Course Description

October 2-4, 2026 | Western Carolina University & Surrounding Waterways

This advanced, scenario-based course is designed for experienced Human Remains Detection (HRD) K9 handler teams to deepen their skills in aquatic recovery environments. Participants will train with real human remains (not pseudo) to simulate actual deployment conditions. The course includes hands-on experience using a variety of boats and motorcraft on lakes, rivers, creeks, and ponds in Jackson and Macon Counties, North Carolina.

Led by Dr. Briggs and seasoned professionals with real-world recovery experience, the course emphasizes both independent work and instructor-guided scenarios. Handlers will be challenged to assess their K9’s true effectiveness in live-search conditions—from scent detection on water to final response.

Course Features:

• Classroom sessions on WCU’s Cullowhee campus covering aquatic scent behavior, decomposition science, safety protocols, and deployment planning
• Field exercises simulating real-life recovery missions using boats and shoreline access
• Limited enrollment: Only 12 K9/handler teams accepted to ensure intensive training time per team
• Course fee: $550 per K9/handler team (includes lunch Friday and Saturday, and a commemorative WCU Water Recovery K9 Training T-shirt)
• Community Building: Friday night social event for networking and support among handlers
• Prerequisite: Completion of Briggs & Grant’s Level One Water Recovery Course or equivalent experience (must be pre-approved)

Please Note:
This course is intended for K9s already imprinted on human remains, comfortable on watercraft, and trained in final response behaviors. It is not suitable for beginner K9s or handlers.

Water recovery is a complex, critical skill in the field of missing persons and victim recovery. Whether it’s due to accidental drownings, natural disasters, or criminal circumstances, aquatic environments require specialized K9 training rarely offered elsewhere.

Register early—spaces are extremely limited.

ABILITY LEVEL & QUALIFICATIONS: 
Participants must have the physical capability to safely work on a boat and handle their dog in both aquatic and small boat environments. This is not a beginner-level course; dogs should already be proficient in the successful detection of remains on dry land prior to enrollment. While we will have a “socialization” boat available to build the confidence of the K9 and handler, it is expected that the working dog that attends this course has had previous exposure and comfort in watercrafts as well as has been imprinted on human remains in water sources, and has a fully-trained final response. While K9s and handlers with less experience to water recovery searches are allowed to attend this training, the expectation of the handler should match the experience of the K9 for this advanced course.  For example, if the K9 does not recognize the odor of human remains in water, nor has a final trained response, nor is acclimated to watercrafts most of the time will have to be given to accomplishing those tasks during this training.

Notes