Whether you’re already a leader in your field, just starting out, or somewhere in between, there is something to learn at K9 Solutions Australia's Working Dog Symposium 2019.
At K9 Solutions Australia, we think the future of working dog training and superior outcomes are intrinsically linked with quality education. That's why we've created the best working dog symposium in the country, an exercise in mind broadening and skill sharpening. Six days of education, observation and participation to help you bring something different to your current K9 training programs and achieve better results.
Our expert instructors will lead engaging, in-depth sessions of applied learning, inspiring you to broaden your field of vision and challenge the traditional notion of working dog training. We'll share experiences, training methods and lessons learned so you can increase your capacity to think outside the box and achieve incredible and unmatched results.
Our instructors have the most comprehensive, functional and diverse knowledge of working dog training practices in Australia and have created a program that offers an extraordinary level of engagement, focusing on critical areas of working dog training that deliver strong take away value for attendees.
Practical and theory topics covered utilising a ‘stand’/’round robin’ system:
We’ve sourced an awesome venue, created an incredible program, locked in outstanding experts, working on an additional expert instructor and an amazing guest speaker will be announced soon. It's all coming together beautifully and it will be the working dog symposium you will not want to miss.
We are shamelessly proud of the calibre of instructors that will be at the symposium, each bringing a high level of expertise to the training experience and eager to pass on their valuable knowledge. All instructors have delivered K9 training programs over many years across a broad range of specialisations, including criminal tracking and apprehension, detection of firearms, explosives, drugs and human scent tracking.
We've gathered an exclusive team of highly qualified, international working dog trainers to come share their extensive real world experience in K9 handling and training. We only work with others that we have first hand knowledge of, and like ourselves, our international guests are equally committed in raising the standard of working dog training in Australia and overseas.
Mark Wynn is a well versed trainer from numerous disciplines of dog work and has worked and trained in all areas of Police Service Dog, Military/Contract Working Dog, Search & Rescue, as well as Sport, which he has applied all over the world. Mark worked for the Phelps County Sheriffs Department as a K9 Deputy/Trainer and was awarded Outstanding Handler of the Year for the State of Missouri by the Missouri Police Canine Association in 2007.
In 2005, Mark started training his own Police Service Dogs to strive to provide better working dogs to Departments and kennels in the United States. He specialised in the selection and training of green dogs, as well as training Police Service Dogs in all phases of Patrol work and Narcotic/Explosive Detection, as well as dogs for Search and Rescue.
Mark has served as a Kennel Master and Trainer in both Iraq, Afghanistan and Jordan (at the King Abdullah Special Operations Training Centre) supporting the United States Department of State and Department of Defence fight the war on terror. While in Iraq, Mark was the Senior Kennel Master for the world’s largest K9 contract, managing 103 Explosive Dogs at the Baghdad Embassy. Mark also served as a trainer for the European Union Customs K9 Officers in the area of detection.
Mark spent two years in Slovakia and Europe training and studying with civilian trainers and Military/Police Trainers and is the only American to ever study and complete Argalasov Dvor Trainers School and Decoy/Helper School in Slovakia. Mark also served as a trainer for members of the United States Special Operations Command K9 Multi Purpose Canine Teams.
Matt Broad has been a sworn peace officer since 1996 and currently works as an Inspector with the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office in California.
Matt was previously employed with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office where he worked his Bloodhound, K9 Morgan, from 2004 to 2013. While working K9 Morgan, Matt was also a member of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office's SWAT Team where he functioned as a K9 Handler, Entry Team member and Sniper Team member. In his nine year K9 career, Matt and K9 Morgan worked a wide variety of cases including escaped inmates, search and rescue missions, fleeing suspects and tactical tracking.
Matt and K9 Morgan trained all over the country including, but not limited to California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, and New York. He has worked with a wide variety of trainers and handers and has subsequently developed a conservative method of working his dog that produced actual walk-up finds during his deployments.
In addition to his work with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, Matt and K9 Morgan were featured twice, in 2007 & 2010, on the hit Discovery television show Mythbusters, wherein they were tested numerous times by the show’s hosts.
