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Nationally trusted online training since 2011

Mission-Ready K9 Starts Here.

Get certified with essential SAR K9 training - built by responders, for the real world.

  • 100% Online & Self-Paced
  • Aligned with Standards
  • Built for serious K9 Handlers
"This training was the solid foundation I needed and the credentials my team required.  Perfect." 

~ New K9 Handler, Tennessee

This isn’t a YouTube playlist or general SAR overview. It’s a targeted, high-utility training path for new and emerging SAR canine handlers.

Whether you’re just joining a team, transitioning from training to field work, or need recognized documentation for common requirements, this bundle delivers:

  • 8 mission-tested courses
  • 4 printable field tools
  • Self-paced access + Completion Certificate

If your SAR team doesn’t offer structured onboarding - or if you’re expected to arrive ready - this program helps you bridge the gap.


🐾 What You’ll Learn

This bundle brings together several core courses tailored to the real-world needs of K9 handlers and their support personnel. Topics include:

  • Understanding scent theory and canine behavior
  • Deployment best practices and handler responsibilities
  • Safety, first aid, and scene coordination
  • Communications and documentation
  • Clue awareness and SAR field protocols

💡 Completion of all included courses earns your K9 Handler Essentials Certificate of Completion.


📘 Included Courses

1. Search and Rescue (SAR) Fundamentals
Build a strong operational foundation in SAR missions, terminology, and team-based field response practices.

2. Responder Risk Management and L.C.E.S.
Learn how to identify and mitigate risk in SAR environments using the proven Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones (L.C.E.S.) model.

3. Bloodborne Pathogens Awareness for Responders
Understand how to recognize, prevent, and respond to bloodborne exposure threats while working in the field.

4. Hazardous Materials Awareness for SAR Responders and K9 Teams
Identify hazmat risks that may affect K9 teams and learn safe practices for detection, avoidance, and reporting.

5. Search Strategy for the Lost and Missing
Master essential concepts in lost person behavior and effective search planning to increase the likelihood of success.

6. Search and Rescue K9’s – Introduction
Explore the fundamentals of working with search dogs, including task types, training progression, and handler responsibilities.

7. Canine Behavior & Drives
Understand the key behavioral traits and drives that influence K9 search performance, motivation, and team fit.

8. Crime Scene & Evidence Preservation for Responders
Learn best practices to recognize, protect, and report evidence encountered during K9-assisted searches.

These courses are self-paced and available immediately upon enrollment.


🧰 Bonus Field Tools Included

In addition to the 8 self-paced courses, your enrollment also unlocks 4 exclusive, downloadable tools - perfect for printing, packing, or posting at your base of operations.

These mission-ready resources are designed to reinforce what you learn and keep critical concepts at your fingertips in the field:

📌 K9 Scent Theory – Field Visual Reference

Quickly understand how wind, terrain, and air movement shape scent cones and K9 zones of influence.

📋 Briefing & Debriefing Pocket Card

Use this compact guide to structure better pre-task briefings and post-mission reviews - boosting accountability, learning, and team cohesion.

🧠 S.E.A.R.C.H. Mental Model

A structured field framework to shape, reinforce, and troubleshoot the trained indication behaviors that define effective K9 victim location.

🧪 Training vs. Testing Reference Sheet

A practical guide to help K9 teams draw a clear line between foundational training and risky testing - so they build reliability, not shortcuts.

📥 These tools are instantly available in your MY Account > Downloads page upon enrollment - ready to print, pack, and use in the field.


⚠️ Certification Disclaimer

🚨 Important Note About Certification  This certificate confirms successful completion of the online training courses listed above. It is not a license, credential, or formal K9 deployment qualification.

Final readiness is always determined by your team, evaluator, or authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).


✅ Who This Is For

This training is ideal for: 

  • New K9 handlers joining a SAR team
  • Team leaders responsible for K9 safety and documentation
  • Volunteer responders supporting canine operations
  • Any SAR team member needing recognized training in core responder topics

What Do Your Peers Say?

Devin R.

K9 Team Leader

Clean, credible, and operationally useful.

These courses saved me hours of explaining the basics to new team members. They walk in with shared vocabulary, better instincts, and actual awareness of risk and evidence handling.

Carla M.

K9 Handler – Volunteer SAR Unit (Midwest)

Finally, training courses that actually speaks to K9 teams

The K9-specific content was spot-on - especially the scent theory and crime scene preservation. Our team now recommends this bundle for all new handlers before field deployment.


FAQ

Will this certificate make me deployable?

Not by itself. Field readiness requires in-person evaluation. This course prepares you for that step.

Will my team accept this certificate and training?

Great question - many already do.

Since 2011, TEAM Solutions online training has been trusted by hundreds of SAR volunteers, agency instructors, and first responders across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and beyond.

Courses are designed by Mike McKenna, a nationally credentialed SAR instructor with decades of experience training new responders online and in-person from the ground up - often starting with no prior background.

While there’s no single national registry for accepted SAR courses, our programs follow FEMA-aligned principles, ICS structure, and mission-tested practices.

All certificates can be supported with a course summary on request. If your team leader or training officer wants to review what’s covered, just let us know - we’re happy to provide the details.

Still unsure? Reach out here and we’ll help however we can.

Do I need to stay subscribed after I finish?

Only if you want to retain access to ongoing updates. The one-time option gives you lifetime access.

Are the courses consistent with national SAR best practices?

Yes. The content is aligned and integrated with ICS principles, responder safety, and practical doctrine.

 

What if I already completed some courses?

Your progress will transfer. Completing the full track will earn your certification.


You’re Closer to Mission Readiness Than You Think

Train with purpose. Certify with clarity. Respond with confidence.
You’re just a few hours away from the credentials and clarity your K9 team expects.

Join the K9 handlers building readiness the right way - online, on their terms.


Relied on by SAR team leaders and instructors across the U.S.
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