Erin's K9 Bite-Suit Fund
Donation protected
Hi! My name is Erin, and I work as a Police Officer in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Those of you who know me personally know that I have always (ALWAYS) been passionate about my dream of becoming a K9 Officer. I won't actually be eligible to become a K9 Officer until March of 2018, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't start practicing and volunteering now.
I believe that if you want something badly enough and you are passionate about it, you need to make a commitment and go for it.
That is what I am doing.
What is a decoy?
One of the most important assets to a K9 team is a decoy. The decoy is a teacher whose responsibility is to build a dog's drive, stimulate aggression, and to recognize and relieve stress in a dog so that that dog can overcome it's weaknesses in training and be successful in real-life situations. The decoy can also make or break a dog.
How have I been preparing?
On July 16th, 2016, I was lucky enough to be informed by one of my mentors about a rare four-day decoy/training opportunity coming to the Pittsburgh area the first week of May in 2017. When I heard the magic words "You can borrow one of our bite suits", I registered immediately. The training I took from May 1st-May 4th 2017 turned out to be one of the most physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting things that I have ever put myself through, however, IT WAS WORTH IT and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The skills we learned in the K9 Bite Dr. Class were invaluable; Without practice, however, we were told that the skills we learned would be perishable "within 30 days."
Why I want this bite suit
I have felt grateful (and thrilled!) to be able to borrow or wear other department's bite suits while training with them and their dogs, however, the suits have been tailored to fit men (who are much larger than I am!) Because I am volunteering and not actually a member on the team, I obviously can not ask the department to buy a new suit that would properly fit me. Also, if, one day, I did have the honor of belonging to the team, I would be happy knowing that the funds were going to other needs within the unit that benefitted* everyone* and not just speciality gear that could fit one person. Furthermore, there is somewhat of a health risk. Because these suits are thick and you are actively moving, you are also profusely sweating. While it might be "gross" to get into a suit that has just been saturated with someone else's sweat, the real concern is "what if" someone had contracted a disease and had not known it (like MRSA, ring worm, or a staph infection), worn the suit, and then one or two people have gotten in that bite suit to decoy directly after them? Those people would also be contracting said disease. (*My classmates and I from the ACPTA BRC 2009-02 had the unfortunate experience of being in a PT session in which we had been actively rolling around on the mats when one of our classmates realized he wasn't feeling well and was promptly transported to the ER. It was shortly then discovered that that particular classmate unknowingly had MRSA. We were dismissed early that day so that the Hazmat team could disinfect the academy-- as well as all of the mats that we had just been rolling around on and sharing sweat! Talk about a close call.)
Should you decide to donate to this cause, here is exactly how the money will be spent:
In order to be a functional decoy, I need to be wearing proper protective equipment to avoid causing serious injuries to myself (and just as important, to avoid causing injuries to the canine by catching their teeth on ruffles or other faulty/cheap equipment.) Equipment can be costly. My main focus is the bite suit. The "RocaSport Bite Suit Select" looks very similar to the bite suit that you see me wearing in the picture below, and has three layers that allows for mobility as well as protection. This bite suit is valued at $1,695.00. (PAID!!!)

IF, by chance, I meet and surpass my goal, I also hope to buy several other pieces that are useful and/or necessary when decoying:
1) RocaSport arm sleeves: $65.00 (these give you an added layer of protection so you're not being constantly bruised after "catching bites" (PAID!!!)
2) K9 Bite Dr. Canvas equipment bag: $70.00 (PAID!!!)
3) Groin protector: $44.99 (PAID!!!)
4) Bende Scratchpants: $249.95 (I ordered a pair of Carhartt Sandstone Duck quilt-lined bibs instead... $109.00 and PAID!!!)
Last thing on the list....
5) Ray Allen (RA-12P) Syntek Hidden Sleeve: $149.99
Thank you for believing in me, as well as in this cause. I have the passion and the drive, however, I can't afford this suit on my own, and I do (and will) appreciate every single cent that you have chosen to donate. Thank you for helping me to turn my dream into a reality, as I couldn't do it without your support!!!!!! If you have ANY questions, please feel free to ask. ***Below is a link of the training that I took that set my initial passion on fire and gave me this crazy idea to get my own suit! Totally worth watching. Enjoy. <iframe media_type="0" media_id="dJkldXV1FKc" class="youtube-replace" title="YouTube video player" style="margin-bottom:20px;width:560px;height:315px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dJkldXV1FKc/?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="1"></iframe>
What is a decoy?
