Eight police agencies and their K-9s gathered Tuesday afternoon, July 30, to get some extra training time of an exhibition event later in the week.

19 different dogs went took part in the training, with around 20 different scenarios being practiced. Some of the K-9s have specialized roles, such as explosive or electronic sniffing.

While training for K-9s is typically a daily occurrence, training in a large group isn’t common. But for both officers and their dogs, it’s an opportunity to hone their skills.

“You form a bond with all the other canine handlers. You’ll get to know each other and their dogs.” says Duluth Police Officer Jeremy O’Connor, who’s worked with Canine Kallie since 2019.

 “But it also helps with training, so they can read your dog and figure out, maybe I’m missing something, or maybe somebody else’s dog is showing some science that the handler is not picking up on.”

While the training helps keep the dogs sharp, it’s also good practice as officers and K-9s will get a chance to show off the dogs to the public later.

Hold the A-Paws is a community event put on by the AMSOIL Northland Law Enforcement K-9 Foundation. The free event will let the agencies show off their K-9s in demonstrations, as well as let members of the public meet the dogs.

The event takes place Thursday, August 1, from 4:30-8 p.m. at Wessman Arena in Superior.