K9 Behavior Basics: A Manual for Proven Success in Operational Service Dog Training

Understand dog behavior to work with, not against, your K9’s instincts.

Learn how to:

• Recognize and interpret your K9’s expressions, gestures and signals.
• Use operant conditioning to efficiently and humanely train K9s.
• Plan and execute effective K9 training programs for search and detection, patrol, remote guided camera, attack, and more.

The art and science of training police, military and other service dogs continue to evolve as we learn more about dog behavior. In this revised edition of K9 Behavior Basics, expert dog trainers Dr. Resi Gerritsen, Ruud Haak and Simon Prins share the essentials every trainer needs to know about these advances in K9 training. You’ll learn how to successfully implement or improve your dogs’ training programs using operant conditioning.

The authors outline key concepts in dog behavior and communication and provide practical approaches to operant conditioning. They share proven techniques and solid advice from their more than thirty years of specialized K9 experience. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned pro staying up-to-date, K9 Behavior Basics has something for you.

Dr. Resi Gerritsen, a psychologist and jurist, is an international judge for the International Rescue Dog Organisation (IRO) and the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI). Along with her late husband, Ruud Haak, and other colleagues in Austria, Resi developed a new method for training search-and-rescue dogs that revolutionized the field after producing stellar results in disaster zones around the world. She still trains her dogs for search and rescue, detection work, and Schutzhund.

Ruud Haak was the author of more than 30 dog books in Dutch, German, and English, and for over 40 years he was the editor-in-chief of the biggest Dutch dog magazine, Onze Hond (Our dog). Ruud travelled the world with his wife, Dr. Resi Gerritsen, teaching their unique methods to police departments, search-and-rescue organizations, and other dog trainers. He passed away in 2023.

Simon Prins is known for introducing operant conditioning to the police K9 training world. For the last 25 years, he has worked in K9 special operations, skillfully trained dogs for special operations missions, and mastered the art of using robotics and sensors with dogs to perform such tasks successfully. He is currently working with the Netherlands Police Agency.