Does anyone know of a CAP unit that uses search dogs?
If so, were there any special considerations/issues that came up?
I'm not sure how often they use them, but there is an officer here in CA who has one certified search dog and one in training. I worked with them this last summer at Coe State Park but we didn't do a whole lot of training with the dogs. I am sure that I will see them again in the future as they are very active with SAR in this state.
The biggest issue that I have seen in the past with regards to working with dog teams is people not listening to the handler. You have to stay away from the dogs while they are working. Otherwise, they can lose their track, get preoccupied with other things, etc. If you let the dog do their work, they won't let you down.
Mark, from CAPR 60-3 (see #2):
d. The following technical or specialized operations are considered acceptable and reasonable at present, but still require prior written approval:
1) High Angle or Mountain Rescue
2) Canine Search and Rescue
3) Mounted Search and Rescue
4) Radiological Monitoring
5) Urban Search and Rescue
Quote from: davedove on December 01, 2008, 04:51:37 PM
Mark, from CAPR 60-3 (see #2):
d. The following technical or specialized operations are considered acceptable and reasonable at present, but still require prior written approval:
1) High Angle or Mountain Rescue
2) Canine Search and Rescue
3) Mounted Search and Rescue
4) Radiological Monitoring
5) Urban Search and Rescue
I'm pretty sure that they already have the written approval. If not, I am also pretty darn sure that they would get approval way before approval as a high angle technician or for radiological monitoring...
Good call Dave. I supppose I should look there first :D
I would still be interested if anyone else has been involved with Canine Search & Rescue.
You see I am getting a new dog and the wheels in my head have been turning...
I don't know anyone in CAP who does it, but I know several folks who do it outside of CAP. Here's some resources for ya: http://www.arkansask9.com/resource/ (http://www.arkansask9.com/resource/)
We have a qualified dog handler here in state that is a member of CAP. I'll give you the name if you PM me. I don't have any contact information for this person, but it is a start. You can also check out the NASAR website. I think they have lists of instructors for search dogs as well as maybe a list of handlers. Just a thought.
I have looked over at the NASAR and they even have SARTECH levels for the dogs.
I did not see any handler list or specific training class schedule but I can go look again.
I did find an organization that does AKC tracking dog training near Baltimore.
I will go ahead and post links to anything useful that I find in case someone else might be thinking about this.
Here's a few resources:
http://www.ardainc.org/
The American Rescue Dog Association
http://xenia.media.mit.edu/~zuul/SARC/index.html
An interesting CAP dog team page (or so it seems)
Those two might help you out a bit.
I think in the last month there was a press release on CAP News Online that mentioned a squadron that was starting a search dog program.
I have been a dog handler for the past 23 years and would be glad to answer any questions that you may have. Drop me a PM with specifics, but I can tell you right off the bat that you want to stay away from AKC Tracking. It is not even close to air scenting or man trailing and is a total waste of time. Also not all dogs are cut out to be a working dog. My squadron had a search and rescue dog in the early 90's but we never got to use it much. It was handled by a handsome trim young 2 Lt. oh wait that was me!
We work with a local group called People and Paws. Pretty neat group; a couple of years ago I played a target for the dogs. Easiest training mission in the world - they told me to disappear so I walked through the woods for a while and rested under a pine tree till they found me.
I got to play target for a dog one time....
When I was at Ft. Carson, we would get this base duty assignment every 4 or 5 months or so. One time, I got sent down to the K-9 facility where I got to play target. Basically they threw this heavy suit on me and then told me to run away. I got about 10 or 15 steps away before they released the dog. I have to say, even wearing the suit, it still hurts to get tackled and bit by a German Shepard or other military working dog...
Quote from: Sqn72DO on December 02, 2008, 08:31:10 AM
I got to play target for a dog one time....
When I was at Ft. Carson, we would get this base duty assignment every 4 or 5 months or so. One time, I got sent down to the K-9 facility where I got to play target. Basically they threw this heavy suit on me and then told me to run away. I got about 10 or 15 steps away before they released the dog. I have to say, even wearing the suit, it still hurts to get tackled and bit by a German Shepard or other military working dog...
I'll bet it made you miss KP.
Quote from: cnitas on December 01, 2008, 07:00:06 PM
I have looked over at the NASAR and they even have SARTECH levels for the dogs.
I did not see any handler list or specific training class schedule but I can go look again.
I did find an organization that does AKC tracking dog training near Baltimore.
I will go ahead and post links to anything useful that I find in case someone else might be thinking about this.
