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Mark Connolly K9 Command

A dedicated law enforcement officer with a deep passion for K9 work, Mark reentered law enforcement and is currently serving as a Police K9 Handler with his agency. With years of experience, he continues to bring his expertise in training and handling working dogs.

A former Police K9 Handler and K9 Training Director for multiple departments, Mark has handled a wide range of working dogs throughout his career. He is currently handling his fifth police dog and continues to make significant contributions to his department’s K9 unit.

During his time as a K9 Training Director, Mark certified numerous dogs to the North American Police Working Dog Association (NAPWDA) national standards and trained police K9 officers to achieve their certification levels. His impact extends beyond his direct work with K9s, as he has turned underperforming K9 units into highly respected divisions within their departments, earning the respect of veteran K9 trainers and handlers nationwide.

Mark’s life changed forever on April 11th, 2005, when he and K9 Cliff were involved in a high-speed vehicle pursuit of three armed gang members. The chase ended violently in a gunfight, during which Mark was struck by three bullets fired by the fleeing suspects. Remarkably, his bulletproof vest stopped the fatal shot, saving his life. This event ultimately earned Mark both the Purple Heart and a Valor Award for his bravery. Although the incident altered the course of his career, his commitment to serving his community and pursuing justice has never wavered.

In addition to his law enforcement work, Mark continues to help K9 teams across the country, providing training and support. He is also passionate about educating the public on dog behavior and training, ensuring dogs are well-integrated members of their communities. Mark volunteers regularly with local animal shelters and humane societies and serves as a board member for the Lincoln County Animal Advisory Board and the Dangerous Dog Board.

Mark’s service extends beyond his local community. He has also served on the IACP Legislative Committee as Secretary, working on behalf of the International Association of Canine Professionals.

We are pleased to have Vested Interest in K9's as a sponsor. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c(3) non-profit whose mission is to provide bullet and stab-protective vests and other assistance to dogs. Check it out www.vik9s.org.

Please welcome Ray Allen Manufacturing as a sponsor to the podcast. Go to the most trusted name in industry for all of your k9 related equipment. For a 10% discount use the RAMWDDP10 discount code.

Welcome our sponsor Gold Coast K9. Gold Coast K9 trains and deploys hand-selected service dogs for personal and family protection, police agencies, and school districts. Their training programs rank among the best and most trusted in the world. Follow Gold Coast k9 on all social media platforms. For 10% off merchandise use the GCK910 discount code on their website www.goldcoastk9.com

HLTK9 Conference continues to be a supporter of the WDDP. They are gearing up for the next conference in Myrtle Beach SC. Plan ahead, the 2026 conference will be April 14 - 16 2026. Register today at www.htlk9.com.

Welcome our newest sponsor NCK9LLC. Located in Four Oaks NC, just east of Raleigh NC. Jim O'Brien and staff offer a variety of K9 services. Contact them at Phone : 919-353-7149 Email: jobrien@nck9.us

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Robin has been involved in detection work since 2001, beginning in wilderness and human remains detection (HRD), which expanded into disaster work. She trains and deploys with Nebraska Task Force 1 and Iowa Task Force 1. She is a certified explosives and narcotics detection dog handler.

​Robin also works at the nexus of academia and business, managing people and relationships from both sides of the table. Whether working with small business, tier 1 research institutions or fortune 500 companies, she found common ground, allowing both sides to achieve their goals.

​Her focused education in behavior technology started in 2016 by attending two Chicken Workshops (Behavior Technology Workshops). In 2018 she completed a four month resident apprenticeship with Parvene Farhoody, Phd. In 2022, Robin completed the Scandinavian Working Dog Institute year long Master K9 Trainer Program.

She uses many of the same techniques she honed training dogs to advance initiatives in organizations she managed, whether she was paid by them or not. By coaching the human, she provides students with a deeper understanding of the behaviors they are trying to achieve, not only in their K9 partner but in other people as well. Her progressive, research-based training translates theory into practice, empowering people to truly collaborate with others, no matter the language they speak.

​Robin serves as a Center Evaluator for the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) where she coaches university researchers, industry and non-profit center members on how to best collaborate and operate efficiently and effectively in a startup-like environment.

