SAR Dog News

SAR Dog News October 2015 Published by the National Search Dog Alliance Vol. 9, No. 10

The Voice of K-9 Search and Rescue @ n-sda.org Founding members: K-9 Thor, Eileen M. Nobles, Susan Bulanda, K-9 Roo, Leslie Godchaux, Brian R. Hendrickson, Continental Kennel Club, Inc., K-9 River, K-9 Persha, Jan Thompson, K-9 Cali, Peggy Ann Buchman, K-9 Geist

CONTENTS Article page 2015 BOD Meeting Dates 1 PODCASTS 1 Hero Dog Contest Finals 2 Hero Dog denied plane access 3 Bill to Return Military Dogs to US 4 Do You Like to Collect Photo’s 4 NSDA Test Records for 2015 4 NSDA Regional Testing Requirements 5 Upcoming NSDA Tests 5 NSDA Test Passes Arizona, PA, MI 6 Cyalume light, stick-on 7 End of Watch 8 What Creates Human Death Smell? 10 We All Have the Same Problems 10 6th Body Located in Wildfires 10 Rescued From Fire 11 Would Your Dog Alert on Dog Food? 11 K-9s and Fire Debris Safety 12 Dog Stands Guard for a Week 14 Is There a Cloud Around Your Body? 14 Car Theft Leads to Skeleton 14 Featured Team – Vigo County, Indiana 15 Auto Safety Features for K-9s 20 Upcoming Other Agency Tests 21 Board of Directors 21 Kibbles and Bits : Designer Dogs 22 Last Howl 24 21 Training, Seminars & Conferences

2015 BOARD MEETING DATES November 5 December 3

Contact Secretary, Sherry Scruggs ([email protected]) for the call in number for the meetings.

Bucky says (and Ambrose Bierce)

The most affectionate

creature in the world is a wet dog.

NSDA PODCASTS Episode 33 of the National Search Dog Alliance Podcast, for October 15, 2015 features an interview with Beth Harrington, assistant director of the Tompkins County Department for Emergency Response, talking about ICS and NIMS. You can listen (and subscribe) to the Search Dog Podcast through iTunes, and also find the podcast on Podbean at sardoc.podbean.com Please send questions, feedback, and suggestions to [email protected]. And the podcasts stay up indefinitely.

SAR Dog News, October 2015

HARLEY NAMED 2015

AMERICAN HUMANE ASSOCIATION HERO DOG

Harley spent 10 years living in a small cage in a puppy mill before he was rescued and found a loving home. His journey of physical and emotional healing inspired a campaign called “Harley to the Rescue,” which has raised the funds to save and provide medical care for more than 500 dogs from puppy mills over the past two years. Harley’s battered appearance is a testament to the neglect and rough treatment he experienced, leading to a diseased heart, a mouth filled with rot, a fused spine, a broken tail, gnarled toes, and legs that were deformed. And then there is his missing eye – the result of his cage being power-washed with him in it (an all-too-common practice in puppy mills). All of these conditions were the result of years of horrendous neglect and abuse. To change this reality, Harley is a voice for the countless breeding dogs still living in puppy mills around the country. As a result of his work, Harley won the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards’ Emerging Hero Dogs category, for “ordinary” dogs who do extraordinary things.

Our thanks to Glory and Landa Coldiron for their entry in the Search & Rescue category. Glory was the category winner and NSDA Charity Partner.

Watch for the interview of Landa and Glory October 30th on the Hallmark Channel. Go to www.hallmarkchannel.com/channel-locator, put in your zip code and find your local channel.

