Our Focus

American K-9 Interdiction™, LLC (AK9I™) was founded in 2001 with the focus to produce expertly trained canines to protect and save lives. The olfactory capabilities of canines are unsurpassed!
As a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, AK9I™ is committed to ensuring our canines and handlers/trainers are experienced working in a variety of diverse and challenging environments. We have forged formalized access agreements with numerous public and private sites, where we conduct realistic training scenarios in all weather conditions and at all hours. One of our privileged training sites is the USS Wisconsin, a WWII-era retired Navy vessel permanently moored in Norfolk, Virginia. We also hold a strategic partnership with Point One, specializing in unmatched EOD and bomb tech training products, allowing our students invaluable insight into explosives.

What Make AK9I™ Unique

AK9I™ boasts an unparalleled skill set with decades of military training, technical knowledge, operational and tactical understanding, as well as the capability and flexibility to support canine missions of all types. We are well versed in military battlefield support operations and overseas diplomatic security missions.
Our team is firmly committed to producing and fielding top-tier explosives and narcotics detection dogs and dog teams that are effective in the ever changing dynamics of high risk environments. Using a consistent process, AK9I™ evaluates, selects, and procures multiple working dog breeds for dual-purpose (detection/patrol) canines and multi-purpose canines (MPC) and handler assignment.
We also train the prospective handlers and trainers who will utilize and work with these dogs. AK9I™ deploys its detection canines via certified “Teams” (either on-leash or off-leash) to serve specific client requirements with the utmost performance.
Our Training Facility and Headquarters Operations Center is comfortably nestled on 55 plus acres in rural Carrsville, VA. We also own an additional 116 acres less than four miles away in Zuni, VA with excellent training grounds and ample lodging for our students. Take a look at our facility grounds.

BASIC OBEDIENCE (25 HOURS):

Application of Principles of Conditioning (reward schedules, fixed and variable ratios and intervals) for the commands of “sit, stay, down, heel and come” walking in heel position and obstacle agility course. Utilizing Operant Conditioning methods, students are taught to condition the dogs to respond to basic verbal and hand commands and navigate the obstacle course using positive reinforcement methods.

PATROL DOG TRAINING AND CONDITIONING (95 HOURS):

Bite work, grip development, decoy mechanics and development, single and multi-person pursuit and apprehension, apprehension from a vehicle, apprehension with gunfire, vehicle extractions, handler protection, prisoner escorts, recalls and outs, tracking and trailing. Utilizing Operant Conditioning methods, students will condition their dogs to pursue, bite, hold and guard a decoy with and without gunfire under a multitude of conditions, locations and stimuli.

BASIC OBEDIENCE (25 HOURS)

Application of Principles of Conditioning (reward schedules, fixed and variable ratios and intervals) for the commands of “sit, stay, down, heel and come” walking in heel position and obstacle agility course. Utilizing Operant Conditioning methods, students are taught to condition the dogs to respond to basic verbal and hand commands and navigate the obstacle course using positive reinforcement methods.

DETECTOR DOG SEARCH PROCEDURES (110 HOURS):

Canine odor recognition protocol (4-hole variable, odor wall), practical application of detector dog handling search pattern and search procedures in buildings, vehicles, warehouses, stadiums offices, open areas parcels, luggage and bomb threat response protocols. Using operant conditioning methods, students are taught to condition a “green” dog to detect and passively respond to target odors in different environments.

DETECTOR DOG CERTIFICATION (25 HOURS)

Final certification of detector dog team in real world environments using North American Police Working Dog Association (NAPWDA) certification standards. Students will certify with their dog by demonstrating their dog’s ability to detect and respond with a passive response to the target odors. Students will also be able to identify their dog’s behavioral change when the dog is in the scent cone and working to source.

ACADEMICS (40 HOURS)

Orientation, canine safety, canine health care and grooming, canine kenneling and transportation, Principles of Conditioning, explosives and narcotics safety, storage and transportation. This segment of the course is designed to teach students safety practices in and around the kennels and safe handling and transportation of explosives and narcotics. Students are introduced to Operant Conditioning (reward schedules) and Classical conditioning (pairing of unconditioned and conditioned stimuli) escape training, the canine sensory spectrum and titration levels.

BASIC OBEDIENCE (25 HOURS)

Application of Principles of Conditioning (reward schedules, fixed and variable ratios and intervals) for the commands of “sit, stay, down, heel and come” walking in the heel position and obstacle agility course. Utilizing Operant Conditioning methods, student are taught to condition the dogs to respond to basic verbal and hand commands and navigate the obstacle course using positive reinforcement methods.

DETECTOR DOG SEARCH PROCEDURES (110 HOURS)

canine odor recognition protocol (4-hole variable, odor wall), Practical application of detector dog handling search pattern and search procedures in buildings, vehicles, warehouses, stadiums offices, open areas, parcels, luggage and bomb threat response protocols. Using operant conditioning methods, students are taught to condition a “green” dog to detect and passively respond to target odors in different environments.

DETECTOR DOG CERTIFICATION (25 HOURS)

Final certification of detector dog team in real world environments using North American Police Working Dog Association (NAPWDA) certification standards. Students will certify with their dog by demonstrating their dog’s ability to detect and respond with a passive response to the target odors. Students will also be able to identify their dog’s behavioral change when the dog is in the scent cone and working to source.

