Vohne Liche Kennels, Inc.

What Vohne Liche Kennels, Inc. does

Vohne Liche Kennels, Inc. (VLK) is a privately held, full-service K-9 training facility headquartered in Denver, Indiana, founded in 1993 by retired United States Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Kenneth Licklider. The company selects, trains, and delivers Police and Military Service Dogs for detection (narcotics, explosives, cadaver, firearms, cell phone, and the proprietary Cold Case K9 for skeletonized human bone) and patrol (tracking, decoy, e-collar) missions. VLK has trained dogs for over 5,000 law enforcement and government agencies including the NSA, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Army, U.S. State Department, Michigan State Police, California Highway Patrol, and the Puerto Rico National Police, with typical facility capacity of 250-300 dogs on-site at any time. The company operates two core locations (Denver, Indiana headquarters and VLK West) and a European facility (VLK Euro) that sources Malinois for imprintation and training.

Revenue is generated through a mix of one-time trained dog sales, multi-week handler and trainer certification courses (which are also approved for GI Bill/Chapter 33 benefits), government contract work as a GardaWorld subcontractor for State Department bomb dog teams in overseas operations, ancillary K-9 Quick Sale of untrained dogs that did not pass selection testing, and a subscription/membership program via the American Working Dogs (AWD) magazine ($10/issue). The business extends its commercial reach through the AWD certification subsidiary, which administers annual certifications and hosts the AWD Olympics Seminar and Certification Trials globally. All nine training staff are former military, law enforcement, or both, and the company leverages subject matter experts on a part-time basis. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is handled via direct-contact sales.

Name

Vohne Liche Kennels, Inc.

Legal name

Vohne Liche Kennels, Inc.

Website

https://vlkennels.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vohne Liche Kennels is a privately held, full-service K-9 training facility in Denver, Indiana, founded in 1993 by retired USAF Senior Master Sergeant Kenneth Licklider. It trains police and military service dogs for detection and patrol operations, serving over 5,000 law enforcement and government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Police and Military K-9 Training Services

NAICS

Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services (56161)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Explosives & Narcotics Detection K9 Services (BPAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Handler Training, Certification & K9 Unit Compliance Services (BPAKAKAK), Firearms/Weapon Detection K9 Services (BPAKAKAJ), Executive Protection K9 Support Services (BPAKAKAC), K9 Handler & Working Dog Security Training (BPAKAOAK), Public Safety & Security K9 Handling Training (EDAOAMAO)

Keywords

• Police k9 training
• Military working dogs
• Detection dog training
• K9 handler courses
• Cadaver detection dogs

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Trained Police Service Dogs Sales: Sale of fully trained K-9s for law enforcement, military, and government applications. Dogs are selected and trained for specific detection and patrol tasks.
2. Handler and Trainer Training Courses: 9-week handler courses and more demanding trainer courses for law enforcement and military personnel. Courses available for international students.
3. AWD Magazine and Membership: American Working Dogs magazine publication with $10 per copy sales and membership program that includes free issues for one year plus seminar discounts.
4. Government Contracting: Contract work providing MPC dogs and handler training for special operations units including Delta Force, SEAL Team Six, Rangers, and MARSOC.
5. K9 Quick Sale: Sale of untrained dogs that did not pass selection testing. Sold 'as is' with no return/warranty policy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vohne Liche Kennels is a full-service K-9 training facility that selects, trains, and sells police and military service dogs for detection (narcotics, explosives, cadaver, cold case, gun, cell phone) and patrol (tracking, decoy, e-collar) tasks. The company also delivers 9-week handler certification courses, advanced trainer courses, and ongoing certifications through its affiliated American Working Dogs (AWD) program, serving U.S. federal/state/local law enforcement, military special operations, and government security contractors.