“It was a HUGE deal at the Beverly Hilton … red carpet, new media, celebrities, . . .” Landa

SAR Dog News, October 2015 Service Dog of the Year Axel Denied Boarding by Airline

Photo: www.k9sforwarriors.org Axel, a service dog that saved the life of one of our nation’s brave warriors and had just been named Service Dog of the Year at last weekend’s American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards® during a star-studded, nationally televised gala at the Beverly Hilton, was denied permission to accompany Captain Jason Haag as they were about to board the airplane for home on Sunday. Axel had a harness and vest clearly identifying him as a service dog, and the airline was given credible verbal assurance at the time a boarding pass was issued. At the time of boarding however, an American Airlines representative began to ask additional questions, including questions about his disability and demanding additional documentation.

"The next thing they ask me is, ‘What does the dog do for you?' I tell him the dog does a bunch of stuff for me. He didn't really like that answer," Haag said. "I tried to start telling him the tasks; he starts to tell me that I'm noncompliant and my dog can't fly because I can't produce any paperwork. “He didn't let me answer my questions. At that point I started to produce my ID that I have. He picks up the ID and says it's fake.” "I then tell him I called eight days ago, registered him with your disabilities department. I flew out here three days prior on the same airline and I didn't have any issues," Haag said. Five years ago, now-retired Marines Captain Jason Haag from Virginia, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury after returning from two combat tours in the Middle East. When he finally made it home, he was in a constant state of severe depression and mental agony. He struggled with alcohol abuse and took more than 30 medications to deal with his debilitating symptoms. In 2012, his wife urged him to reach out to K9s for Warriors, an organization that provides veterans with service canines, which is how he met who he calls his “lifesaver,” a German shepherd named Axel.

On deployment, every soldier is paired up with a battle buddy, and these days his battle buddy is not another Marine, but Axel. Day in and day out, Axel is by his side, ensuring that he is in a constant state of peace and not fear. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge from Axel to remind him that he is out of the combat zone. Other times, Axel goes into full activation mode, using his training to remove Captain Haag from an environment when a severe panic attack has begun. When he met Axel, the dog was one week away from being put down, sleeping on a shelter floor while Captain Haag was sleeping in his basement with a gun under his pillow. Now he shares a bed with his “big, furry security blanket.”


For this lifesaving work, Axel was named the winner in the Service Dog category at the 2015 American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards. Haag is now active nationwide speaking about PTSD, K9s for Warriors, and other issues relating to veterans. American Airlines said in a statement, "We are happy to say that Capt. Haag, Axel and his wife traveled with us earlier yesterday. We have apologized to both Capt. Haag and his family for the confusion with Sunday’s travel plans."

Photo: 9sforwarriors.org

American Airlines apologizes, but refused reimbursement for missed flight Fox and Friends 9/23/15

BILL TO RETURN MILITARY DOGS TO US SOIL The 2016 National Defense Authorization Act guarantees that ALL of our heroic military working dogs be returned to U.S. soil after retirement and that their human handlers, with whom they’ve formed unbreakable bonds, are given first right of adoption. The bill has been approved by both the House of

Representatives and Senate, and is on its way to President Obama’s desk for his signature. The American Humane Association is circulating a petition asking President Obama to sign the bill into law. If interested, go to: http://americanhumaneblog.org/a-momentous-step-for-americas-military-dogs-and-k-9-battle-buddy-teams/

NEWSLETTER ASSIST NEEDED COLLECTING PHOTOS

Contact teams around the country, starting with our own NSDA team memberships. Collect photos of K-9 team members, 1 – 2 paragraphs of basic information about the team, and permission to use the photos. One team will be featured in the newsletter each month, as available. Work (volunteer) on your own time schedule. Contact [email protected] for more information. DID YOU KNOW NSDA HAS GIVEN OVER 120 CERTIFICATION TESTS SO FAR THIS YEAR in 14 STATES? We have held tests in: Alaska Hawaii Montana Arizona Idaho Washington California Indiana Wisconsin Florida Michigan Wyoming Georgia Missouri Are you ready to test? Contact [email protected] or look for our list of evaluators under Testing on our web page: www.n-sda.org.


