GETTING STARTED
         
Below are two assessment forms.  The first one is a self assessment for individuals interested in becoming a
K9 handler.   The second one is an assessment form to evaluate dogs for SAR work.

CLICK HERE FOR HANDLER SELF ASSESSMENT FORM


CLICK HERE FOR K9 EVALUATION ASSESSMENT FORM


CONGRATULATIONS........you would like to start  your adventure into the search and rescue community.  As a
SAR professional, you place a huge burden upon yourself, and we thank you for taking on this responsibility.  We
need you and thank you for your selfless dedication to helping others.  To assist you in getting started in the right
direction, here are some things to take into consideration.

Search and rescue requires the following.......

*        A serious long-term commitment is necessary.

*        100% support from your family is vital.

*        Monetary sacrifices may be required since search and rescue work can be very expensive.

*        Personal safety is top priority.  You may find yourself in dangerous/risky situations.

*        A search may be a life-saving situation; therefore, the proper training is needed before responding to a
search incident.

*        A positive attitude, confidence in your abilities, self-reliance and being able to evaluate your capabilities is a
must.

*        You may drive several hours to a search and then find out the subject has been found.

*        You may have to deal with locating deceased subjects.  

*        Search and rescue activities are often very physically demanding; therefore, excellent health and physical
conditioning is needed.

*        You may not know when you will return home.  

*        Honesty and accepting constructive criticism are necessary.

*        A high comfort level in the outdoors, even at night is necessary.  

*        Understanding and acceptance that you may encounter snakes, ticks, spiders, wild animals, etc. during a
search incident.



For your K9 partner, the following should be taken into consideration......

*      If you don't have a dog, don't get one (yet).  I know this sounds strange, but this advise will hopefully keep you
from a  heartbreaking and frustrating (and often first time dog handler) mistake.  We recommend that you meet
with local teams and spend time with experienced dogs teams to get an idea of what qualities, characteristics,
and temperament a good K9 partner should have.  It will also give you some ideas of what breed type (and
personality type) that will best fit "YOU".  Remember working dogs can live up to 15 years or more.  Also you will
be investing thousands of dollars in a K9 partner;  therefore, getting the right dog that best fits your needs and
lifestyle is worth the time and patience.  

*     SAR dogs are expensive.  You MUST have the right dog to do this kind of work.  Expect to spend $1,000 to
$2,500 for an untrained puppy or dog.  For a trained dog, expect to pay at least $4,000 to $8,000.

*     Expect to spend $5,000 to $8,000 per year to train and maintain your dog.  Also with the cost of gas, it
becomes more expensive everyday.  

*     You must have the right home environment for a SAR dog.  This includes A FENCED IN AREA (not an
underground fence) and it should be at least 20 feet X 20 feet in size.  The dog should spend as much time as
possible outside for various reasons.   Also based upon your particular situation, if you have other dogs in the
home, you may have to place them in another home.

*     SAR dog work is very time consuming.  Expect to spend a MINIMUM of 20 hours or more a week with your
dog.  If you have young children (less than 6 years old), the reality is that it is very difficult to have enough time for
dog training and a young family.  Also, you must have a very understanding significant other that understands you
may be gone at all hours of the night. History has shown that in most cases SAR dog work and having a young
family just doesn't work.    

*      If you already have a dog that you would like to be your K9 partner, it should be no more than 2 1/2 years old.  
The reason for  this is  because the time and money it requires to fully train a SAR dog, you want to maximize the
longevity of the dog's career and abilities.  

*      The dog should be from working dog breeds or a mix of working dog breeds (Labrador Retrievers, German
Shepherds, Austrian Shepherds, Belgium Malinois, etc).   The reason for this is because we are asking the dog
to "work" therefore, the drive MUST be there, and working dog breeds are the first choices that should be
considered.

*       It should be at least 45 pounds but no more than 95 pounds (Bloodhounds are the exception).  The reason
for this is because we need to be a see the dog work and because of the environments we work in, a small sized
dog is too small to see work and many of the smaller dogs are quite fragile, and don't have the "working drive"
needed for this kind of work.  A dog larger than 95 pounds can be a very challenging situation.   Many times you
and your K9 partner will be required to ride in very confined areas as well as you may have to pick the dog up and
place him over a fence, gate, etc.  Also you may  have to carry the dog for long distances if he gets hurt or sick.  A
larger dog often times have more physical problems because of their shear size.  Lastly, in most cases, the
larger the dog the stronger the dog and this should be taken into consideration based upon your own physical
size and strength and endurance.  

*       If you have a dog that meets the above criteria, have it evaluated AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  The worst thing  
that can happen is to spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on a dog that is simply not suited for
this kind of work.   Dogs are  wonderful animals and all dogs should be placed in an environment that best suits
their personality and drive.  If a dog doesn't have it in the beginning, it will not have it in a month, or six months or
a year.  Again, we are asking a lot from these dogs and MOST dogs do not have what it takes to do this kind of
work.   If the dog doesn't have the drive, keep him as a pet or  find him a family home, but he should not be
trained as your K9 partner.   The best advise to remember is the following:  "A good pet does not make a good
working dog, and a good working dog does not make a good pet."  

*       If your dog is evaluated and is selected as a prospective K9 partner, get with an experienced K9 team or
instructor as soon as possible.  There are a lot of excellent books on training SAR dogs; however, the best
"training" you can receive is through an experienced K9 team or instructor.  The "foundation work" for working
dogs makes a big difference in  whether or not a dog will become a fully operational SAR dog.  Therefore, starting
off with the right training is vital.

*       You and your K9 partner MUST be in excellent physical condition.  Daily exercise is essential in preparing
you and your K9 partner for training and SAR events.  

*       As you train with your K9 partner, ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR DOG IS A DOG.  That will never change, no
matter how much training your dog has received.   You must be the pack leader with your K9 partner.  It will not
work otherwise.  For details about being a pack leader, I highly recommend Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer)
because he utilizes the dog's natural pack behavior as opposed to shock collars, harsh corrections, food
rewards, etc.  His web site address is http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/.

*        All training sessions should end on a positive note.


We hope this information has been helpful.  For additional training and seminars, please see refer to other
sections of our web site.  We wish you and the K9 partner the best!