Canine Unit 

Unit meets the first Thursday of the month at 18:30 hrs at the SAR Building.

Unit Description and Capabilities
The Canine Unit utilizes trained dogs and handlers to help locate missing and lost persons in search situations, in the recovery of bodies and to track and detect evidence for investigations dealing with articles discarded by suspects.  K-9 Teams consist of a handler and their canine partner and they operate in all weather and conditions.

Type of SAR K-9s
Area Search Dog – A dog that can search for air borne human scent in moderately large unstructured areas of varied terrain.

Avalanche Search Dog – A dog that can search for human scent in avalanche debris fields.

Cadaver Search Dog – A dog that can search for deceased human remains.

Disaster/Collapsed Structure Search Dog – A dog that can search for human scent in failed manmade structures, and natural debris fields.

Evidence Search Dog – A dog that can search for inanimate objects.

Scent Discriminating Search Dog – A dog that can distinguish between the scents of different individuals and can work an assigned scent to complete a SAR activity.

Tracking Search Dog – A search dog that can follow a human trail with its nose close to the ground and within 1 to 2 feet of the target’s track as it moves toward the freshest scent.

Trailing Search Dog – A search dog that can follow a human trail with its nose close to the ground ranging about a target’s trail in proportion to the rafts of scent as it moves towards the freshest scent.

Water Search Dog – A dog that can search for human scent in and along bodies of water.

Canine Requirements

All canine candidates for Coconino County Search and Rescue Canine Unit must be over six months old and must pass a Canine Obedience and Agility Test.

Obedience Skills:
These skills are to demonstrate the dog’s ability to follow instructions.  The skills are to be demonstrated around a group of strangers and other dogs with accompanying noise and confusion common to search and rescue operations.  Dogs that will work in incidents involving natural disaster and collapsed structures require all of these basic skills, as well as special techniques that are under development.

On-lead (A working mode for a dog and handler attached physically by a leash and the dog may be controlled by the leash.) skills:

• The ability to “heel” with stops and the ability to make right, left, and about-turns with both the handler and an alternate handler.  The ability to sit, stand, and down are optional on-lead  commands.

• The actual command used to achieve a desired action from the dog is at the discretion of the handler.  Commands may be audible, visual, or both.

• While on-lead, the handler should be able to place the dog in vehicle with other dogs and strangers without the dog displaying aggressive behavior towards the stranger or other dogs.  The dog should demonstrate the ability to remain there until released.

Off-lead (A working mode for a dog where the dog and handler are not connected physically and control of the dog is established through audible commands or visual signals) skills:

• The ability to make right, left, and about-turns, with the dog following the handler and come directly to the handler on demand from at least 50 feet.  Additionally, the dog should demonstrate the ability to stop during a come.

• A “heel” with stops for dogs engaged in collapse structure/disaster work.

• The ability to remain unattended for 3 minutes with the handler out of sight and scent.  The dog may change positions but must remain within 5 feet of its original location even when distractions include other dogs and strangers moving closed by. 

• For dogs engaged in collapse structure/disaster work the area is reduced to a body length of the dog.  The demonstration is to include a minimum of three dogs that are within 20 feet of the demonstrating dog.

Agility Skills:
These skills are to ensure that a dog will be controlled and confident in stressful or unusual physical surroundings, such as unstable, slippery, or uneven surfaces.

For safety reasons, spotters may be used when the dogs are demonstrating agility skills.  The use of spotters, however, must neither enhance nor diminish the dog’s ability to demonstrate agility.

Agility skills for all dogs:

• All dogs must be able to jump at least 2.5 feet up into a specified area, such as four-wheel drive pick-up truck.
  
  
• All dogs must be able to crawl under an obstacle that is not higher than three quarters the dog height.
  
  
• All dogs must be able to climb onto and walk along a log or other narrow obstacle without jumping off.  The log or obstacle must be taller and wider than the dog.
  
  
• All dogs must be able to walk through a culvert or small tunnel that has at least one right or left turn.   A portion of the culvert or tunnel to be of a size that requires the dog to crawl on its belly.
  
  
• The dog must be able to long jump over a ditch, which is as wide as the height of the dog’s withers.
  
  
• The dog must be able to swim 50 feet.

Additional skills for dogs engaged in collapsed structure/disaster work:

• The dog must be able to climb a flat-runged ladder at least 6-feet long, which is set at a 45 degree angle.
  
• The dog must be able to walk from one end of a teeter-totter (no more than 12-inches wide) to the other without jumping off.
  
  
• The dog must be able to maneuver over one 22-inch high log or barrel on its side after checking the other side for safety.
  
  
• The dogs must be able to climb a ramp, or ladder, then proceed to the end of a second plank and return without jumping off.  The ramps and planks must be no more than 12 inches wide, at least 10 feet long,  and at least 3 feet above the ground.
  
  
• The dog must be able to climb onto and across a slippery surface.
  
  
• The dog must be able to climb onto and cross a wobbly surface, for example, warped plywood, which is at least 12 feet long, 12 inches wide, and 3 feet above the ground.
  
  
• The dog must be able to climb onto and across a nonstationary plank (supported by two barrels on their side), which is no more than 12 feet long by 12 inches wide.
  
  
• The dogs must demonstrate the ability to change their place at the request of the handler and to be directed to more than two distinct areas, which have elevations and are separated by at least 25 yards.
  
  
• The dogs must demonstrate an ability to independently avoid dangerous objects and avoid causing any further injury to trapped individuals.
  