NSDA Regional Testing Requirements

NSDA is very happy to do Regional Testing. We are performing more tests this year and serving the needs of canine handlers in many states. It is a win-win situation by having NSDA pay the evaluator expenses to travel to you. We want to continue Regional Testing as a service to canine handlers, but certain requirements should be met by the testing candidates, prior to the evaluator getting on an airplane or driving to administer the field test.

1. The host of the Regional Test will have 9-10 handlers at the event that will be testing. Otherwise, the handlers will be responsible for paying the evaluator’s expenses. If there are less than 9-10 handlers (but 3 or more) the host may contact our treasurer to request up to $300 for evaluator expenses.

2. The host of the Regional Test will collect the names, emails and phone number of the handlers and send the information to the evaluator(s) a month before the event.

3. The evaluator(s) will contact the handlers to answer any questions the handler may have and request all prerequisite paperwork, except training logs, to be scanned or mailed prior to the evaluator arriving on site. Evaluators do not want to have to cancel a field test because one document is not available.

4. Field tests fees should be prepaid, either online (handler should keep the receipt to show payment), or send a check to the evaluator made out to “NSDA.” If online payment is made, the evaluator will request proof of payment.

NSDA asks for documents from handlers and fees prior to the evaluator(s) arriving on site because many plans are made for a regional event. NSDA evaluators are volunteers and need to know in advance to change their work schedules; pay for an airline flight to receive better rates; make hotel arrangements; reserve a rental car; find a person or place to board their own pets; know how many handlers they are testing and how much time they will need to test; and to provide a schedule for field testing ahead of time. A well planned Regional Testing satisfies canine handlers and NSDA evaluators. We are looking forward to providing professional field tests across the country.

UPCOMING NSDA TESTS Visit www.n-sda.org for prerequisites and standards.

October 17, 18 CAMP ATTERBURY, INDIANA Jan Meyer Disaster 1st Responder Type III, Live [email protected] Disaster 1st Responder Type III, HR See info flyer at end of newsletter October 17, 18 ARLINGTON, WASHINGTON Chris Terpstra Area II [email protected]


ARIZONA Trailing III

Meredith Maler Eckhardt and K-9 Charlie. Meredith’s K-9 Abby also passed Trailing III. The test was given in Pine Top, AZ in July

PENNSYLVANIA

Area II Congratulations to Kimberly Grimm and K9 Maiya for passing their NSDA Area test.

MICHIGAN Trailing III

With Subject, Cindy and K-9 Blue

MICHIGAN Land HRD

Pat Lamson and K-9 Dawson

SAR Dog News, October 2015 MICHIGAN Land HRD Lori Lickly and Tori

The morning of October 8 started off with a happy birthday song for my retired SAR dog who just turned 14 yrs. old. As I sang softly in her ear, she moaned with joy. I was sad and happy at the same time. Happy that she was still in fairly good health at 14, but sad thinking it might be her last birthday. Also sad because I was leaving her to fly off to West Branch, MI. to evaluate HRD dogs. In Michigan I had the pleasure of meeting some great people and some great dogs. But one especially tugged at my heart because she too was an older dog. Tori is a spunky 10 yr. old Golden Retriever. When she exited the van preparing to begin her first one acre search, she ran toward me grinning from ear to ear. I guess she was trying to make a good impression and she surely did. It took two days to complete the certification process due to a loose dog that decided to hang out with me when I was setting up the roadway portion of the test. I know that was nerve racking for Lori and it also meant she was going to have to make the hour and a half trip once more.

Tori showed up to the next day of testing with the same enthusiasm she had the day before. She didn’t seem to be effected by the pressure her mom was feeling and the pressure I was feeling to administer a fair test. Tori sailed through the roadway search and had one element left. The vehicles. I’m sure I was as nervous as Lori; I so wanted them to pass but it was out of my hands. Four minutes later, it was all over and NSDA had yet another certified Land HRD dog. Now, it was Lori’s turn to be happy and sad at the same time. Happy she passed and sad with the realization that possibly her aging SAR partner had just passed the last certification she will attempt. Evaluator Sherry Scruggs A Different Type of Cyalume Light

This company has very flat pads that serve as light sticks that come in a variety of colors and last 12 - 24 hours. They work well on dog vests, handler vests and equipment or anywhere else you need them, perhaps a vehicle. This one is a stick-on type. Check their web site at www.cyalume.com.


