had and to the place in my heart I hold for this amazing canine friend and partner.
CALL US: (205) 966-8739
