Does ‘Search & Rescue’ interest you?
A man with Alzheimers wanders away from home. A child wanders out of their backyard, or a hiker takes a wrong turn…
Or maybe it’s you…….It’s drizzling rain, you’ve been walking for hours only to find that you’re right back at that same fallen tree again. It’s getting late, you’re getting cold, and the last bit of water in your bottle is almost gone… A K9 Search and Rescue Team could be the best solution in your situation.
What’s it take to be on a Search and Rescue Team?
SAR dog handlers must enjoy working with dogs and being in the outdoors in all kinds of weather. They must be physically fit and able to respond to emergencies at any time of the day, no matter the weather conditions. They must become proficient in land navigation, search techniques, radio communications, wilderness survival, and first aid – for themselves, their subject and their dog.
It is generally said that it takes a minimum of two years to build a dog up to certification. Typically the first year is focusing on getting the handler certified while working foundations with the dog. Handlers need to be able to find their search area, create an execute a search strategy safely, plan to search said area based on a large number of factors, execute that search strategy safely, not get themselves lost, provide medical aid to the subject or the dog, and communicate appropriately with incident command to arrange other resources in the field if needed.
Be aware of the huge time commitment involved in training a Search and Rescue dog. We will provide you with guidelines at team training but in order to successfully certify a dog, the dog/handler must train 3-4 times a week. This cannot be done alone, you need to have a support team (family, friends etc) who are willing to assist you.
Do you have to own a dog to be a member?
No, you do not! We have many roles: K9 Handler, Ground Search/Flanker, and SAR Support. Everyone does their part and is important to the overall team and the success of the search!
Do I need a dog that is bred from a working line in order to have an operational SAR dog?
It may come as a surprise, but only a small number of our operational dogs are considered to be purpose-bred. This means many of our operational dogs do not come from a litter that was intended to produce working/sporting dogs, let alone detection-specific litters. We welcome dogs from all backgrounds and mixes.
What basic behavioral expectations make a good Search Dog?
Successful search dogs must be off leash in the woods – often out of site. For this reason, it’s extremely important that they are obedience trained and can be counted on to return to their handler when called. They need to be in good physical condition, able to hike up steep terrain, move over rocky ground, or through vegetation that is over their head. And they must do all of this no matter the weather conditions or the time of day or night. Search dogs need to be accepting of other dogs and handlers, complete strangers, unfamiliar vehicles, and loud, unpredictable noises! They will travel many miles, possibly constrained to a create, be in crowds of people, and deal with many distractions.
Believe it or not, search dogs LOVE their job! And it’s crucial that their handler ensures that they continue to love it. As long as your K-9 is happy, they will learn very quickly and work for you whenever you ask! Watching a search dog do their job is an amazing and rewarding experience!
If you are interested, contact us immediately!
