On June 30, 2022, Detective Ryan Bethea as well as K-9 Partner Bristol received a certification from Georgia K-9.
The team was certified as Rural Level II Trailing Specialist. The Dillon County Sheriff’s Office got Bristol on November 22, 2021 at the age of 12 weeks old.
It was only a week later that K-9 Bristol and Detective Ryan Bethea began their training with GA-K9 trainer Brandon Braxton and the Florence County Tactical Tracking Team. This did include weeks of in depth realistic training situations. Bristol was trained in man hunting, and quickly discovered a love for it.
Bristol was trained in tracking in urban areas, as well as rural areas.
Bristol was trained on how to compensate back tracks, scent pools, and tracking scents that have sat for a substantial amount of time with and without a scent article to go on.
K-9 Bristol, as well as handler, Detective Bethea, have ran over 100 training runs with major success.
Certification track consisted of a track that was .56 miles long and did consist of 3 surface changes. The temperature was 94 degrees.
The track was an hour old once Bristol was able to begin. It took Bristol and handler Detective Bethea 18 minutes to complete her certification track.
Bristol became the first Bloodhound to receive this certification under Georgia K-9’s new standards. Training will continue and more certifications are to come. Bethea said he would like to give special thanks to GA-K9 trainer Brandon Braxton and the Florence County Tactical Tracking Team.
