The Arizona K-9 Search and Rescue Conference
Ranked #198 in Nonprofits, #60,121 overall
Search & Rescue Dogs and Their Handlers Train in Flagstaff, Arizona
I'm not a K-9 handler, but as a volunteer with Coconino County SAR, I assisted with the conference by "getting lost" for the dogs to find.
Classes included:
- Air Scent K-9 Fieldwork (Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced)
- Trailing Dogs Fieldwork (Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced)
- Introduction to Scent Theory
- Scent Dynamics
- Forensics/Decomposition
- Human Remains Detection/Fieldwork (Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced)
- Pheromonal Communications
- Helicopter Safety for Search and Rescue Canines
- ROC and Triangulation Techniques
- Field First Aid for K-9s
- Human Bone Identification
- Working K-9 Health Issues
Presenters and instructors were provided by a variety of organizations, including the Coconino County Sheriff's Office, Coconino County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Unit, Pinal County SAR K-9 Unit, Iowa K-9 Search Team, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, K-9 Search and Rescue Team, First Special Response Group (1st SRG), Ohio Search and Recovery K-9s and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The following are some of the photos and video I took during the first two days of the event, as well as links to additional information about Search & Rescue dogs and SAR in general.
AZ SARCON: Instructors and Handlers Introduce Themselves and the Dogs
...at the beginning of the area search beginner/intermediate field session
Each handler told us how long they'd be training with his or her dog, what type of alert that dog does, and the reward given to the dog after a find. Handlers also shared what level they believed they and their dogs were at and what types of things they were hoping to learn and improve upon.
Search & Rescue Dogs Came in All Shapes & Sizes
This Search & Rescue Dog is Ready to Roll!
Talk about motivation....
Ready, Set ... Find!
SAR Dogs Receive Their Well-Earned Rewards
From tug-of-war with a favorite toy to fetch, treats, and lots of love
Some tug-of-war fun after a job well done....
This Dog Works For Lots of Love
While some prefer toys or tasty treats, this little girl wants pats and rubs and some rolling around on the ground....
Instructors Worked One-on-One with Participants
... as well as with groups
Instructors Develop a Quick Rapport
...with both the K9s and their handlers
Tracking/Trailing Field Work
A handler shows her dog the scent article, then the dog follows the track of that scent to the subject....
Some of the "problems" the dogs were presented with were straight-forward and short, while other times they were longer and more challenging, including one track that crossed over itself like the shape of a "P." At times, a distraction was introduced, like a big piece of chicken, which some of the dogs went to check out but quickly moved on, while others ignored it completely.
Area Search Field Work with Air-Scenting Search & Rescue Dogs
This dog has found someone (me), then quickly returns to his handler to let her know....
Area (air-scent) search dogs do a find and re-find, where they locate a subject, run back to alert their handler, then lead the handler to the one they've found, sometimes running back and forth several times in the process.
Each dog has its own alert, ranging from jumping on the handler to a bark, a sit, a nose touch, and so forth.
The SAR Dog Shows "Mom" The Way to the One He's Found
Types of Search and Rescue K9s
The way they work
Trailing Dogs - Trailing dogs work in a similar way totracking dogs. A scent article is used so the dog can pick up the subject's scent and find and follow the trail. With trailing dogs, however, the dog may divert from the person's actual track by several feet, cutting corners and using the wind to its advantage. Trailing dogs generally work in a harness with a 20 to 30-foot lead.
Air Scent Dogs - Unlike tracking and trailing dogs, air scent dogs work off lead, ranging back and forth in an area to pick up the subject's scentt. Ranging often takes the dog out of the handler's sight for several minutes, so the handler needs to trust the dog and listen for an alert. Once the dog picks up the subject's scent, he or she will move in to its source and then must "alert." This alert might be barking while staying with the subject or done by returning to the handler and somehow conveying to that person, "Follow me!" The dog then leads the handler to the subject.
Want To Learn More About Search & Rescue Dogs?
Check out the following....
