SEARCH AND RESCUE DOGS

Search an Rescue Dogs (SAR) dogs are employed in a variety of emergency situations such as urban and wilderness settings to locate missing persons, in situations following a disaster such as earthquakes or hurricanes, and following avalanche or drowning incidents. SAR dogs are also used for cadaver search and evidence search.

Good SAR dogs love their jobs. They look forward to the next "game" of search and they enjoy the close relationship that develops with their handlers.

SAR dogs are generally classified as airscenting, tracking and trailing dogs.

Most SAR groups train their dogs in a variety of ways. The main thing is to focus on socialization, obedience and scent work. Socialization usually begins when the puppy is very young (not unlike the service dog socialization ). The handler will want to expose the young dog to children, older individuals, men and women and crying babies. The dog must be not deterred by loud noises such as gunfire, heavy machinery or yelling people so he must be introduced to situations where those noises are found. During a search, the team may need to be transported, so early exposure to a variety of vehicles such as cars, trains, buses, or boats is a good idea. Basically, any new situation/environment can be a potential learning experience for the young SAR dog.

We go more into detail in our www.heroeshelpingheroesinc.org Website.