TRAINING DAY: THIRD EYE K9

I had the opportunity to spend a day with Third Eye Canine and Mike Ramirez. Mike is a wizard – he knows dogs; how they think, work, react, and how to manipulate their behavior into something truly special. Mike’s been putting Rex Specs to the test, we wanted to see what he thought and see them in action for ourselves.

We started with some tracking drills. Mike and I walked down a trail, then into the woods to hide – an appropriate distance for the dogs’ current training ability/level. We’d purposefully set up in an area so we could see the dogs hone in on our scent. It was amazing. They were so focused and driven. The dogs ranged in age and ability level – Mike has a method for each dog so that they get the most out of each drill. Upon finding the target, the dog was heavily praised for doing such a good job. It was a joy to see them work – and to see how much they loved their job.

After a few rounds of seek drills, we got into some weapons training. Third Eye K9 makes sure their dogs get familiar to the sounds, smells, and sights of having guns around. These dogs have serious jobs and the handlers often trust the dog with their lives. There’s simply no margin for error. The older more experienced dogs didn’t mind the gunfire. They’ve been familiarized to it. Ponce, being only a few months old was a little weary.

The training was finished out with bite work. Mike convinced Andre to put the bite suit on for a few drills to see how the goggles would perform. They worked great! The goggles stayed in place perfectly throughout the exercises. There were no apparent limitations of jaw movement or vision from the goggles, or any indications that they distracted the dogs.

Overall, it was a really great experience for me to see a bit of how things are done by the professionals. It was also awesome to see Rex Specs dog goggles hold up to the test of a working dogs training. Knowing that the responsibility of these dogs, it’s important they stay healthy. As Mike says…”the dogs eat better than I do”. That’s just the beginning…. they are well cared for, and precaution is taken to make sure they stay healthy, in shape, and ready to perform at a high level. An unhealthy dog cannot be trusted to perform. Hopefully Rex Specs can aid working dogs and their handlers in the battle to keep them healthy, and ready to work. 

To Mike and Third Eye Canine – thanks so much using, critiquing and supporting Rex Specs K9. It’s a big help. We appreciate it.