A new federation for the working-dog sport.
Built from the ground up around four events — Obedience, Protection, Tracking, and Detection. Rigorous standards, transparent governance, and a title path worth completing.
Four events. One federation.
K9 Elements sanctions trials across four working-dog disciplines. Each event has its own title ladder, judging criteria, and qualifying standard — all under a single rulebook and a single governing body.
Obedience
Precision and control — heel work, recall, retrieve, and directed exercises scored against a working-dog standard, not a sport-obedience rubric.
Protection
Civil and sport protection work judged on control, grip quality, and dog confidence. Not bite-sport for its own sake — protection for the working dog.
Tracking
Natural-terrain tracking with aged tracks. Judges evaluate scent-work accuracy, handler technique, and the dog's commitment under real field conditions.
Detection
Odor-detection trials across vehicle, interior, exterior, and container searches. Time, accuracy, and handler reads are all scored.
Every event is governed by a published standard.
Scoring criteria, qualifying standards, and judging procedures are publicly available before you enter your first trial. No surprises on the field.
Four pillars, not four bullet points.
Every decision K9 Elements makes — rulebook, titling, governance, education — runs through these four commitments.
Community
The sport is built by the people who train and compete in it. Member clubs sanction trials, member judges build the standard, and the rulebook is a living document the community can challenge.
Education
Title is earned, not given. The training paths, seminars, and video library exist to make the standard legible — so handlers know exactly what a qualifying run looks like before they enter.
Competition
Trials are run to federation standards: licensed judges, certified venues, published results. The schedule is open, the results are public, and the title record is permanent.
Integrity
Grievance and ethics procedures exist before the first trial. Handlers, clubs, and judges are all accountable to the same code. No sport survives without it.
Founded by Dirty Bandana Working Dogs.
K9 Elements was founded by Dirty Bandana Working Dogs — a Montana-based training group with years of multi-sport competition experience. The federation was built to fill a gap: working-dog handlers in the inland northwest who wanted rigorous, multi-discipline titling without the geographic and organizational friction of existing federations.
Chris Williams
Training Director
Chris is a professional dog trainer that owns Run Your Pack and Work Your Pack dog training companies. He is a NePoPo® Gold Multiplicator, certifying trainers globally in the NePoPo® system. Chris specializes in protection and bite work, tracking/trailing, competition obedience, detection training, and general problem solving. Chris competes in PSA with his Dutch shepherd, Oaken, who currently holds a PSA 1 title with "High Protection" distinction and is working towards the level 2s.
Tommy Meredith
Operations Manager
Tommy is a professional pilot and a combat veteran with almost 15 years of military service. He flies Blackhawk helicopters for the Montana Army National Guard as a Maintenance Test Pilot and Operations Officer. Tommy focuses on protection, competition obedience, and tracking/trailing with his K9s. He competes in PSA with his two K9's Hans and Yoda. Hans currently holds a level 1 title, working towards his level 2. While Yoda just completed his PDC and working towards the level 1.
The founding season is underway. If you are a handler, judge, or club looking to compete or sanction a trial, reach out.