- SAR-Dog
- Search and Rescue dog resources
- Dog Owner's Guide: Search and Rescue Dogs
- General information and overview of SAR K-9s
- K-9 Search and Rescue Teams and Associations
- A directory of K-9 SAR teams, by state and country
- Thinking About Becoming a K-9 Handler?
- Information from the National Association for Search and Rescue
- SAR K9 Vocabulary
- A handy dictionary of K9 Search & Rescue terms and their meanings from Ohio Valley Search & Rescue
A Story About a Search & Rescue Dog and His Human Partner
Meet Susannah Charleson's and her search dog, a Golden Retriever named Puzzle
Search and Rescue Reading: Scent of the Missing
As a Search and Rescue volunteer, I'm very interested in all aspects of SAR, including the fascinating world of K-9 search. I myself am not a SAR dog handler,...
K9 Search and Rescue in the News
- Dog in photo belongs to K9 SAR volunteer group
- While I appreciate the Standard's reporting on the good work of Utah's search and rescue dogs, Gunny is not a FEMA dog. We happened to be training with the FEMA team the day those photos were taken, but Gunny and I belong to Great Basin K9 SAR, ...
- Bag in lake send cops on frantic hunt
- Selangor Fire and Rescue Department's operations assistant director Mohd Sani Harul (left) looking at the items found at the Raja Lumu Lake in Shah Alam yesterday. Pic by Adib Rawi Yahya A team sent to the scene found luggage with clothing nearby.
- Public Safety Day will benefit Prescott Valley Police Foundation, Boys and ...
- The event will feature demonstrations by the Prescott Valley Police SWAT and K9 teams and the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team, first responder vehicles on display, and informational booths on the Prescott Valley Police Foundation ...
- Rescue teams locate missing hiker in good health
- By Skye Kinkade A man who had been missing since Saturday was located in good health Tuesday afternoon by a Search and Rescue team from the Fort Jones Fire Department near the Pacific Crest Trail in the area of Etna Summit.
More About Search and Rescue
Skills, Conferences, and What SAR is All About
Becoming a Search and Rescue Volunteer
Are you intrigued by stories about wilderness rescues and searches for missing hikers or mountain climbers? If so, perhaps becoming a Search and Rescue -- often...
SAR City: A Search And Rescue Conference in Barstow, California
In October, 2009, I attended my first three-day SARCity Conference in Barstow, California. SARCity is organized and run by the Barstow Desert Rescue Squad in...
My Search And Rescue Articles, Blogs And Websites
The more I participate in Search and Rescue, the more I enjoy it, the more I learn, the more satisfying it is, and the more I read and write about it. So I thought...
Man-Tracking 101: How To Find And Follow Tracks For Search And Rescue
The main purpose of man-tracking is to determine the lost or missing person's direction of travel, which can greatly reduce the size of a search area. So wouldn't...
Comments or Questions About Search & Rescue Dogs?
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BageAKumar
May 18, 2011 @ 2:27 am | delete
- I was not aware of Search & Rescue Dogs.Nice informative lens.Thanks.
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thebabyshop
May 6, 2011 @ 2:39 pm | delete
- I can honestly say I had no idea that anything but German Shepherds were used as search and rescue dogs! Great photo illustrations, wonderful lens.
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ChineseKitesforKids
May 2, 2011 @ 2:13 pm | delete
- This is so cool!! Great pictures!
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vallain May 1, 2011 @ 1:43 pm | delete
- My sister used to have a beagle and we would play hide and seek with it. It was amazing the way it would follow a scent around even in circles just exactly the way the person had walked.
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jvsper63
Apr 30, 2011 @ 7:03 am | delete
- I think this is a real nice lens, It's amazing what dog's can do:) Great lens, and well explained..
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A Bit About Me
A hiking writer and Search & Rescue volunteer
by Ramkitten
Search & Rescue stories and team directories
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I'm glad you've stopped by! So what's with the Ramkitten thing, you ask? Well, that's my trail name...
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