Joey Agustin found a passion for working with dogs as a teen, cutting his teeth training labs for ducks, merging his love for the outdoors and dogs. In 2008 he was chosen to become a green handler with his Police Departments K9 Unit, it was from that point in time that his passion for training and working canines took a new meaning.
Joey has had the unique opportunity to work with and train under some of the nations best and most experienced trainers and handlers. Soaking up knowledge from trainers and handlers who use canines in bad places at sporty times for good reasons, Joey learned that the key to reliability is building a level of drive in your canine that is only built on the premise of trust and communication.
Joey has personally worked 5 canines, most of which were dual purpose in explosives detection. His knowledge base is shaped from his extensive training, operational experience, and working with trainers and mentors at the tip of the spear.
Having been a successful handler and platoon trainer, he went through the process to became a Patrol Canine Trainer. A few more years of mentorship, street experience, training and a few more green teams, he completed the requirements to reach Patrol Master Trainer. A short time after that he earned his Master Trainer in Explosives Detection.
Joeys current post is the Kennel Master for his Police Department. His responsibilities are problem solving, running schools for each new canine and team in both patrol and explosives detection, maintaining certifications and running schools for jurisdictions throughout the state.
Joey has a strong dedication to working and training canines, he is never satisfied with operating at a minimum standard. He believes in pushing each canine team to their limits, exposing weaknesses and strengths in both the handler and canine. He believes this improves the reliability of every team, dramatically increasing proficiency when operational needs demand it.
After working with Spikes K9 as an instructor and attending national seminars, Joey took opportunity to train with canine teams across the nation and saw where a good number of teams were lacking. Having been exposed to a high level of training and canine utilization from where he got his start, he believed it to be an honor and a responsibility to share his knowledge with teams all over the country.
We look forward to training with you.
Joseph Agustin
