This week, dozens of K-9 units from across the country are in York County, taking part in an intensive five-day training program designed to sharpen the skills of the dogs themselves and their handlers.

Lt. Patrick Sheridan of the Louisa County, Va. Sheriff’s Office, is one of a handful of instructors for the course and paired with his 18-month-old Bloodhound named Rizzo, trains 16 hours a month.

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Sheridan says these Bloodhounds are different from other dogs used in law enforcement, in that they are used to help find missing people.

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K-9 officer Mike Arthur and his bloodhound drove from Martinsville, Ind., to take part in the training. Arthur the program is very much worth the drive.

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The program costs $300 per participant and officers from the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia and beyond drove to York County.

Many, like Arthur, stay in cabins at King’s Mountain State Park.

Sheridan says the training by the York County Sheriff’s Office is top-notch and has a nationally recognized reputation.

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The program is staffed by professionals like Sheridan and others from the York County Sheriff’s Office.

Tuesday’s training also involved K-9 handlers from the State Law Enforcement Division and a SLED helicopter to find mock subjects from the air.