5 WEEKS
Detection Course
Foundational detection training: basic odor recognition, building search patterns, and first environmental exposure. Bring your own dog or select one from AK9I.
- Dog
- Yours or ours
- Ideal for
- Beginners
The Only Nationally Accredited K9 Trade School in the Country
Detection careers are built here.
American K-9 Interdiction has trained working-dog handlers and trainers since 2001 — and new trainers enter the field at an average of $50,000–$70,000 a year. Veteran-owned, ACCET-accredited, GI Bill® approved, with courses from 5 to 12 weeks on a real working campus.
Only Nationally Accredited K9 Trade School
GI Bill® Approved
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned
VA DCJS #88-10537
Est. 2001
From Our Leadership
Why students choose AK9I
Hear directly from the people who run the program: our mission, our standards, and what a career in K9 detection actually looks like.
Video: leadership intro — mission & credibility
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Programs
Four courses. One standard.
Every program runs on our Carrsville campus with working dogs, live scenario work, and instructors who have deployed K9 teams in the field.
6 WEEKS
Pre-Trained High-Threat / LE K9
Advanced deployment with a finished dog: high-threat security operations, law-enforcement-style detection, and handler confidence from day one.
- Dog
- Pre-trained
- Ideal for
- Security & LE
8 WEEKS
Mobile Detection + Tracking
Learn to train and finish detection dogs — not just handle them. Mobile odor detection, tracking fundamentals, and TSA-regulated 3PK9 preparation.
- Dog
- You train it
- Ideal for
- Future trainers
12 WEEKS
Professional K9 Career Program
Advanced education for working professionals: detection theory, advanced methodologies, and real-world deployment scenarios for a long-term K9 career.
- Dog
- Advanced work
- Ideal for
- Experienced pros
Why AK9I
25 years of working dogs. Not a weekend seminar.
The Only Nationally Accredited K9 Trade School
No other K9 trade school in the country holds national accreditation. AK9I is ACCET-accredited, approved for GI Bill® benefits, and registered with Virginia DCJS — and your certification meets DOD, NAPWADA, and NNDA standards.
Veteran-Owned & Operated
A service-disabled veteran-owned corporation since 2001. Our instructors come from military and law enforcement K9 programs — and still work dogs today.
Keep Your K9 Partner
Graduates of qualifying programs keep the dog they trained with at no additional cost. You leave with a career skill and a partner.
A Career That Pays
New trainers start at an average of $50,000–$70,000 a year. Career development classes, alumni networking, and direct contacts with partner companies hiring detection teams nationwide help you get there.
On Campus
Real training. Real footage.
Odor detection, tracking, obedience, and scenario work — filmed on our Carrsville campus.
Photo: odor detection — vehicle line search
Photo: tracking work — field exercise
Photo: obedience & agility yard
Video: training montage — detection, tracking, scenario work
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Graduates
What students say
All the instructors here are amazing and friendly, with decades of knowledge behind their belts.Zack Haglund — Graduate
Not only did I get to pick my own K9 partner for life, but I was also shown how to train.Francisco Perez — Graduate
Very knowledgeable staff that go out of their way to make sure you understand the course.Jim Wortman — Graduate
Instructors
Learn from people who work dogs for a living
Headshot: Matt
Lead Instructor
Matt
Leads day-to-day instruction across detection, tracking, and scenario work.
Headshot: Tim Baird
Program Director / VP of Operations
Tim Baird
Oversees program standards and operations across every AK9I course.
Headshot: James Overton
Director of Field Operations & Development
James Overton
Runs field operations and develops the real-world deployment scenarios students train in.