This class will work very fresh tracks with a lot of help for the handler. Will work on establishing a reward system. Will work on motivation. For new handlers, or experienced handlers with a new dog.

ROB GLINKA: Rob is currently the Sergeant of the McLean County Illinois EMA K9 team and has been a trailing dog handler for 8 years. Rob has previously been an instructor for Beginning SAR Trailing with SDONA. He believes all dog training should use evidence-based methods, with a strong emphasis on positive reinforcement, and targeted, specific goals-based drills. Rob believes that strong emphasis should be placed on the fundamentals of trailing throughout the career of both the K9 and handler, with self-discovery and motivational drills encompassing the majority of the training.

For dog that is progressing well in normal training, but needs help in certain situations and will benefit from new or more difficult scenarios. The handler would benefit from help reading the dog in all situations.
  
Kevin Kidwell: Kevin’s career as an emergency responder led to his passion as a K-9 trailing handler and trainer. For 25 years, Kevin served as an advanced emergency medical technician, firefighter, and firefighter instructor in the Benton, LA Fire Department. In 2008, Kevin began working with K-9s and became a member of both the Shreveport Fire Department K-9 and Ark-LA-Tex K-9 Search and Rescue Teams. Kevin has earned certifications from NOCDS, US Man Trailing, and AMPWADA and in 2017, began instructing for US Man Trailing. Upon retirement from the Fire Department in 2021, Kevin continued as a K-9 handler and trainer while also serving as a part-time Safety Officer at the LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport and Reserve Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Deputy. Kevin has been an instructor at multiple seminars and training events throughout the county and is currently training his fourth K-9. Although he owns Bloodhounds, Kevin has learned to read most breeds. Kevin lives in Stonewall, LA with his wife and two sons and continues to assist in K-9 search and rescue operations with local, state, and federal agencies throughout Louisiana and Texas.

“I am grateful and fortunate for the opportunity to teach and pass on what has been taught to me.”  

For dog and handler teams that are working confidently on a variety of surfaces, distances, and ages of track. They may need a bit of debugging on certain types of trails.

CHARLIE DOUTHETT: SGT. Charlie Douthett
Kouts, IN police officer 1987-1988
Porter Co. Sheriff’s Dept 1989-2008; 2011-current
Duty assignments: Patrol Division Sergeant, Assistant Bomb Squad Commander and Tactical Explosive Breacher, Indiana Law Enforcement Academy Certified Instructor, Bloodhound Handler/Trainer
Bloodhound Team assignments include: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Bloodhound Response Team, FBI Hostage Rescue Team Canine Assistance Program.
Police Bloodhound cases include: Homicide investigations in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri,
Kansas, Montana, and Mississippi. The team has assisted numerous Police and Sheriff
departments and federal agencies including the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Charlie has been instrumental in creating a renewed interest in the use of canines and scent
evidence for explosive and arson incidents. His handout on reading your dog and scent
discrimination training has been used by K9 teams all across the US. In 2003 he and his partner “Sam” were selected as 1 of 11 Bloodhound teams from across the U.S. to participate in scientific experiments conducted at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Bloodhound Research Workshop, held at the FBI Academy in Quantico. Charlie trained with the late Glenn Rimbey and also Jerry Yelk.

Jason Greene and Charlie are currently teaching at seminars across the US and also conducting
classes for the Northern Indiana Law Enforcement Academy training patrol dog handlers the art
of reading their dogs and scent work.

JASON GREENE: Jason began his career working with dogs in 2002 with the Lake County Sheriff’s Police Department. He was assigned the department’s only bloodhound. Bloodhound Elvis was trained in Mantrailing by Jason and through relentless miles behind Elvis in both training and live police cases, Jason and Elvis were successful in finding the lost and missing as well as the “runaway” criminals. Due to health issues with K9 Elvis it was necessary to have him laid to rest, unfortunately. K9 Buster was immediately acquired by Jason and again with relentless miles and countless hours behind Buster, the two were successful in numerous finds to include providing key evidence to a murder being investigated by the Illinois State Police Major Crimes Task Force.

In 2004 Jason chose to up his game, and resigned from the Sheriff’s Department, to further his experience with working dogs. Jason joined a Private Security Company contracted to provide close protection for the United States Department of State in Iraq. From 2004 to 2007 Jason played a key role in the company’s Explosive Detector Dog Program. Jason was part of a number of “startup” details which required his tireless effort to mold his K9 experience to meet the needs of small Close Protection Details that worked in remote areas throughout Iraq with little to no resources to count on. Jason, his dog Emma and another K9 Team were part of a detail tasked with gathering evidence of the “Anfal”, the genocide against the Kurdish people of northern Iraq.

