S.K.I.D.D.S. / CATS, KATTS and T-MACC are a unique one-of-a-kind K9 tactical course that is designed to educate and train K9 handlers, SWAT teams, Specialty Units, Patrol Officers and Correction Officers and the Military on the deployment of police dogs in a high risk patrol or SWAT Operation. You will participate in numerous slow and deliberate tactical training scenarios. Teams will learn the latest K9 searching methods, deployment and arrest techniques.

Training Classes Offered

Hands-On K9 Unit Training For Law Enforcement

S.K.I.D.D.S.

SWAT & K9’S INTERACTING DURING DEPLOYMENT SCHOOL

For my Master Instructor project in 1997 I designed the only California POST certified SWAT and K9 course, which brings SWAT and K9 teams together for organized training. The class is called S.K.I.D.D.S. which stands for SWAT & K9’s Interacting During Deployment School.

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For those that do not understand canines or have a misconception as to just how beneficial canines can be to a SWAT team, S.K.I.D.D.S. is the answer. The goal of this three day course will be to educate and train both canine handlers and the SWAT team members on the deployment of police service dogs in a SWAT operation.

At S.K.I.D.D.S. we will teach you approaches, entries, slow stealth and tactical team movements and searching techniques, safer arrest techniques along with team movement during live gunfire. The skills you will learn at S.K.I.D.D.S. will enhance your searching abilities and make your job safer and easier.

Open to all sworn police officers and military police who are currently members of their departments K9 unit or SWAT team. SWAT and K9 supervisors are encouraged to attend.

CATS

CAnine Tactical School

After searching with SWAT, I felt there should be very little difference in the way a patrol K9 team searches for a suspect, verses when SWAT and K9’s search for a suspect. I discovered there were no K-9 classes that taught these search tactics. So I designed CATS, which stands for CAnine Tactical School.

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CATS is for handlers and K9’s that need a little help before they train with their departments SWAT team. CATS is also for patrol K9 teams that don’t have a SWAT team, will never search with a SWAT team and need a class to improve their officer safety and searching techniques.

The same techniques that are taught at S.K.I.D.D.S. are taught at CATS.

CATS is open to all sworn police officers and military police who are currently members of their departments K9 unit or SWAT team. SWAT and K9 supervisor are encouraged to attend.

KATTS

K9 Tactical Tracking School

Tracking is arguably the most dangerous and complicated K9 skill in law enforcement due to the tremendous number of variables associated with searching for human odor in highly contaminated and complicated environments. Add officer safety to those variables and it becomes imperative that K9 teams utilize all available resources and training to reduce their lethal exposures.

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KATTS is designed for patrol officers, correction officers, SWAT operators and K9 teams with tracking dogs who hunt down dangerous suspects. KATTS will improve your formations, communications and arrest techniques while reducing their lethal exposures.

T-MACC

Tactical Movement and Clearing Course

T-MACC was created because we have seen a decline in basic movement, searching and clearing techniques in search teams. T-MACC is designed to refresh those fundamental perishable searching skills (without a dog) as well as develop more advanced searching skills to enhance officer safety.

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T-MACC is for ANY law enforcement officer who may be part of a search team, this would include new police recruits, patrol officers, reserve patrol officers, handlers, detectives, correction officers and new SWAT operators who have not been to SWAT school.

K9’s are a very important locating tool and should be utilized whenever possible. However, a lot of search teams depend too much on their dogs and forget how to move safely through a building to clear what the dog has already searched. A room or area is never clear until a human searches it, that’s why we devolved T-MACC.

T-MACC will emphasize the importance of angles, areas of responsibility, communication, different team movements, clearing and arrest techniques, as well as identifying hidden threats for search teams in a more concentrated effort to improve officer safety.

Schedule Your Training!

If traveling to a class is not an option, we can bring S.K.I.D.D.S. and CATS to you. We can modify the course to meet your department’s needs. We can even gear the class exclusively for K9 handlers.

Team Building

S.K.I.D.D.S.  /  CATS, KATTS and T-MACC you will participate in numerous slow and deliberate tactical training scenarios. Teams will learn the latest K9 searching methods, deployment and arrest techniques

Skill Development

Determine how your police dog functions and how they can be used to assist SWAT as well as in a patrol K9 search operation. Acquire the knowledge to select the proper police dog for your SWAT Team. Train as a team under realistic conditions before you are called out for a real deployment.

