Family First K9

12/26/2025

We are honored to join the distinguished group of instructors at the upcoming Police K-9 magazine conference.

12/24/2025

11/21/2025

One of the most common questions we get is: “How do I start my dog in competition heeling, and do I train anything differently if I’m doing both obedience and scentwork?”
The truth is—you can have it all with the right approach. When you create clarity and build genuine value for each behavior, your dog learns how to excel in multiple disciplines without confusion.

In this video, we visit Mike Diehl and get a behind-the-scenes look at how he develops young dogs for high-level work. If you’re interested in IGP or want to see more of his training, make sure to check out his channel for additional IGP-focused content.

Stay tuned for our monthly video series on raising a working puppy, where we’ll be answering all your questions throughout the series.

Unlock Your Puppy’s Full Potential! In this exciting video, we explore the essential stages of puppy development, focusing on sport-focused heeling and rear...

11/18/2025

This week we visited a friend and well-known IGP competitor to launch our puppy development series. Here is a short clip from an upcoming video. Obedience 101: Engagement & Rear-End Awareness for Heeling.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

11/14/2025

It’s an honor to be included among the lineup of 40+ world-class instructors at this year’s Police K9 Conference. Being part of training and educating handler teams and trainers from around the world is truly something I’m grateful for. Excited to share, learn, and help teams grow!

‼️INSTRUCTOR SPOTLIGHT‼️
Jeremy McLaughlin

Class: Enhancing Detection: The Essential Role of Maintenance Training

Jeremy McLaughlin is a seasoned professional in the field of canine handling, boasting over 24 years of experience with the Department of Corrections. He is also the proud owner of Resolute Detection Services. Jeremy supervises civilian detection trails aimed at generating funds for agency needs. He holds various roles including drug beat evaluator, and serves as a judge for several organizations including NACSW, AKC Scentwork, and CPE CSS.

Jeremy’s unique experience, which bridges the realms of civilian and law enforcement, positions him as a sought-after trainer, as he possesses deep insights into what truly drives canine behavior.

To learn more about Jeremy and his classes, click here!
https://www.policek9magazine.com/jeremy-mclaughlin/

Join us and Jeremy at the 12th Annual International Police K-9 Conference & Vendor Show in
Las Vegas, Nevada - March 10th, 11th & 12th - 2026

Register Now!
https://www.policek9magazine.com/conference/

If you have any questions, contact us!
(270) 534-0500 or email us at
[email protected]

11/11/2025

Client Spotlight: Shelly & Archer

We want to take a minute to brag on one of our amazing ScentWork students — Shelly Johnston and her dog, Archer!

When we first met Shelly and Archer two years ago, Archer was extremely environmentally sensitive. New buildings would shut him down, slick floors scared him, noises made him freeze, and he was unsure around people.

But through hard work, patience, and the power of ScentWork, Shelly helped Archer find confidence and purpose. By building value to odor, desensitizing him to distractions, and using task-driven focus to increase dopamine, they’ve completely transformed.

Now, Archer walks into new environments with confidence — focused, happy, and ready to work. Together, they’ve become a powerful team and a perfect example of how scent-based training can change a dog’s life.

This past weekend, Shelly and Archer competed at another ScentWork trial in Springfield, Illinois, and once again, they did amazing!

Shelly and Archer are living proof of what dedication and proper training can accomplish. They may not brag on themselves — but we sure will. We’re incredibly proud of how far they’ve come!

10/11/2025

Even with distractions, crowds, and intentional lures, she stays locked on the target scent. The only way she gets paid? Staying on source!

10/06/2025

Over the past two years, we’ve put in over 200 hours of continuing education and hands-on training — all focused on becoming the best trainers, handlers, and educators we can be.

From canine first aid to behavior modification and motivation, humane and effective E-collar use, animal behavior, building searches and integration work, and even canine legal updates, we’ve made it our mission to keep learning and refining our craft.

Because great training doesn’t happen by accident — it comes from constant growth, education, and a passion for helping dogs and their families succeed. 🐾💪

10/01/2025

The latest issue of K9 Cop Magazine is out, and I’m honored to have my second article published!

My piece, Enhancing Detection, dives into the importance of maintenance training—one of the most requested classes I teach at conferences and for agencies across the country. In it, I share why consistent training matters and how using multiple approaches can help handlers and their dogs reach their goals more effectively.

Check it out in the new issue of K9 Cop Magazine!

09/26/2025

Our latest video is up on YouTube and we are bringing your a behind the scenes view of the latest products that will enhance your training.

Description:We’re giving you an exclusive first look at three brand-new K9BSD products:🐾 Dopamine Box🐾 Position Box🐾 Puppy Dopamine BoxWe’ll show you how ...

09/25/2025

We love getting updates from those that train with us. A few days ago Brenda notified us that a dog we bred is now the fastest German Shepherd in akc fast cat. Here are a few pics of her in action plus a few of her newest puppy from our friends at Mountaineer K9 Services.

09/21/2025

🎉 Big Congratulations to Brenda Murray & Neera! 🎉

We’re thrilled to share that Neera — daughter of our very own Rome (who many of you have seen competing at trials and performing live demos at conferences nationwide) — is now the fastest German Shepherd in AKC Fast CAT!

Huge kudos to Brenda and Neera for their hard work and dedication. We can’t wait to see what this amazing team accomplishes next! 👏🐕💙