  
• The dogs must demonstrate the ability to execute their movement with minimal disturbance to obstacles.

Canine Handler Requirements

All Canine Unit candidates must first complete the Coconino County Search and Rescue Basic SAR Academy, offered annually.  Canine handlers will also be required to carry a basic SAR pack and equipment for the specific SAR mission.  A list of the required equipment is available from the Unit Leader.

Handler Responsibilities

• Handlers are responsible for training their canine partner.  There are no trainers in the Unit; however, training assistance from Unit members is available.  It takes countless hours to train a dog for SAR work.

• Handlers are required to maintain current veterinarian records of their canine partner and a log of the training provided to their canine.   A format for this log is available from the Unit Leader.

• Attend the Canine Unit meetings and participate with their K-9 partner in the quarterly training sessions.

• Handlers are responsible for selecting and following a physical conditioning program that will allow them to effectively search in working environments requiring extended periods of strenuous and physical demanding activity and foot travel.  Handlers will need to carry adequate survival, first aid, communication, and personnel equipment on their person for the duration of the search.

• K-9 handlers are required to complete a SAR Mission Report following missions they participate in.  A format for this report is available from the Unit Leader.

Canine Handling Skills

• Handlers must understand and can tell others how to collect and preserve scent articles for search work.
  
  
• Handlers must be able to interpret the body language or trained responses of their K-9 partner which indicate that the dog has detected human scent.
  
  
• Handlers must be able to control their K-9 partner during the search or operational period and not allow their K-9 partner to make to make physical contact with any person. Handlers must restrain their K-9 partner when the missing or lost person(s) is found and not allow their K-9 partner to jump over anyone on the ground.
  
• Handlers must be able to communicate to their K-9 partner at the end or conclusion of a search or operational period in a positive manner. This communication may be in the form of a reward such as play or food, via some command or action, such as removal of a harness, coat, etc.

Mission Ready Requirements
Demonstration of the following minimum skills is required, by each K-9 Team, to be considered for SAR missions, day or night.

For K-9 Area Search Teams:

Level II non-discriminating -- Locate a single stationary subject in a pre-defined 60-80 acre area, within 1 1/2 hours, including breaks.

Level II discriminating -- Locate a single stationary subject (with 2 distracter decoys) in a pre-defined 60-80 acre area, within 1 1/2 hours, including breaks.

Demonstration to Level I skill level is highly encouraged:
Day -- Locate two moving subjects located within a 140-160 acre area, within 4 hours, including breaks.

Night -- Locate a single stationary subject situated within an 80+/- acre area, within 2 hours, including breaks.

For K-9 Avalanche Search Teams:

Locate 2 subjects buried in snow caves, in an area of approximately 1 acre, within 20 minutes.

For K-9 Wilderness Tracker/Trailer Teams:

Level II  -- Trail and locate a single stationary subject in a wilderness environment, who has traveled between 1 and 1 ½ miles in length, within 2 hours, including breaks. (Track is to be aged between 18-24 hours)

Demonstration to Level I skill level is highly encouraged -- Trail and locate a single stationary subject in a wilderness environment, who has traveled between 1 and 1 ½ miles in length, within 3 hours, including breaks. (Track is to be aged between 24-30 hours)

For K-9 Urban Tracker/Trailer Teams:

Level II -- Trail and locate a single stationary subject in an urban environment, who has traveled between 1 and 1 ½ miles in length, within 2 hours, including breaks. (Track is to be aged between 18-24 hours)

Demonstration to Level I skill level is highly encouraged -- Trail and locate a single stationary subject in an urban environment, who has traveled between 1 and 1 ½ miles in length, within 3 hours, including breaks. (Track is to be aged between 24-30 hours)

The standard above must be demonstrated annually to continue in SAR missions.

The minimum skills for mission readiness for, K-9 Cadaver, K-9 Disaster/Collapsed Structure, K-9 Evidence, K-9 Scent Discriminating and K-9 Water Search Teams are under development.

Equipment Needed By Unit Members
Members need to obtain, at their own cost, the necessary equipment for SAR missions and the special gear/equipment for their K-9 partner.  This list of equipment is available from the Unit Leader.

Deployment of K-9 Teams
Deployment of Mission Ready K-9 Teams on SAR missions is done by the Search and Rescue Coordinator of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.  K-9 Teams are usually placed in the field using a Coconino County Sheriff's SAR vehicle.  However, at the request of the SAR Coordinator, K-9 Teams may need to travel to the site using personal vehicles.  K-9 Teams must be prepared to sustain themselves AND a lost person for at least 24 hrs with equipment they normally carry.  Not all SAR missions require a K-9 Team.

The material in the books/videos listed below has been useful to the Canine Unit members to train their canine partner

• Books:

Tracking Dog Theory & Methods by Glen R. Johnson
Search and Rescue Dog Training by Sandy Bryson
Tracking From The Beginning by Gary Patterson
Ready! A Step-by-Step Guide for Training the Search and Rescue Dog by Susan Bulanda
K9 Search and Rescue A New Training Method by Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak
Search and Rescue Dogs: Training the K-9 Hero by ARDA

• DVDs:

Training Tracking Dogs for Police or S&R Dogs from Leerburg Enterprises, Inc.
Training Tracking Dogs for Police or S&R Dogs from Leerburg Enterprises, Inc.
Track Laying For Police Tracking Dogs from Leerburg Enterprises, Inc