November 4–8, 2026

SUMMIT SCHEDULE

Five days of practical K9 search and rescue education. Explore the speakers, presentations, and special events planned for the 2026 K9 SAR Summit.

DAY01
Wednesday · November 4, 2026

Canine Health, Working Dog Medicine, and Conditioning

James Gaynor, DVM, MS, DACVAA, DAIPM
Black Dog Veterinary Anesthesia and Mobility Medicine Services
Hard Working Dogs, Hard Working Joints: Supplements, CBD and Medications That Keep SAR K9s in the Field
Eileen Jenkins, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM)
Veterinary Care for Your K9 Partner: What Handlers Need to Know to Protect Performance
Missy Franssen, DVM, CCRP, CVSMT, DACVSMR (Canine)
University of Missouri, Veterinary Health Center, Small Animal Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
More Than Muscle: Building Endurance for Optimized Search Performance
Athena Haus
Instructor, Center for Forensic Training & Education
K9 First Aid: Integrating K9 Emergency Care With Human Medical Teams
Bess Pierce, DVM, DABVP, DACVIM, DACVSMR, CCRT
University of Missouri, Veterinary Health Center, Small Animal Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
K9 First Aid in Austere Environments
Erin Perry, MS, PhD
Southern Illinois University
K9 Microbiome: What It Is, Why It Matters, How It Impacts Olfaction, and Considerations for Detection Dog Handlers
Monique Feyrecilde, BA, LVT, VTS (Behavior)
Teaching Animals Academy
Low Stress Handling & Husbandry for Working Dogs
DAY02
Thursday · November 5, 2026

Detection Science, Odor Theory, and Training Under Pressure

A. Celeste Medrano, MSFS, PhD Candidate
Forensic Analytical Chemistry and Odor Profiling Laboratory, Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University
Decoding Death: Advanced Canine Detection Through Chemistry
Tobias Gustavsson
Founder, Gritty K9
From Foundations to Scenario Based Training
Paul Bunker
Principal, Chiron K9
Detection of Buried Targets by K9s: An Overview of Environmental Influences
Kevin Cheff
Owner, The Retriever Coach
Keep Overarousal From Costing You a Find
Petros Deligiannis
Owner, Operational K9
Building Search Persistence in Detection & SAR Dogs
Stacy Barnett
Founder, Scentsabilities Nosework
Training Under Time Pressure: How Summit Level Competition Nosework Helped Prepare Me for Search & Rescue
Lauren Wendt
Owner, Momentum K9 LLC
Think Like a Smuggler: Creating More Realistically Challenging Training Scenarios
DAY03
Friday · November 6, 2026

Handler, Operations, and Accountability

Sue Opper, District Attorney (Retired)
Waukesha County (WI)
Preparing to Testify as an Expert Witness
Richard Howald, K9 Sergeant
Conservation Police Officer
Training the Handler: Decision-Making and Problem Solving in K9 Deployments
Tom Haus
Instructor, Center for Forensic Training & Education; Response Robotics Researcher, NIST
Dogs and Drones: Search & Rescue Technology
Eric Peterson, Trooper, Police Service Dog Handler
South Dakota Highway Patrol, Canine Search Solutions, and Brookings County K9 Search & Rescue
Closing the Loop: Utilizing the Hot Wash or After-Action Debrief for SAR K9 Units
Nick Fathergill
Training Director, Center for Forensic Training & Education
Interfacing With Agencies Having Jurisdiction
Paola Tiedemann, PhD, Associate Professor
Forensic Analytical Chemistry and Odor Profiling Laboratory, Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University
When Nobody Knows the Answer: Why Double-Blind Testing Matters for Canine Detection
DAY04
Saturday · November 7, 2026

Replay Day

Catch Up · Revisit · Reinforce

Catch-Up Replays

Missed a presentation during the week? Day 4 is your dedicated opportunity to catch up on sessions you couldn't attend and revisit key insights worth a second look. Make the most of the summit's training before the final day.

DAY05
Sunday · November 8, 2026

Live Training & Q&A

Live With Deana & Kathleen

Apply What You Learned

Join summit hosts Deana and Kathleen for live training and Q&A focused on turning the week's lessons into practical training plans. See how they're applying these ideas with their own dogs, learn about the new K9 SAR Training Membership opportunity, and take advantage of your final chance to watch summit replays.

Presentations are pre-recorded and released daily. Free access includes a limited viewing window, with catch-up replays available over the weekend. Schedule details are subject to change.