Anyone in SAR

[Crazy_lady]

I have been in SAR for almost 5 yrs and seeing if anyone in this forum is in SAR. I am currently apart of a newly formed group called NORSAR (North Oregon Regional Search and Rescue) associated with Clackamas County near Portland, OR. The past couple of months have been crazy, especially working with a great group of people forming a non-profit group. Love to hear from people and what type of disicipline you do with your dog.

[judgemenot]

We have been doing a little for awhile. I went on few nice tracks in 05 haha! I train police tracking mostly. But am getting out of that and leaning toward SAR.

[Crazy_lady]

SAR is a great area to go has so many aspects to it, which encompasses tracking, and so in some essense you wouldn't really be getting out of police tracking. Probably the apprehending of the criminals aspect.

[judgemenot]

I have alot of problems with putting most SAR dogs on a fugitive scent. Too much air scenting going on these days in SAR. Good way to get brought right into a suspect with little change of behavior. Teach a dog to nose the ground and when he picks the head up you know he has the guy. Take some cover and challenge the area...let your pup go get him a reward!

[Crazy_lady]

Also to add to that then, you have less of a chance that knock on wood this doesn't happen is where the dog ends up going crazy and biting non suspects. But of course it always comes back to handler error, with the handler not doing continuing obedience to prevent negative behaviors.

[judgemenot]

Well yeah your right it does happen and mostly to handler error. But its alot better to get an on duty handler with a bite dog on the track of a 7 yr old lost in some woods than to wait until we can gather the whole SAR group. It takes hours sometime here. Not sure how it is out there but unfortunately a SAR handler has little say in the whole aspect of the way the groups work out here. Dog should be the frontline and its just not like that.
I know and trust alot of SAR handlers but sooooo many I find to be doing too little training compared to a trained police handler paid to do the training. If you ask me neither would run a search/track without having about 300 training runs first. Takes a long time to do tracking right and be able to read the dog. I think too many forget its also not just about the dog. Gota be a team. I have been to dogless courses on people finding too. Makes your team twice as strong. Both cover each other.

[familydobes]

I also train and do SAR, my Sar opinions are very different though, mostly I keep them to myself, and that is why I started my own group. My dogs are trained in protection as well so I don't mind man hunts either so long as we are dealing with people most likely unarmed. I am not going to sacrifice my pet dog for Police duty unless it is my own child in danger. I trail though, my SAR opinion is get to the end goal, and trust the dog to do that, they are the ones with the skill. In the Wild, when a dog hunts, sometimes he tracks, sometimes he airscents, he does what is most effective. It must be like that for SAR as well as time is everything, the faster you get to someone, the higher chance of survival. Just my two bits. You can read more on my website I have a SAR page.

[judgemenot]

Originally Posted by familydobes

I also train and do SAR, my Sar opinions are very different though, mostly I keep them to myself, and that is why I started my own group. My dogs are trained in protection as well so I don't mind man hunts either so long as we are dealing with people most likely unarmed. I am not going to sacrifice my pet dog for Police duty unless it is my own child in danger. I trail though, my SAR opinion is get to the end goal, and trust the dog to do that, they are the ones with the skill. In the Wild, when a dog hunts, sometimes he tracks, sometimes he airscents, he does what is most effective. It must be like that for SAR as well as time is everything, the faster you get to someone, the higher chance of survival. Just my two bits. You can read more on my website I have a SAR page.

I agree with you completely on the point of letting the dog do the work. For SAR with no suspect danger I like the air scenting dog. On the other hand when your searching for an armed suspect in a large area you definately DO NOT want the dog bringing you in on a person without showing that change in behavior. Ive lost friends to that.
Also believe me there are places where the dog looses the track and you have to help...I tracked insurgents with dogs in Iraq on the first mission of its kind in a war time envirment, since Nam. I had a bad ass Mal without quit. He still needed help. We were a team that way and found our guys.

[Urban tracker]

I also belong to North Oregon Regional search and rescue. Have been doing search and rescue for 18 years,. I have worked bloodhounds for 16 years and enjoy every aspect of the breed.

[Crazy_lady]

Welcome! So glad that you joined! Watch out for the slobber everybody, the bloodhounds are in the house.

[Urban tracker]

thanks, I always carry a towel for those afraid of a little drool!!!

Originally Posted by Crazy_lady

Welcome! So glad that you joined! Watch out for the slobber everybody, the bloodhounds are in the house.