Wolf River K-9 Search & Rescue, Inc.

Becoming a SAR K-9 Handler

So you want to become a search and rescue K-9 handler? It takes countless hours of time, determination and patience to train a search dog. Not to mention the time it takes for you to learn all the in's and out's of search and rescue.

Here are some questions to ask yourself.

Am I willing to train myself and my dog for 1 or 2 years before my dog and I are ready to participate in a search?

Am I willing to continue training once or twice a week indefinitely?

Can I regularly make once a week group training?

Am I willing to drive for 60-100 miles for practice weekly?

Am I physically and mentally prepared to spend long hours in the field, often at night, searching through swamps, woods and difficult terrain, and am I comfortable with finding my way around?

Is my job flexible enough to let me leave work for a search occasionally, sometimes for more than one day at a time?

Will I get up at 3 a.m. for a search?

Can I afford the money for search equipment, gas, training courses, etc.?

Am I mentally prepared to discover a deceased victim?

Am I willing to do additional training, without my dog, for search work?

Will I accept the judgment of a training coordinator or master trainer concerning my own abilities and my dog's and take direction concerning training methods?

Am I willing to take responsibility for my own progress, and show initiative in developing my own skills?

Here are some questions to ask about your dog.

Is she of an appropriate breed and age?

Does she have a rock solid temperament - social, outgoing, confident, calm, and non-aggressive?

Is she in excellent health?

Is she a well mannered, obedient dog?

Am I willing to expose her to a certain amount of shared risk?

Am I willing to acquire a new puppy specifically for search work and train for a couple of years?

Am I willing to accept the fact that my current dog might not work our for SAR, and in order to continue, getting another dog?

Am I the kind of dog trainer who is willing to give up control and trust my dog when she tells me something that I think is incorrect?

Suggested Reading:

Tracking From the Ground Up