Simon Prins Handler Spot

Simon Prins is known for introducing operant conditioning to the Police K9 training world. For the last 25 years, he’s skilfully trained and purposed dogs for special operation missions and has mastered the art of using robotics and sensors with dogs to perform such tasks successfully. He’s titled and trained countless dogs and trainers from special units across the globe and firmly believes that science can significantly improve our work with animals. Simon Prins is a/n speaker, author, innovator, animal trainer, and behaviourist, and is currently working with the Netherlands Police Agency.

Learning Theory and application to training
• Classical conditioning
• Operant conditioning
• Traditional conditioning
Fundamentals in animal training
• Stimulation
• Reinforcement
• Extinction
• Aversive
• Generalization
Training and coaching handlers
• Lesson plans & protocols
• Mechanical skills
• Collecting and analysing data
• Motivating handlers
• How to cope with problems
• Using feed forward
Why we should use a bridge
• different bridge / marker signals
• how to use a bridge
• the benefit of a bridge
• what about Non-Reinforcement Markers?
• Keep going signals
Detection dogs
• The world of odours
• Different imprint methods
• Testing dogs before detection training start
• Why using scent wheels?
• Why using line ups?
• Using a bridge / marker in detection

Ready for operations?
• Testing K9 teams before operational deployment (detection, tracking, radio directionals)
• Collecting and analysing data
Instructional methods
• Classroom instruction (keynote / video / active dialogues)

• Hands on instruction with K9 teams
Simon’s interest in canine work peaked when he was on a hunting trip with dogs in 1989. He was impressed with their abilities and started looking into opportunities to work with dogs. Not soon after, he joined the police force and became one of the youngest patrol dog handlers.
In 1996, he was asked to set up a special K9 project incorporating the use of radio-guided camera dogs. In the years that followed, he implemented programs such as hard surface tracking, laser-guided attack dogs, various levels of detection, to name a few.
In 2002, Simon created Urban Search and Rescue Unit, selecting and training 16 dogs and handlers to work alongside him in search and rescue operations. In 2006, he started to incorporate the use of electronics with dogs, even more, outfitting them with sensors and training them to carry small robots into operations. In the years since Simon has written countless training protocols and has developed a number of innovative training apparatuses. He believes that following protocols, collecting data, and educating trainers has been the key to his success, as well as replacing traditional punishment training methods with operant conditioning techniques. Simon travels around the world extensively, teaching working dog trainers how to do the same.