Ben has 16 years experience as a qualified Military Working Dog Handler in both the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force. Ben's last role was as K9 Trainer/Developer with the Special Operations Command.
Ben raised and developed a large number of dogs from pups through to adults that have gone on to be both certified as military working dogs and Special Operations Military Working Dogs within the Special Operations Command. Through his previous role as developer within the Royal Australian Air Force Canine Breeding Program and Canine Development Cell, Ben knows what to look for in a dog, so much so he was sent by the Royal Australian Air Force to the United States to bring back some of the next generation of military working dogs.
Ben achieved many things whilst in the armed forces, including winning the Instructors Award on the Basic Royal Australian Air Force K9 Course, recipient of the 2002 Bill Perrett Trophy awarded to the top dog team in the Royal Australian Air Force, developer within the Air Force Canine Development Cell, trainer with the Military Working Dog Training Flight and instructor on the Special Operations Military Working Dogs Courses. Ben twice served in Dog Team Deployments to East Timor.
Since leaving the armed forces, Ben co-founded K9 Solutions Australia with fellow instructor Jason Kelly, specialising in providing K9 training services to military, law enforcement and security related organisations. K9SA have provided services to the Queensland Police, Victoria Police, Victoria Police's Special Operations Group, Western Australia Police and the Australian Army.
Ben has worked with the likes of Hilliard [US DoD], Gepken [KNPV] and Bernhard Flinks [German Police] and is a NePoPo® Gold School Graduate. NePoPo® is the revolutionary dog training method created by internationally acclaimed and renowned trainer Bart Bellon, considered by many as the father of modern canine training.
Jason worked for 9 years as a qualified Military Working Dog Handler in the Royal Australian Air Force and was recognised for outstanding achievements throughout his defence career. His last role was as Kennel Master at the Royal Australian Air Force Canine Development Cell Program, which ran a large number of dogs at any one time. Jason served in a Dog Team Deployment to East Timor and K9 Trainer deployment to Afghanistan within the Special Operations Task Group.
For 3 years Jason served as a K9 Trainer/Developer with the Special Operations Command and was Instructor on multiple Special Operations Command Combat Military Working dogs Courses.
Achievements include winning the Dux Award for overall Top Dog Team on Basic Royal Australian Air Force K9 Course, Top Dog Team of the Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin Dog Section 2008-2009, second for the 2009 Bill Perrett Trophy and recipient of the 2010 Bill Perrett Trophy, awarded to the top dog team in the Royal Australian Air Force.
Jason was an Instructor on the Queensland Police SERT K9 Workshop and implemented and operated the initial Special Operations Command Pup Foster Care Program. He also has participated in the Franco Angelini Decoy Seminar and the Randy Hare Odour Detection Seminar and is a NePoPo® Gold School Graduate.
$2,200 (GST inclusive) per person for the full week of the symposium. This price is inclusive of accommodation and all meals whilst at the Bindoon Training Area (symposium location).
Demountable accommodation with air-conditioning and bunk beds provided - participants need to supply own sleeping bag, pillow and/or linen.
All meals and accommodation outside the symposium dates are at the personal cost of participants.
Australian Defence Force personnel will receive a discount on overall price to compensate for meals.
Payment for participation via bank account *bank details given upon participation approval via email. Payments are to be finalised by no later than 30 April 2019.
Interested in learning more about the symposium? Just like our training and dogs, our customer support is the best in the biz. You're not going to hit a ridiculously long phone menu when you call us. Your email isn't going to the in-box abyss, never to be seen or heard from again. At K9 Solutions Australia, we provide the service we'd want to experience ourselves.
Send us an e-mail at k9solutionsaustralia@outlook.com if you have any questions about the symposium. Old fashioned phone calls work too, so if you prefer to speak with someone directly, give us a call on 0421 087 223. If you don't get an answer immediately, we may be knee deep in dogs, so we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
The interest has been through the roof and spaces are limited, so register to secure your position so you don't miss out. Whether you take what you learn back to your team or bring your whole team, you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity to learn, connect, and collaborate with your peers and leading experts.