​Robin is an associate certified coach through the International Coaching Federation. She uses the world of working dogs for engaging keynotes, workshops and training sessions.

Podcast Link https://www.k9detectioncollaborative.com/K9 Detection Collaborative | Podcast | Dog Training Discussions

The K9 DC Podcast talks practical K9 training advice with humor and a big dose of theory. We include interviews with top dog trainers, practitioners, and scientists. We keep it fun, honest, and ra

We are pleased to have Vested Interest in K9's as a sponsor. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c(3) non-profit whose mission is to provide bullet and stab-protective vests and other assistance to dogs. Check it out www.vik9s.org.

Please welcome Ray Allen Manufacturing as a sponsor to the podcast. Go to the most trusted name in industry for all of your k9 related equipment. For a 10% discount use the RAMWDDP10 discount code.

Welcome our sponsor Gold Coast K9. Gold Coast K9 trains and deploys hand-selected service dogs for personal and family protection, police agencies, and school districts. Their training programs rank among the best and most trusted in the world. Follow Gold Coast k9 on all social media platforms. For 10% off merchandise use the GCK910 discount code on their website www.goldcoastk9.com

HLTK9 Conference continues to be a supporter of the WDDP. They are gearing up for the next conference in Myrtle Beach SC. Plan ahead, the 2026 conference will be April 14 - 16 2026. Register today at www.htlk9.com.

Welcome our newest sponsor NCK9LLC. Located in Four Oaks NC, just east of Raleigh NC. Jim O'Brien and staff offer a variety of K9 services. Contact them at Phone : 919-353-7149 Email: jobrien@nck9.us

Send us a text

I've known of the gentleman in this episode for over 30 years, but just actually met him face to face around 6 months ago. Ken is one of the pioneers as it relates to working k9's in the state of North Carolina. It is likely that he introduced the Malinois to police work in NC. The description below does not come close to describing his accomplishments or contributions to the police K9 community. If you don't know his name there's a good reason. From my perspective Ken doesn't have a huge social media footprint. The reason is that he is still very actively working procuring and training dogs and not focused on self promotion. It was an honor to pick his brain and stroll down memory lane.

Orchard Knoll K9 was started in 1983 by Ken Mathias. Ken was with the Raleigh Police Department and started Raleigh's Police K-9 Program. Ken’s original donated dog failed on the street prompting Ken to sell his truck and purchase Juno a Belgian Malinois imported by Gerry Lapham from Germany. Juno became the first Malinois in the United States to achieve the United States Police Canine Associations PD1, PD2 and Detector Dog certification. Ken continued to import dogs from Europe for Police Departments across the United States providing over 5000 top quality dogs for police service. Ken continued with the Raleigh Police Department rising through the ranks across multiple divisions until retirement at the rank of Division Commander (Major). Upon retiring from Raleigh Police Department Ken went on to become a special agent with the NC Department of Special Investigations serving as their Program Coordinator and K9 trainer. Ken is now retired from the SBI, but working diligently procuring and training dogs at Orchard Knoll.

Contact Ken at: ken@orchardknollk9.com or (919) 622-4807.

We are pleased to have Vested Interest in K9's as a sponsor. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c(3) non-profit whose mission is to provide bullet and stab-protective vests and other assistance to dogs. Check it out www.vik9s.org.

Please welcome Ray Allen Manufacturing as a sponsor to the podcast. Go to the most trusted name in industry for all of your k9 related equipment. For a 10% discount use the RAMWDDP10 discount code.

Welcome our sponsor Gold Coast K9. Gold Coast K9 trains and deploys hand-selected service dogs for personal and family protection, police agencies, and school districts. Their training programs rank among the best and most trusted in the world. Follow Gold Coast k9 on all social media platforms. For 10% off merchandise use the GCK910 discount code on their website www.goldcoastk9.com

HLTK9 Conference continues to be a supporter of the WDDP. They are gearing up for the next conference in Myrtle Beach SC. Plan ahead, the 2026 conference will be April 14 - 16 2026. Register today at www.htlk9.com.

Welcome our newest sponsor NCK9LLC. Located in Four Oaks NC, just east of Raleigh NC. Jim O'Brien and staff offer a variety of K9 services. Contact them at Phone : 919-353-7149 Email: jobrien@nck9.us