*Is she of an appropriate breed (or mix) and age?

*Does he have a rock solid temperament — outgoing, confident, calm and non-aggressive? (What about children? Other animals?)

*Does she show intelligence in solving problems? Does she tend to use her nose to locate things?

*Is he in good health and a good athlete?

*Is she closely bonded to me — does she prefer my company to any other activity? Is she reliable off leash?

*Is he a well-mannered, obedient dog?

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

Sometimes an older dog takes to searching, but the training is much more difficult and time-consuming, and the working life of the dog is much shorter. Often the handler must spend considerable time correcting behaviors that, while not always undesirable in themselves,
are not compatible with the requirements of searching.

Handlers usually obtain the best results when they select a pup with searching in mind, and train her from the time she is seven or eight weeks old. Many breeds and mixes can be appropriate for SAR, but not all have the physical or psychological makeup the work requires. The individual dog must have the determination and drive to search coupled with a completely stable and gentle temperament with both people and animals. This can be a rare combination, and you must be realistic about your own dog. All dogs must pass our subject safety test before they can search, and all dogs must be evaluated by one of us before they can join us for training. We have no place on our team for dog fighters and biters!

Some of the most successful dog handlers begin training in search and rescue before they have a dog, or choose not to work their present dog, and train for months before selecting a puppy.

Last updated on June 5, 2009 by Theodore Carson