One of the most important assets to a K9 team is a decoy. The decoy is a teacher whose responsibility is to build a dog's drive, stimulate aggression, and to recognize and relieve stress in a dog so that that dog can overcome it's weaknesses in training and be successful in real-life situations. The decoy can also make or break a dog.
How have I been preparing?
On July 16th, 2016, I was lucky enough to be informed by one of my mentors about a rare four-day decoy/training opportunity coming to the Pittsburgh area the first week of May in 2017. When I heard the magic words "You can borrow one of our bite suits", I registered immediately. The training I took from May 1st-May 4th 2017 turned out to be one of the most physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting things that I have ever put myself through, however, IT WAS WORTH IT and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The skills we learned in the K9 Bite Dr. Class were invaluable; Without practice, however, we were told that the skills we learned would be perishable "within 30 days."
Why I want this bite suit
I have felt grateful (and thrilled!) to be able to borrow or wear other department's bite suits while training with them and their dogs, however, the suits have been tailored to fit men (who are much larger than I am!) Because I am volunteering and not actually a member on the team, I obviously can not ask the department to buy a new suit that would properly fit me. Also, if, one day, I did have the honor of belonging to the team, I would be happy knowing that the funds were going to other needs within the unit that benefitted* everyone* and not just speciality gear that could fit one person. Furthermore, there is somewhat of a health risk. Because these suits are thick and you are actively moving, you are also profusely sweating. While it might be "gross" to get into a suit that has just been saturated with someone else's sweat, the real concern is "what if" someone had contracted a disease and had not known it (like MRSA, ring worm, or a staph infection), worn the suit, and then one or two people have gotten in that bite suit to decoy directly after them? Those people would also be contracting said disease. (*My classmates and I from the ACPTA BRC 2009-02 had the unfortunate experience of being in a PT session in which we had been actively rolling around on the mats when one of our classmates realized he wasn't feeling well and was promptly transported to the ER. It was shortly then discovered that that particular classmate unknowingly had MRSA. We were dismissed early that day so that the Hazmat team could disinfect the academy-- as well as all of the mats that we had just been rolling around on and sharing sweat! Talk about a close call.)
Should you decide to donate to this cause, here is exactly how the money will be spent:
In order to be a functional decoy, I need to be wearing proper protective equipment to avoid causing serious injuries to myself (and just as important, to avoid causing injuries to the canine by catching their teeth on ruffles or other faulty/cheap equipment.) Equipment can be costly. My main focus is the bite suit. The "RocaSport Bite Suit Select" looks very similar to the bite suit that you see me wearing in the picture below, and has three layers that allows for mobility as well as protection. This bite suit is valued at $1,695.00. (PAID!!!)

IF, by chance, I meet and surpass my goal, I also hope to buy several other pieces that are useful and/or necessary when decoying:
1) RocaSport arm sleeves: $65.00 (these give you an added layer of protection so you're not being constantly bruised after "catching bites" (PAID!!!)
2) K9 Bite Dr. Canvas equipment bag: $70.00 (PAID!!!)
3) Groin protector: $44.99 (PAID!!!)
4) Bende Scratchpants: $249.95 (I ordered a pair of Carhartt Sandstone Duck quilt-lined bibs instead... $109.00 and PAID!!!)
Last thing on the list....
5) Ray Allen (RA-12P) Syntek Hidden Sleeve: $149.99
Thank you for believing in me, as well as in this cause. I have the passion and the drive, however, I can't afford this suit on my own, and I do (and will) appreciate every single cent that you have chosen to donate. Thank you for helping me to turn my dream into a reality, as I couldn't do it without your support!!!!!! If you have ANY questions, please feel free to ask. ***Below is a link of the training that I took that set my initial passion on fire and gave me this crazy idea to get my own suit! Totally worth watching. Enjoy. <iframe media_type="0" media_id="dJkldXV1FKc" class="youtube-replace" title="YouTube video player" style="margin-bottom:20px;width:560px;height:315px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dJkldXV1FKc/?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="1"></iframe>
Organizer
Erin Michelle
Organizer
Pittsburgh, PA