Getting Started in Search Dog Work
It’s hard to train alone, and even more difficult to get searches, so see if there is a search dog unit in your area before you try to do everything yourself. Search for “Search and rescue dogs” and your location.
Join the National Search Dog Alliance, get on their mailing list, listen to their podcasts and go to their conferences: http://www.n-sda.org/and http://sardoc.podbean.com/
Recommended reading materials:
- How to Select your K9 SAR Puppy:
http://n-sda.org/store.php - Scent and the Scenting Dog, Syrotuck – general information regarding scent and what it does, not a dog training manual. Cadaverdog Store
- Search Dog Training: How to Get Started, Watts & Stopper – DVD and manual – How to train an area search dog. Both DVD and manual are the best of the materials available. K9searcher319@gmail.com
- Water Searching with Dogs, Koenig – DVD – How to train dogs for water search. Cadaverdog Store
- Cadaver Dog Handbook, Rebmann – book – How to train dogs for cadaver search. Cadaverdog Store
- Join a search dog list: http://groups.yahoo.com/and look under “search and rescue dogs”
- If you want to join the K9 Specialty discussion list, contact: andyrebmann@earthlink.net
- Go to a search conference and/or take a class. You may have to do some searching on-line, but you’ll find some classes listed here: http://www.n-sda.org/
- Andy and I only teach occasionally. Any classes will be listed here: SAR-Class-Schedules.
- Contact any of our associates: Cadaverdog Associates and see where they are teaching or have one come to your search unit to teach a class.
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