Product overview

Vohne Liche Kennels operates as a full-service K-9 training facility offering specialized detection and patrol training for police and military working dogs. The company provides a comprehensive portfolio including detection training programs (narcotics, explosives, cadaver, cold case, cell phone, and firearms), patrol training (tracking, decoy, e-collar), and handler/trainer certification courses through both VLK and its affiliated American Working Dogs (AWD) certification organization. VLK also hosts the annual AWD Olympics competition and maintains specialized programs like the Cold Case K9 for forensic applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VLK Detection Training Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained over 5000 law enforcement and government agencies since 1993
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Operation Mutt22minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2021Vohne Liche Kennels partners with Operation Mutt22 to provide canines for deserving individuals, particularly veterans and young people suffering from health issues who have a connection to law enforcement. Caleb Anderson, an 11-year-old with a debilitating health issue who wanted to be a K9 police officer, received a donated Malinois through this partnership.
• GardaWorldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGardaWorld is the largest security company in the world (based in Canada) working with the State Department for bomb dog teams in Afghanistan and Iraq. VLK provides training for GardaWorld handlers and their dogs, including a dedicated kennel wing and specialized training areas. VLK Euro selects and buys dogs with strict medical guidelines, ships to Indiana for imprintation and 30-day workup training.
• American Working Dogs, Inc. (AWD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Working Dogs is an organization founded to provide a forum for working dog enthusiasts to exchange ideas on training and utilization. VLK hosts the annual AWD Olympics Seminar and Certification Trials. AWD publishes a magazine and provides certification opportunities at seminars worldwide.
• Kinetic Dog FoodminorOthersVohne Liche branded dog food product 'Vohne Liche - Kinetic Dog Food' sold through online store at shop.vohneliche.com. Kinetic Performance Dog Food is specifically developed for high-performance working dogs' digestive systems and is the official food of VLK.
• Dr. Caesar DePaço / Summit Nutritionals International Inc.minorOthersDr. DePaço has helped numerous departments throughout the U.S. and France replace K9s that otherwise might not have been possible. His philanthropy was instrumental in providing France a replacement dog after the loss of K9 Diesel.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tarheel Canine Training: North Carolina-based police K9 vendor providing trained detection and patrol dogs plus handler training. Direct competitor to VLK in U.S. police K9 procurement and certification training.
• K2 Solutions: U.S.-based provider of military and law enforcement working dogs, K9 training, and handler certification. Highly comparable to VLK in target buyer (federal agencies, SOF, DOD), offering portfolio (detection plus patrol dogs), and government contracting model.
• Highland Canine Training: North Carolina-based police and detection K9 training facility offering handler courses, trainer schools, and trained dog sales. Comparable course structure, customer mix, and detection discipline coverage.
• Performance Kennels: Family-operated working dog facility offering trained police, detection, and protection dogs plus handler training. Closely comparable in size, family-business structure, and customer mix to VLK.
• American K9 (AMK9): Mid-Atlantic detection dog vendor offering explosives, narcotics, and bed bug K9 services to government and commercial clients. Comparable detection discipline focus and government/commercial buyer mix.
• Shallow Creek Kennels: Family-owned working dog breeder and trainer specializing in police, military, and personal protection dogs. Comparable niche focus on Schutzhund/working lines and direct-to-agency dog sales.
• Global K9 Protection: U.S. provider of trained working dogs and handler training for law enforcement and security applications. Comparable offering in detection and patrol dog training with similar buyer base.
• Storm K9 (K9 Storm): Canadian-headquartered working dog vendor and trainer specializing in detection and police/military applications. Directly comparable product line (detection dogs, harnesses, training) and customer base (law enforcement, military, government agencies).

Broad incumbents

• DynCorp International: Large government services contractor that has historically operated military working dog programs for U.S. and allied customers. Comparable end customer (federal/DOD) but competes as prime contractor rather than specialized K9 trainer.
• GardaWorld: World's largest privately held security services company; VLK's documented core partner for State Department bomb dog teams in Afghanistan and Iraq. Comparable buyer (government security outsourcing) but vastly larger and broader portfolio than VLK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KennyLicklider
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCChannelNotSpecified
• Facebookfacebook.com/UsNationalMilitaryWorkingDogTeamsMonument
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vohne-liche-kennels

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vohne Liche Kennels, Inc.