Chelsea was detailed to Canine Center El Paso every year and served as a demo for every SAR Canine class. She was a pioneer for the BORSTAR Canine program and accomplished many groundbreaking achievements including:

One of two canines first certified under the Border Patrol’s Tracking/Trailing, SAR area, Obedience, and National Association of Search and Rescue Canine SAR Technician program. The first certified backtracking canine for the United States Border Patrol. The first Border Patrol Distinguished Expert Trailing Canine under the North American Police Work Dog Association. The first Border Patrol canine to certify under the National Search Dog Alliance.

K9 Chelsea and Agent Noziska

SAR Dog News, October 2015 In 1999 the San Diego BORSTAR Team set out to add an additional resource to their newly formed Search and Rescue team. In 2000 an agreement was reached with the National Canine Facility (NCF) and, in January of 2001, the NCF began training the first BORSTAR Canine’s. NCF exerted great care in conducting tests to select the best canines for BORSTAR Teams. Testing was conducted to identify canines that not only possessed the required character traits and the drive to perform search and rescue, but also to find dogs with a non-threatening demeanor. Not only did Chelsea possess these traits, she had a remarkable ability with scent discrimination and working aged trails. Her tireless effort and perseverance were unparalleled. Chelsea was assigned to Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Robert J. Noziska. Chelsea will be greatly missed but her legacy lives on through her accomplishments and achievements. Thank-you Chelsea for your service to our country. You will never be forgotten.

Chelsea and her team preparing to board the aircraft

Agent Noziska and Chelsea rappel during training

SAR Dog News, October 2015 Scientists figure out what creates the unique smell of human death Eight of 452 compounds were found only in decomposing humans and surprisingly human-like pigs, and five of them were unique to humans. Eva Cuypers and her team at the University of Leuven published their findings last week. They believe the results could be used to better train cadaver dogs or even create a machine. See http://www.foxnews.com/science/2015/09/28/scientists-figure-out-what-creates-unique-smell-human-death/ DOES THIS PROBLEM SOUND FAMILIAR TO YOU? MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan - Face-to-face with an energetic German Sheppard, Senior Airman Alyssa Stamps, 35th Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler, makes a grab for the ball. Now holding the cherished reward, she chucks it across the yard and the dog stampedes after it. Instead of returning to her with an accomplished strut, he sits with his back to her in the corner of the yard and refuses to cooperate.

Stamps describes this as "battling a streak of stubbornness" taken on during the two-week

rapport stage destined to nurture their new handler-MWD relationship. Although frustrating, these visits with her new dog, Elvis, are just the beginning of her dream becoming a reality. From living beside dogs as a child to joining the Air Force as a security forces Airman, Stamps has knowingly and unknowingly prepared for the duty of an MWD handler. K-9 Cop Newsbites September 25,

Sixth body found in rubble of Northern California wildfires COBB, Calif. – Another body has been found in a burned-out home in Northern California, bringing the death toll to six from two of the state's more destructive wildfires in recent memory, authorities said Wednesday. The body was found Tuesday night in the rubble of a fire in Lake County, about 100 miles north of San Francisco. Three other people were found dead in the rubble of that blaze last week. Cadaver dogs located the men in the Hidden Valley and Anderson Springs areas. Meanwhile, two bodies were found inside homes destroyed in a separate wildfire about 170 miles away in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

As of Sept 29th, the Sonoma, Lake, and Napa County fires are over 96% contained, with over 76,000 acres burned. A total of 1958 structures have been destroyed including; 1280 homes, 27 multi-family structures and 66 commercial properties. AP News


RESCUED FROM FIRE AREA

Lawrence Ross looked beat, his head hanging and his eyes bloodshot five days after fleeing his home in the path of a wall of flames. Authorities had not let residents return since the fire erupted Saturday about 100 miles north of San Francisco, scorching thousands of acres and reducing more than 800 homes to ash. When told officials were no longer letting residents in at all, not even with escorts, Ross sighed heavily, shook his head and fought back tears. "I think my house is OK, but I don't know, and my dog is there, and my goats and horses and alpacas," he said. "My dog, my dog."

