Training with K9s

Oakland University’s Criminal Justice program continues to distinguish itself as one of Michigan’s most hands-on, career-focused pathways into law enforcement.

Recently, OU criminal justice students participated in an immersive K-9 person-borne firearm detection exercise, giving them rare exposure to professional detection work that few undergraduate programs offer.

K9 Zebra's professional handlers and CEO Greg Guidice led the training, which featured 10 in-training detection dogs.

Students not only observed the dogs in action, but also took part in scenario-based exercises demonstrating how K9s identify firearm-reactant scents in real-world situations.

Professor Kimberly Byrd, Director of Field & Student Support for the Criminal Justice Program, said opportunities with this program are designed to give students a realistic look at the technical skills and decision-making involved in the field. 

“It’s a networking opportunity for the students, and I like to show them real-world career options,” Byrd said. “It’s really hard to get that in a classroom, so I love bringing people in and having these experiences.”

To simulate a person-borne detection scenario, students wore backpacks containing a scented capsule of firearm-reactant and moved through the hallway. The K9s then locate the source of the odor.

Handler Patrick McNeely explained how dogs recognize and differentiate scents and shared insights from his experience.

“If K9 handling is what you want to do, be passionate about it, dive in and learn and learn and learn,” McNeely said. 

Students said the experience gave them a clearer understanding of how K9 units operate and how valuable hands-on learning provided by OU can be. 

“I like our major because it is a combo,” Byrd said. “They get the academic side for the first three years they’re here, and then when they are seniors, they go into an internship course where we place them in the community so they learn hands-on.”

Chris Wagner, a junior at Oakland, said the experience was both memorable and motivating.

“I wore one of the false alarm backpacks, and the dogs came up and poked their noses at me,” Wagner said. “I think it was really good to have that experience.”

Events like this showcase the strength of Oakland University’s criminal justice program, which emphasises experiential learning, community partnerships and direct connections to career pathways in public safety.

For more information on the Criminal Justice program please visit: https://www.oakland.edu/socan/criminal-justice/