Search and Rescue Dogs (SAR Dogs)
General Info / Articles of Interest
- Which Dog Does Which Task? By Vicki Wooters, K-9 Handler
- Bloodhounds — An Underutilized Resource By Ann Brooke Holt, D.V.M., Mid-Atlantic D.O.G.S.
- Avalanche Training Overview
- What it Takes to Train a Search-and-rescue Dog NEW 25 April 2012
- Water Search with Dogs by Marian Hardy, Mid-Atlantic D.O.G.S. — The results of the first analysis of the National Water Search Report is presented along with a discussion of how the SAR dogs can be deployed, the types of water that can be searched, the SAR dog team's limitations, where to find SAR dog teams and some examples of SAR dog teams and divers working together to detect and locate drowned victims.
- How to Develop and Train a Water Search Dog Team By Marian Hardy, Mid-Atlantic D.O.G.S.
- Disasterdog.org — A website developed through a combined effort of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Canine Subcommittee with the purpose of providing a source for information related to training, testing and deployment of disaster dog teams.
- Rescue Dogs — by Simon Harris
- What Makes a Great Rescue Dog? — By Amy Nutt
Organizations & Associations
In Canada:
- The National Search and Rescue Secretariat — An independent agency of government, reporting to the Minister of National Defence. The National Search and Rescue Secretariat acts as a liaison for Search and Rescue Agencies and all partners involved in Canadian Search and Rescue.
- National Search and Rescue Dog Association of Canada (NSARDA) — The National Search and Rescue Dog Association is an Association created for Search and Rescue Dog handlers and trainers.
- Canadian Search Dog Association — Working Together So Others May Live
- Canadian Search & Disaster Dogs — A non-profit registered association responding locally, nationally, and internationally, primarily to disaster sites.
- Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association
- Search and Rescue Society of British Columbia
- Search and Rescue Dog Association of Alberta® — "A volunteer, non-profit group of dogs and handlers who serve the community in times of emergency or disaster."
- Search & Rescue Manitoba
- Manitoba Search and Rescue Association Inc.
- Ottawa Valley Search and Rescue Dog Association
- Search and Rescue Dogs Ontario — Providing certified SAR dogs to police agencies in the search for lost or missing persons. Our teams are certified in Ground SAR, Cadaver Search, and Water Search for drowned victims.
In the U.S.:
- North American Search Dog Network (NASDN) — NASDN helps members provide the highest quality search dog resources for their communities, and aids in networking these resources throughout North America.
- National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (NDSDF) — NDSDF is the country's leader in training search and rescue teams. Its mission is to seek out potential search dogs (many of whom would have otherwise been abandoned or euthanized), provide them with intensive professional training, partner them with handler/firefighters, and see to their lifetime care. (U.S.)
- American Rescue Dog Association — The nation's oldest air-scenting search dog organization.
- The National Association for Search and Rescue, Inc., (NASAR) — Dedicated to advancing professional, literary, and scientific knowledge in fields related to search and rescue. NASAR is comprised of thousands of paid and non-paid professionals interested in all aspects of search and rescue - the humanitarian cause of saving lives - throughout the United States and around the world. "...that others may live."
- Search Dogs Northeast
- Northwest Disaster Search Dogs
Around the World:
- National Search and Rescue Dog Association — The Home of Air Scenting Search Dogs in the UK
- Search and Rescue Dog Association England
- Search and Rescue Dogs in the Netherlands
- Norwegian Search and Rescue Dogs
- Central Search Dogs (New Zealand)
Working with: SAR Dog Association of Alberta®
Photo courtesy of: Bralex Perm. Reg'd. Labrador Retrievers
Sniff The DOG Movie is now available as a limited edition Gala Release DVD!
10% of the proceeds from your purchase will go to a non-profit canine organization.
or
Click here to view more details.
— A fun and informative movie that follows the lives of dogs at work and at play; including the training of Guide Dogs and Search and Rescue Dogs. (Click on the play button below to watch the trailer.)
Reference Books:
K9 Search and Rescue
by Resi Gerritsen & Ruud Haak
In a disaster, a trained search and rescue dog can greatly increase the chances of victims being found in time and rescued. This book outlines a new method of training S & R dogs developed by the authors in Austria.
Practical Scent Dog Training
by Lue Button
Step-by-step training guide for air scent, evidence search, disaster search and AKC tracking test.
Tracking for Search and Rescue Dogs: A Practical Manual for Novice and Advanced Handlers
by Boguslaw Gorny
Practical advice on every facet of training dogs for this vital work, from choosing dogs to training tracklayers, from basic training to training with complex search scripts. It is geared to preparing dog and handler for real search situations.
A Practical Guide to Training and Working the Trailing Dog
by John Lutenberg & Linda Porter
A guideline for training and maintenance of the trailing dog. A combination of personal training experience, working knowledge of trailing dogs and training methods and tips from around the nation which have proven to be sound and reliable.
Note: We are always in need of articles, stories, poems, etc. for the Working Dogs section of the Canada's Guide to Dogs website. — Submissions are welcome and encouraged. Please feel free to contact us.
If you are part of a working dog group and would like to be listed here, simply email us with the details at guidetodogs@rogers.com and we would be pleased to include your information.
