Florida Law Enforcement Canine Association Patrol Certification

The Florida Law Enforcement Canine Association Patrol Certification consists of five phases.

Certification Requirements:

The K-9 team must pass all phases except either the area search or the building search to receive the Patrol Certificate.

The five phases are:

1. Obedience
2. Criminal Apprehension
3. Call Off
4. Building Search
5. Area Search

• The K-9 team must pass the obedience phase first to continue certification.
• Certification may be terminated at any time if the Certifying Officials determine the dog is not under control.
• The dog must wear only on-duty equipment.
• If electric collars are worn, the handler must give the transmitter to the officials, and the receiver must be turned off.
• Two (2) Certifying Officials must be present for certification.
• If the K-9 team fails any portion of the test, they may re-test the failed portion within 5 days. The team must wait 48 hours before re-testing.
• If the team does not certify within 5 days, they must perform the entire test again.
• The agency requesting certification must provide a decoy, equipment, and certification locations.

Phase 1: Obedience

Objectives:

• The K-9 team must heel in different directions while remaining under control at the handler’s side.
• The test consists of off-lead exercises.

Testing Criteria:

The dog will heel on a course with:

• Two left turns
• Two right turns
• One about-face
• Three straight legs with a turn at the end of each (minimum 20 yards per leg).
• A .38 caliber blank gun will be fired at some point during the heeling phase by an unseen helper (100-150 feet away).
• At the midpoint of the final leg, the dog must perform a sit, stand, or down in motion while the handler continues walking.
• The handler will command the dog to two different positions using verbal or hand commands.
• The test ends when the handler calls the dog to a heel position.

Pass/Fail Criteria:

• The dog must stay under control at the handler’s side.
• The dog must correctly respond to three out of four commands (one in motion, two different distance positions, and recall to heel).
• Minimal forging or lagging is allowed and will not be considered a failure.

Phase 2: Criminal Apprehension

Purpose:

• To test the dog’s ability to apprehend a suspect by biting and holding until released by command.

Release Criteria:

The dog must:

• Respond to the handler’s release command (limit of four commands).
• Release the bite.
• Remain alert and ready to respond to movement.

Procedure:

1. The dog is deployed off-lead.
2. The decoy (wearing protective gear) appears 30 yards away.
3. The handler issues two verbal announcements. After the first, the decoy begins jogging away. After the second, the handler deploys the dog.
4. The dog pursues and bites the decoy.
5. The decoy stops moving and complies when ordered.
6. The handler commands the dog to release.
7. Upon release, the handler chooses to leave the dog in a guard position or recall to heel.

Pass/Fail Criteria:

• The dog must stay on the bite until commanded to release.
• The dog must release the bite with no more than four commands while the handler is at least 10 feet away.
• The dog must not re-engage before the handler takes control.

Phase 3: Call Off

Purpose:

• To assess the dog’s ability to disengage, recall, or detain a suspect on command.

Procedure:

1. The exercise takes place in a 100-yard by 40-yard area with multiple hiding spots.
2. The decoy emerges 40 yards away and begins jogging.
3. The dog pursues on command.
4. When the decoy surrenders, the handler commands the dog to:
5. Disengage – The dog stops pursuit and stays in place until the handler takes control.

• Recall – The dog returns to the handler.
• Detain – The dog approaches and holds position (sit/down/stand) while barking without making contact.

Pass/Fail Criteria:

• The dog must pursue the decoy.
• The dog must not make aggressive contact with the decoy when called off or detaining.
• The dog must travel a minimum of 10 yards before being recalled.

Phase 4: Building Search

Purpose:

• To simulate a suspect hiding inside a building to avoid apprehension.

Testing Criteria:

The building size must be 1,000-1,500 square feet (e.g., residence, warehouse, office).

The decoy will:

• Hide for at least 10 minutes before testing begins.
• Be in a safe hiding spot with no protective equipment.
• Enter the building via a route different from the K-9 entry point.

Procedure:

• The handler follows department policy for announcements before deployment.
• The dog searches off-lead with on-duty equipment.
• The dog’s indication of the decoy must be obvious.
• The test ends when the handler calls the decoy’s location and takes control of the dog.

Pass/Fail Criteria:

• The certifying official selects a building type based on availability.
• The search must be challenging yet fair.

Phase 5: Area Search

Purpose:

• To simulate a suspect fleeing into an open area with multiple hiding spots.

Testing Criteria:

The search area must be 150 ft. × 150 ft..

The decoy will:

• Hide at least 10 minutes before testing.
• Be completely concealed with no bite equipment.

Procedure:

• The dog may search on or off lead using on-duty equipment.
• The handler follows department policy for announcements before deployment.
• The dog’s indication of the decoy must be obvious.
• The test ends when the handler calls the decoy’s location and takes control of the dog.

Pass/Fail Criteria:

• The certifying official selects an appropriate search area based on availability.
• The test must be fair yet challenging.

Final Notes:

• Certification is Pass/Fail for all phases.
• If a K-9 team fails any part, they may re-test within five (5) days.
• If certification is not completed within five (5) days, the full test must be repeated.