Hyderabad, Sept 07: Hyderabad is currently hosting a unique national-level gathering of India’s K9 professionals, with personnel from some of the country’s foremost security, police and disaster-response organisations coming together for the RRU K9 Masterclass 2026.
K9 class or K9 training programme is a specialised programme in which dogs and their handlers are trained together for specific duties
“National-level RRU K9 Masterclass” means an advanced professional K9 training programme conducted in association with Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), bringing together K9 professionals from security and police organisations across India.
“More than 5,200 sniffer and tracker dogs are deployed across India’s State/UT Police and Central Armed Police Forces, according to BPR&D data.”
The five-day specialised training programme, being held upto 8th September at Commando Kennels, Kompally, has brought together K9 commanders, veterinary officers, senior personnel and dog handlers from the NDRF, SSB, Assam Rifles, ITBP, BSF, Andhra Pradesh Police, Telangana Police–Octopus and Swami Vivekananda State Police Academy, West Bengal.
The Masterclass is being conducted by Commando Kennels, a professional K9 training institution with nearly four decades of experience, in association with Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), an Institution of National Importance under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
K9 units have become an increasingly important component of India’s security and emergency-response infrastructure, with specially trained dogs deployed for explosive and narcotics detection, search and rescue, tracking, security operations and other specialised tasks.
Against this backdrop, the RRU K9 Masterclass provides a specialised platform for professionals from different organisations to enhance their knowledge, share operational experiences and strengthen their capabilities in K9 training, handling, deployment and management.
The participation of personnel from multiple central and state organisations makes the programme particularly significant, creating an environment for cross-agency learning and exchange of operational expertise.
The programme also brings together three critical dimensions of K9 operations—command, veterinary care and handling—recognising that an effective K9 unit depends not only on the training of the dog but also on the expertise of the people responsible for its deployment, health and performance.
The Masterclass places Hyderabad in the spotlight as a venue for specialised professional education in the security sector.
Beyond IT and Pharma, Hyderabad adds a new dimension to its national profile as a hub for specialised K9 security training
K9 capabilities have become an integral part of modern security, law enforcement and disaster-response operations. The effectiveness of a K9 unit depends not only on the quality of the dog, but equally on the knowledge, skills and preparedness of its handlers, commanders and veterinary professionals. The RRU K9 Masterclass provides a valuable national platform for bringing these professionals together, sharing operational experiences and learning contemporary practices. Such structured training and cross-agency knowledge exchange are essential to building stronger, more professional and interoperable K9 capabilities across the country said Col. B. S. Rao, Associate Professor, Rashtriya Raksha University
For nearly four decades, Commando Kennels has been committed to developing professional K9 capabilities in India. Today, the role of K9s has expanded far beyond conventional policing—they are critical assets in national security, disaster response, detection and specialised operations. The RRU K9 Masterclass brings together some of the finest K9 professionals from across the country, creating an important platform for learning, sharing operational experience and adopting contemporary practices. We are proud to host this national-level programme in Hyderabad and contribute to building a stronger, more skilled and professionally equipped K9 community for India, Philip Butt, Dean of Rashtriya Raksha University Commando K9 Academy
With participants travelling from different parts of the country and representing multiple security and police organisations, the programme provides Hyderabad with a rare opportunity to host a cross-section of India’s operational K9 community.
The collaboration between Commando Kennels and Rashtriya Raksha University further brings together field expertise and structured academic learning, with the larger objective of strengthening professional standards and capabilities in India’s K9 ecosystem.
The Masterclass will culminate in a graduation ceremony at 12 noon on September 8 at Commando Kennels, Kompally. The graduation ceremony will mark the culmination of five days of specialised learning and provide an opportunity to recognise the participating personnel and highlight the importance of continuous professional development in the country’s K9 security capabilities.
The organisers see the Masterclass as more than a training programme—it is an effort to create a stronger professional ecosystem around India’s K9 capabilities by bringing together experience, expertise and institutions from across the country on one platform.