Jason moved on to southern Iraq with his personally owned Explosive Detector Dog Deacon in 2005 to assist with the democratic rebuilding of the area, again a “startup” site. During that time Jason was also tasked with training, and supervising the “Static Security Force” of 15 Chilean Nationals assigned to assist in protecting government personnel in the performance of their duties throughout all of southern Iraq.

Through Jason’s tenacious work ethic, loyalty and dedication to the company’s efforts to provide the absolute best to the Client’s contracted to work for, he was placed into the position of Kennel Master in the Baghdad area of operations. Jason was charged with the everyday training, maintaining, and deployment of 30 dog teams in and around Baghdad. Jason was also a key to effectively moving teams to the company’s “satellite” sites and coordinating all logistics in and out of the country.

In late 2007, Jason and his dog Deacon were employed by a commuter railroad police department that operates throughout Northwest Indiana into downtown Chicago. Jason and Deacon have assisted numerous local agencies in both Explosives Detection searches and criminal apprehensions. During the2008 presidential campaign throughout northwest Indiana Deacon’s Explosives Detection abilities were tested regularly. 2012’s NATO summit in hidalgo was a logistic nightmare for the commuter railroad that Jason and Deacon worked for. It would be easier to count the hours the two were NOT working.

In 2013 Jason received a young pup that he trained to be a Dual-Purpose Explosives Detection Dog.

Jason has been a Trainer for American Police Canine Association and has been an Indiana Law Enforcement Instructor.

Through Greene Dog Consulting LLC that Jason owns and operates, he works with both civilians and Law Enforcement. GDCLLC has helped numerous LE seminars in Trailing with Charlie Douthett along with other specialty courses for LE. GDCLLC holds regular Stability, Control, Obedience Group Training assisting handlers with gaining control of their pups, all breeds, all ages, all levels of handling.

Jason has been assisting Charlie Douthett with presenting information about trailing since 2007 for numerous search and rescue seminars with a number of different organizations.

For dog and handler teams that are working confidently on a variety of surfaces, distances, and ages of track. They may need a bit of debugging on certain types of trails.

CORBIN HODGE: Corbin is a K9 Handler and Instructor for East Texas Search and Rescue and United States Mantrailing Association. Corbin has worked major cases of Federal escapees, homicides and various lost and missing persons. Working with law enforcement at National, state and Local levels. Corbin has worked bloodhounds for 24 years. Corbin has taught over 100 mantrailing K-9 all-breed seminars across the nation.

JAMIE HODGE: Jamie is a K9 Handler and Instructor for East Texas Search and Rescue and United States Mantrailing Association. Jamie has worked major cases of Federal escapees, homicides and various lost and missing persons. Working with law enforcement at National, State and Local levels. Jamie has worked bloodhounds for 25 years. Jamie has taught mantrailing K-9 all-breed seminars across the nation.

The dog and handler should be at an advanced level. Trails will be set entirely in an urban environment. Teams will work through problems on highly contaminated hard-surface trails.

ROBIN HOUSTON: Robin worked in law enforcement for 29 years with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department retiring at the rank of Major. After retirement, she served within the KCPD Canine Unit as a reserve for five years. Robin has volunteered with the Missouri Search and Rescue K9 Unit for twenty years. She has certified canines in the disciplines of live find area search, scent specific trailing, and human remains detection. Currently, Robin has a bloodhound certified in scent specific trailing and a border collie certified in human remains detection. She believes that it is important for tenured handlers to help others in their journey to become proficient in disciplines within search and rescue.

TODD RAAK: Todd has been involved with Search and Rescue since 2015. He trained and nationally certified with his bloodhound Letti multiple times, and deployed on numerous searches with her. He worked as search manager, and assisted with the training of other K9s in various disciplines relating to search and rescue. He completed all required course work - NIMS, First Aid/CPR (Certified), Hazmat, Crime Scene Preservation and Search Management. He was active with the search team until 2019 when he stepped away from the search team to focus on a new career position. He continued to help work and train dogs with his wife who is also an active K9 handler and trainer.

Todd is currently a trainer and evaluator for man-trailing with AMPWDA, organizing trainings and setting up evaluations during workshops and national conferences. His passion for trailing and K9s is obvious to anyone he meets. His preferred teaching style involves breaking things down into individual components/steps, allowing the dog/handler teams to successfully put the pieces together. He is an excellent communicator and enjoys sharing his knowledge with other handlers and watching dogs work.

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