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Search and Rescue with a dog, the basics

April 20-21 2013

DO YOU LOVE LIFE, GOING OUT WITH A DOG AND BEING HELPFUL?

Perhaps you also have been curious about dogs that can locate people or ‘’things’’ with their nose! If so, the upcoming course may be of interest to you… or to people that you know.  Despite having been given since the early 1990’s this course is still rare, and more so in ENGLISH.

Why? Not many people are that interested in a full commitment to search and rescue with a dog.

BUT, few realize that the course is open to anyone who is just interested in understanding more about the amazing ability of dogs, or to train them to help find lost or misplaced articles, such as car keys and cell phones.

Over the years, this course has been taken by a variety of people such as SAR volunteers, but also: veterinary, animal technicians, police and fire personnel, dog breeders and ordinary dog owners.

The Volunteer Group Sauvetage Canada Rescue, in collaboration with the recreation department of the ST-Joseph-du-Lac Municipality, will be holding their two-day “Search and Rescue with a dog, the basics’’ course on April 20 and 21.

This two-day theory course will provide participants with the information required to draw up a work plan that will allow starting or perfecting the training of a canine team. (a handler and his/her dog)  It will as well provide the key to understand why your exercises and training sessions as a TEAM work or may fall short of your expectations. This knowledge should help you make the required adjustment to achieve better results.

We do not recommend that you bring your dog with you on this course. Since this is a course really designed for the human, providing the theory behind the training, the dog will have to stay, on leash, quietly beside his handler during the class and between the morning, lunch and afternoon break.  Should it become necessary because of distracting behavior, the instructor reserve the right to ask that the dog be put back in the car. Participants who will feel the need to tend to their dogs will not be given refunds but an opportunity to attend the next course being given.

Course outline

Subjects covered will include:

• The concept of a canine team:
  • Its implications
  • Its consequences on training
• Scent… what is it? What affects it?
• How understanding about scent will help you figure out :
  • The best days
  • The best time of day to train for maximum knowledge gain.
• The anatomy and physiology of the dog’s olfactory system.
•  What enhances or hinders the ability of the dog to detect scent
• The opportunities and challenges different breeds…and handlers  bring to work
• The influence of temperament, behavior and training on the work of a dog… and a handler.
• Tracking, trailing, air scenting :  their differences  and best uses
• How the dog can be taught to look for a specific scent
• What are the:
  • Questions you need to ask before starting
  • Best strategies to become a SAR volunteer working a canine? .
  • Best dogs …and best handlers, for SAR?
  • Best age to start training?
  • Best approach to obedience training?
  • What other type of training should the dog get?
  • The many specialties in scent work and their impact on handler and dog’s need for training
  • Physical capacities/capabilities and attitude both handler and dogs should develop
  • Safety consideration

• How to start the training of an air scenting dog and the many steps to build a good foundation.
• Consequences of “not sticking to the program”
• The effect of wind and convection
• Heat and the probability of detection
• The log - an amazing learning tool with: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? 
• The role of your assistant
• The role of the person playing the victim
• Your responsibilities
• Emergency first aid and the importance of learning more than the basics.
• Equipment its use and criteria’s for their selection
• The training required for the handler and assistant if they want to certify for SAR
• The evaluation process. 

The instructor giving the course has over 40 years of experience in SAR and a lifetime with dogs of various types and breeds.

Places are limited and because of this, confirmation of registration is done in the order payments are received. 

Please note:

1.     if you are not interested in working a dog BUT love dogs and the outdoors and would like to occasionally  give the group a hand by walking with a handler OR hiding for a team that is training (and possibly make this a family outing) and/or

2.     need more information

Please send an email to:

Carol Ann Namur, P.D.G. The Volunteer Group Sauvetage Canada Rescue (S.C.R.)

Cette adresse email est protégée contre les robots des spammeurs, vous devez activer Javascript pour la voir. or Cette adresse email est protégée contre les robots des spammeurs, vous devez activer Javascript pour la voir.                       Telephone: 450-974-9793