What kind of dog are you going to be training and what discipline do you plan on using? I agree with Desert Dawg that AKC Tracking won't be of much use - the training would be for a sporting title and not realistic for operational use.
What kind of terrain are you planning on using your dog? In wilderness, air scent dogs are very effective for covering large areas and will find every human out there. Bloodhounds and other trailing dogs are useful only if you have a point last seen and a scent article from the person whom you are looking for, but they will ignore other persons and find the person you are looking for. The downside on Bloodhounds and trailing dogs is that you have to work them on lead to keep up with them, while airscent dogs know how to find the person and return to you.
I've been handling a Bloodhound assisting local police depts for the past 6 years. I've been to a bunch of training seminars in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic area, perhaps I could refer you to someone.
Our squadron has three other dog handlers in various stages of readiness and our Commander is investigating offering our services to CAP. It is my understanding that CAP welcomes search dogs as a compliment to searches, but does not support (nor pay for) their training and upkeep.
I know a few dog handlers and search teams in your area - one is Susquehanna Search and Rescue - they have a decent reputation with the folks I know. http://sqsar.com/default.htm (http://sqsar.com/default.htm)
PM me if I can be of any help. Good Luck!!!
I think it would be an awesome idea to get more dog teams involed in SAR missions(no matter who tells me it doesn't matter what I think....If it's a good idea, it can happen). We're all aware that dog teams can cover more area, have better senses (sometimes I think more sense) in the auditory and, nasal capacity than humans, and most are eager to perform what they've been taught (as long as they're not distracted as said before).
In a lot of disaster relief events, it's the dogs that first notice someone is trapped beneath rubble from a fallen structure, calling for help, where no one else could hear them, and they're also the ones who track down and catch that "shifty" neighborhood criminal who evaded local law enforcement officers.
Maybe for those who breed, own, or train such canines, it should be a specialization skill in CAP
I am getting an Alaskan Malamute on Jan 4. He will be 8 weeks old when I pick him up.
The primary searching area would be wilderness (Western MD, SW PA, and WVA), however our last several missing person searches were in the rural Eastern Shore area (flat, open farm-like) - In fact, a canine scored a save on one of them.
Malamutes are not good off lead (Mals like to run and run and run ;D).
Ok, no AKC tracking.
I would like to get off on the right track , so I would appreciate any referrals.
Quote from: cnitas on December 02, 2008, 03:46:46 PM
I am getting an Alaskan Malamute on Jan 4. He will be 8 weeks old when I pick him up.
The primary searching area would be wilderness (Western MD, SW PA, and WVA), however our last several missing person searches were in the rural Eastern Shore area (flat, open farm-like) - In fact, a canine scored a save on one of them.
Malamutes are not good off lead (Mals like to run and run and run ;D).
Ok, no AKC tracking.
I would like to get off on the right track , so I would appreciate any referrals.
Even if you intend on using your dog for CAP searches your best bet is probably to become affiliated with a civilian SAR team as well, for training purposes and for the missions that CAP won't get involved with. There are multiple dog teams in MD that you can get in contact with. I am biased towards DELMARVA SAR (http://www.delmarvasar.org) because I am a member. DELMARVA is not a dedicated dog team. We maintain ground team and dog resources. DELMARVA does most of their training on the eastern shore. Another dog team I know of is CHESARDA (http://www.chesarda.org) which is a dedicated dog team based out of the Baltimore area. From what I've been told, the best dog team in the area is East Coast K-9 (http://www.eastcoastk9.org/). They have mandatory training for their members 4 nights a week and additional weekend training. They are primarily based in the Delaware area. I don't know much about dog teams out west.
A big thing to think about with using dogs in SAR is the training standard. There isn't really a single overarching standard for what a search dog and handler should be able to do. This causes a problem when you end up in court (as the dog handlers on my team say, "If you handle a dog long enough you will end up in court"). If you end up in court you're going to have to testify to the dog's and your credentials. It's hard enough when you're acting under a SAR team where the team can back up you credentials but it's worse if you use the dog while on a CAP mission because CAP is not taking responsibility for certifying the dog so it's solely on you, if you get pulled into court, to explain that your dog is trained adequately. I direct you to the testimony of the dog handlers involved in the Scott Peterson case. It's a really good example of why it's absolutely essential to make sure your dog's credentials are solid.
Quote from: cnitas on December 02, 2008, 03:46:46 PM
I am getting an Alaskan Malamute on Jan 4.
A concern to think about is how heat tolerant that breed is.
This looks like a pretty cool page on how to train your dog from puppy up:
http://xenia.media.mit.edu/~zuul/SARC/index.html