PATROL DOG CERTIFICATION (25 HOURS)

Final certification of detector dog team in real world environments using North American Police Working Dog Association (NAPWDA) certification standards. Students will demonstrate their dog’s ability to pursue, bite, hold and guard a decoy with and without gunfire under a multitude of conditions, locations and stimuli.

DETECTOR DOG SEARCH PROCEDURES (65 HOURS):

Canine odor recognition protocol (4-hole variable, odor wall), Practical application of detector dog handling search pattern and search procedures in buildings, vehicles, warehouses, stadiums offices, open areas, parcels, luggage and bomb threat response protocols. Using operant conditioning methods, students are taught to condition a “green” dog to detect and passively respond to target odors in different environments.

ACADEMICS (40 HOURS):

Orientation, canine safety, canine health care and grooming, canine kenneling and transportation, Advanced Principles of Conditioning, explosives and narcotics safety, storage and transportation. This segment of the course is designed to teach students safety practices in and around the kennels and safe handling and transportation of explosives and narcotics. Students are introduced to Advanced methods of Operant (reward schedules) and Classical conditioning (pairing of unconditioned and conditioned stimuli) escape training, the canine sensory spectrum and titration levels.

BASIC AND ADVANCED OBEDIENCE (65 HOURS):

Application of Advanced Principles of Conditioning (reward schedules, fixed and variable ratios and intervals) for the commands of “sit, stay, down, heel and come” (all commands are given off-leash) and obstacle agility course (on-leash and off-leash), long downs, vertical/horizontal carries, ladder climbs, window entries and tactical movements, off-leash send-outs, wagon wheels and T-Patterns. Utilizing Operant Conditioning methods, student are taught to condition the dogs to respond to advanced verbal and hand commands and navigate the obstacle course using positive reinforcement methods.

DETECTOR DOG SEARCH PROCEDURES (235 HOURS):

Canine odor recognition protocol (4 hole variable, odor wall), Vapor Pressure (the scent cone), factors affecting the scent cone, e.g., wind, humidity ambient temperature, convection and terrain, advanced application of detector dog handling search patterns and search procedures in buildings, vehicles, warehouses, stadiums offices, open areas, theaters, parcels, luggage and bomb threat response protocols. Off-leash distance casting and control, shooting a line and orbiting. Using advanced operant conditioning methods, students are taught to condition a “green” dog to detect and passively respond to target odors in different environments. Students are also taught how to overcome cognitive dissonance utilizing advanced techniques for behavior shaping and modification as well as receiving Instructor Development, Electronic collar and K9 Selection training.

DETECTOR DOG CERTIFICATION (25 HOURS):

Final certification of detector dog team in real world environments using North American Police Working Dog Association (NAPWDA) certification standards. Students will certify with their dog by demonstrating their dog’s ability to detect and respond with a passive response to the target odors. Students will also be able to identify their dog’s behavioral change when the dog is in the scent cone and working to source.

PATROL DOG TRAINING AND CONDITIONING (130 HOURS):

Overview of bite work, grip development, pursuit and apprehension and gunfire stimuli. canine team selection (how to evaluate both the dog and handler), breeding programs, puppy rearing and evaluation, initial bite work and grip development for puppies, advanced animal behavior (physiological and psychological factors),kenneling, kennel operations and kennel management, training operations and situational problem-solving, advanced tracking and trailing with drop articles, multiple turns and cross-tracks. Door breeching with and without flash bangs. Utilizing Operant Conditioning methods, students will condition their dogs to pursue, bite, hold and guard a decoy with and without gunfire under a multitude of conditions, locations and stimuli.

PATROL DOG CERTIFICATION (25 HOURS):

Final certification of detector dog team in real world environments using North American Police Working Dog Association (NAPWDA) certification standards. Students will demonstrate their dog’s ability to pursue, bite, hold and guard a decoy with and without gunfire under a multitude of conditions, locations and stimuli.

PATROL DOG TRAINING AND CONDITIONING (60 HOURS):

The primary purpose of this course of instruction is to prepare canine teams for integration into the tactical operations of law enforcement as a nonlethal option. Bite work, grip development, decoy mechanics and development, single and multi-person pursuit and apprehension, apprehension from a vehicle (bailouts), apprehension with gunfire, vehicle extractions, handler protection, prisoner escorts, recalls and outs, tracking and trailing and building search/working “in the stack.” Utilizing Operant Conditioning methods, students will condition their dogs to pursue, bite, hold and guard a decoy with and without gunfire under a multitude of conditions, locations and stimuli.

ACADEMICS (40 HOURS)

Orientation, canine safety, canine health care and grooming, canine kenneling and transportation, Principles of Conditioning, explosives and narcotics safety, storage and transportation. This segment of the course is designed to teach students safety practices in and around the kennels and safe handling and transportation of explosives and narcotics.Students are introduced to Operant conditioning (reward schedules) and Classical conditioning (pairing of unconditioned and conditioned stimuli) escape training, the canine sensory spectrum and titration levels.