In May of 1993, Officer Mike Reardon and K-9 Hogan attended the St. Paul Police Department's Canine training program.  During the 14 week training program, K-9 Hogan was trained to perform a variety of skills.  The training consisted of obedience, agility, article search, suspect search and criminal apprehension.  Hogan started his patrol duties with the River Falls Police Department in July of 1993.

In December of 1993, K-9 Hogan went back to the St. Paul Police Department's K-9 Unit to become cross trained in narcotics detection.  This was a 2 week classroom course with an additional 6 weeks of at home training.  K-9 Hogan is trained to smell for marijuana, cocaine, crack cocaine and methamphetamine.  Hogan is used several times per year to sniff lockers for drugs at the River Falls Public schools and other area schools, including Hudson, New Richmond, Hammond and Glenwood City.  

During the patrol dog certification trials the dogs are tested in obedience, agility, article searches, suspect search, criminal apprehension with and without gunfire, and handler protection.  In the narcotics certification trial, the dogs are tested on their ability to locate hidden drugs both in buildings and in vehicles.   

Officer Reardon and Hogan also perform several demonstrations each year.  They have done demonstrations at the public schools, UWRF classes and groups, boy scouts, citizen police academy and other organizations.