Transferring K-9 Aggression Training to Reality: Steve Sprouse

In 1989 Steve was shot and seriously wounded in a K-9 deployment because his dog did not bite and HOLD a suspect as was expected. Before this incident, the same dog had the reputation of having the hardest bite and hold in K-9 school. But in reality the dog did not always display the same aggression on the street. After the incident and recovery, Steve committed himself to finding the causes and remedies to many aggression problems. He enjoys helping others understand why dogs may fail to engage properly in the field. During his 20 years in K-9, he has witnessed incidents and heard numerous stories where handlers were injured or embarrassed because their dog did not meet their expectations during incidents where aggression was needed. This class will examine why some dogs do not bridge the gap between training and reality. The class will also provide concepts and methods that will increase the chances of the dog’s success when aggression is justified and needed on the street.

Steve Sprouse has been in Law Enforcement for 25 years and a K-9 handler for 20 years. He is currently the patrol dog trainer for the Broward County Sheriff’s Office in South East Florida. He has been a Florida Department of Law Enforcement K-9 Instructor since 1993. He is a USPCA regional patrol and detector dog judge. In 2002 one of his dogs received “Honorable Mention” for the AKC Law Enforcement Dog of the year award. Steve has placed as high as first place in numerous regional and national K-9 competitions, but believes training for real deployments should be a priority. He has had several K-9 training articles published in various police canine publications. Steve is currently working his 5th dog and has been involved in hundreds of K-9 use of force incidents during his career.