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We welcome new members who are interested in training themselves and their dogs to be productive search teams. We need and welcome people to volunteer to be "victims" to hide so we can train our dogs and keep them mission ready. Thank you for your interest and support. Many dogs can do this work, but few people can! Here are a few things to consider:
Can I afford to do this?
We pay our own expenses to searches, trainings and seminars. You will need special clothing and footwear, radios, and other equipment. This usually runs several thousand dollars a year. You need to maintain a cell phone and e-mail account. To get to many searches and some training areas you will need a rugged reliable vehicle that is large enough to accommodate you, your dog and all the needed equipment. You can travel hundreds and even thousands of miles each year to attend trainings, searches and seminars. Occasionally, the requesting agency will reimburse a handler for their mileage to a search, pay for a hotel stay, provide a meal or assist with a tank of gas, but you can’t rely on this assistance. Because this is a volunteer organization, many of your expenses may be tax deductible (please consult your tax advisor to determine if this applies to you).
Do I have a lifestyle that will allow me to respond to a search whenever I am called?
The average search dog in training will take as much time as a part time job and once the dog is trained his training will need to be maintained and he will be called out on missions so the amount of time dedicated to search and rescue does not decrease. Can I attend several trainings a month? We generally train as a team 4 times/month and we are expected to train on our own or with other SAR professionals during each week. Training sessions usually last 6 – 8 hours. Can I make time to train with my dog on my own? Can I assist with team fund raising? Excuses don't cut it. We call you; you come. You give us too many excuses as to why you can't attend trainings and fundraisers then we won't think you are serious enough to invest the time to train you. We will however, invest hundreds of hours in you to get you trained if you are serious. If you have little kids or a demanding job you can't get away from, this isn't for you. Will your employer let you leave whenever called for a search? This needs to be very high on your priority list! You will be expected to assist on searches before you ever get to take your dog on a search. It will probably take you at least a year to train your dog to a level that you can pass our basic standards. A serious long-term commitment is mandatory. It also takes a very understanding and supportive group of family and friends.
Am I physically fit enough to do this?
Many of our searches are in very rugged terrain and in extreme weather. How does a day with poisonous snakes, spiders, dangerous alligators and temperatures near 100 degrees and humidity to match sound to you? Many of our searches are in these types of areas where you will encounter these types of things. Many times we walk miles and miles for hours and hours in wet boots and pants watching for clues and working our dogs. We have to carry food, water and first aid equipment for ourselves and our dogs, as well as a radio, navigation equipment and other search and rescue gear. If you have any health conditions that would make you unable to perform at this level for a prolonged period of time, please don't try this. We don't want to have to redirect our focus to rescuing one of our own!
Am I mentally tough enough to handle what I may encounter?
Personal time away from family and friends, your job and other obligations can really take a toll. Many handlers find themselves torn between the obligations of training to competency for searches and the obligation of spending time with loved ones and keeping the boss happy at work. We are primarily a human remains search and recovery team, but do participate in other types of searches on occasion. You have to be an emotionally very stable person to do this work. How do you feel about seeing dead bodies? (Not like at a funeral!) Can you handle hearing details of particularly brutal crimes? A positive attitude, confidence in your abilities, self-reliance and ability to evaluate if you are capable of performing "the search" is a must. Honesty and acceptance of constructive criticism are necessary. You must be psychologically ready to deal with finding deceased subjects. A search is a situation where egos and personal prejudices have no place. Becoming a competent search dog handler takes the ability to listen to others and the willingness to accept constructive criticism and the ability to watch and learn from others effectively.
Is my dog fit enough to do this?
A dog with a “good nose” is simply not enough to make a search and rescue K-9. Getting a dog with the right drive, temperament and intelligence to become a search dog may mean testing litter upon litter of puppies for the right candidate. The hot and humid weather of Florida is hard enough on pets, let alone a dog that is working. Is your dog a healthy weight or a little on the pudgy side? Has you dog taken any agility classes? Most SAR dog handlers start with a puppy or young dog. It can take up to 2 ½ years to train a SAR dog, so a puppy will most likely have a longer working career than an older dog. You can also often shape desirable behaviors into a puppy a little more easily than into an older dog.
Does my dog have the attitude required to do this job?
Your dog has to really like people. He cannot be aggressive towards people or other dogs. (We have a no tolerance policy for aggression.) He has to be outgoing and "fearless". Our dogs have experienced things most people never will. He has to want to work. Unlike some canine search and rescue teams, we welcome many breeds of dogs. SAR dogs generally are of medium to medium-large size (such as all types of shepherds, bloodhounds, Retrievers, Labradors, etc.) and are usually from working or sporting breeds. Many mixed breeds have also been successful. Small dogs are limited in their ability to cover large areas and climb over obstructions. The dog does not have to be purebred, though you may have the advantage with a pedigreed dog of looking at the parents as a guideline for temperament, hereditary disorders, and working ability. If you don’t already have a dog, many of our team members have extensive experience training dogs and are available to talk with you about the type of dog most suitable for you. At our training sessions, you will be able to observe many breeds to help you make up your mind.
The Good "Stuff"
The training of a search dog is an enormous commitment. The victim and his or her family deserve only the best that we can offer them in their time of need. There is no feeling in the world like knowing you made a difference in someone's life. They may even be alive because of your efforts. You will get to see your dog perform at a level that will constantly amaze you. And, it is a fun thing to do with your dog!
If you think you can do this, and would like to attend one of our trainings, or discuss this further please e-mail us at dorchen1@yahoo.com.
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