In-Field Training

Most of the training courses you attend as a police officer occur inside a classroom and require no physical exertion. This course will differ greatly because 70% of the class will be outside of the classroom doing practical application exercises.

California Agencies Who Have Attended S.K.I.D.D.S. & CATS:

  • Alameda County 
  • Anaheim
  • Amador Co SD
  • Banning
  • Benicia
  • Brea 
  • Beverly Hills 
  • Cathedral City
  • Carlsbad 
  • Chico 
  • Chino 
  • CHP 
  • Culver City 
  • Concord 
  • Costa Mesa 
  • Cypress 
  • Daly City 
  • El Monte 
  • Escondido 
  • El Segundo 
  • Elk Grove
  • Fresno
  •  Fresno County Sheriff’s 
  • Fremont 
  • Folsom 
  • Fullerton
  • Gardena 
  • Gilroy 
  • Glendora 
  • Hawthorne 
  • Huntington Beach 
  • Indio 
  • Irvine 
  • Kings Co 
  • Lompac 
  • Los Angeles County SD 
  • Lodi 
  • LA Housing Authority 
  • Livermore 
  • Merced Co
  • Newark 
  • Newport Beach 
  • Oakland 
  • Oceanside 
  • Ontario 
  • Orange Co SD 
  • Oxnard 
  • Pacifica 
  • Palm Springs 
  • Pinole 
  • Placentia 
  • Placerville 
  • Pleasanton 
  • Pleasant Hill 
  • Pomona 
  • Rialto 
  • Riverside 
  • Roseville 
  • San Bernardino
  • Salinas
  • San Diego 
  • Santa Cruz Co
  • Santa Monica 
  • Stockon 
  • Santa Ana 
  • Shafter 
  • San Francisco 
  • San Joaquin 
  • Simi Valley 
  • Sunnyvale 
  • Sacramento Co SD 
  • Sacramento PD 
  • Solano 
  • Torrance 
  • Tustin 
  • USBP Bortac 
  • Walnut Creek 
  • West Covina

Out of State and Country SWAT and K9 Handlers From:

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona 
  • Arkansas 
  • California 
  • Colorado 
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware 
  • Florida 
  • Georgia 
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Indiana 
  • Iowa 
  • Illinois 
  • Kansas 
  • Kentucky 
  • Louisiana 
  • Maryland 
  • Maine 
  • Massachusetts 
  • Michigan 
  • Minnesota 
  • Missouri 
  • Mississippi 
  • Nebraska
  •  Nevada
  • New Mexico 
  • New Hampshire 
  • New Jersey 
  • New York 
  • North Carolina 
  • North Dakota 
  • Ohio 
  • Oklahoma 
  • Oregon 
  • Pennsylvania 
  • Rhode Island 
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota 
  • South Dakota 
  • Texas 
  • Utah 
  • Virginia 
  • West Virginia 
  • Wisconsin 
  • Washington State 
  • Washington, DC 
  • Australia 
  • Brazil 
  • Canada 
  • Costa Rica

Recommended Equipment

Our Suggested Equipment for Dog Handlers and SWAT Team Members

For Dog Handlers

  • Police Dog and K9 unit
  • Uniform and Duty Gear
  • Duty weapon and 250 rounds of handgun ammo
  • Vest, Tactical Vest and Helmet
  • Flashlights
  • Muzzle
  • 30 foot leash
  • Collars
  • Large cotton balls
  • Gas Masks
  • Eyes and Ear protection
  • First Aid Equipment
  • Elbow and Knee Pads
  • Large amounts of drinking water for handler and dogs
  • Rain Gear
  • Bite Suit
  • Challenge Coin

For SWAT Team Members

  • SWAT Vehicle with your equipment (Optional)
  • SWAT Uniform
  • Duty weapon with approx. 100 rounds of handgun ammo and shoulder weapon with approx. 250 rounds of ammo
  • Vest, Tactical Vest and Helmet
  • Flashlights
  • Gas Mask
  • Eyes and Ear Protection
  • Ballistic Shield and Mirror
  • Elbow and Knee Pads
  • Radio Communications (Optional)
  • Drone or robot equipment (if operator present)
  • One Flash Bang – EDD per person
  • Large amounts of drinking water
  • Rain gear
  • Challenge Coin