"Thumper," a 70-pound lab, sits in the backseat of AP reporter Brian Skoloff's rental car, as he drove it back to town to get reunited with her owner, resident Lawrence Ross. AP

AP reporter Brian Skoloff was planning to head back out to scout for more stories so he grabbed his map and said, "Show me where your house is. I'll swing by while I'm out there. "Ross, 76, circled a spot off Big Canyon Road and tapped it twice with the pen.

After about 10 miles of navigating twisting roads and dodging downed power lines, Skoloff came to Ross' dirt driveway. Unbelievably, the home was unscathed, the earth charred all around it where firefighters had beat back the flames. But there was no sign of Thumper, Ross' elderly 70-pound lb. dog. Skoloff walked the property for another hour, whistling and calling out Thumper's name. Thumper emerged from a crawlspace, covered in ash and soot — her tail wagging, her tongue flopping. She leaped into Skoloff's lap, licked his face, then rolled over on her back as Skoloff rubbed her belly and cried. Skoloff immediately called Ross. "Your house is OK. Your animals are fine, and I've got Thumper!" The reporter drove the pooch to where her owner was waiting. Thumper pushed her way out of the car and ran toward him, her entire body wagging. It was a moment of pure joy. "I dreamed last night the house was burning down, and I could hear her screaming as she burned," Ross said. Calif. AP News, Sept. 17, 2015 WOULD YOU CORRECT YOUR DOG FOR ALERTING ON DOG FOOD? Police K-9 Sniffs out Heroin Hidden in Dog Food GREENSBURG, Pa. -State police say they arrested a man on drug possession charges after a K-9 officer found several bags of heroin buried in dog food. K-9 Cop Newsbites September 25, 2015


K-9s and Fire Debris By Sue Wolff

In the wake of the forest fires in the Western United States, Human Remains Detection (HRD)/Cadaver Dogs are being utilized to search the debris left behind by these blazes. Technically this is considered a cadaver search BUT it is also a disaster one. The main factor in this type of search is the surface on which the dogs are working. Fires leave hot spots which are not only dangerous because they could flare up but these coals could burn the K-9s feet and melt the handler’s boots. One way of protecting the dog’s feet is with booties. K-9s have to be trained to wear them and this is not something that can be done at a fire scene. Most dogs find them awkward to wear and will try to shake them off therefore their use is negligible if proper training has not been done prior to the mission. There are two trains of thought regarding the use of “shoes” on a dog when searching. One is that the dog needs the booties to protect their feet, especially their tender pads. Second is that dogs lose their sense of the

surface by wearing a covering on their paws. Both opinions are valid and personal use can only be determined by a handler and their dog at training prior to responding to a callout. NEVER put booties on a

dog for the first time at a scene, especially because the dog’s reaction to them is uncertain.

Some of the fires this year were firestorms. The flames flashed over vehicles, property and humans with little or no warning. Some bodies were obvious i.e. sitting at the wheel of their truck and some needed to be found. Hence the need for an HRD/cadaver dog. When entering the fire scene, the handler should carry as little as possible and the K-9 even less. Any protrusion could snag on debris. No shabrack, harness or collar should be worn by the dog. Essential equipment is a small radio in a sling; special pockets or fanny pack; headlight or flashlight; small canteen of water for the dog; protective mask or respirator for the handler; some food for both human and canine; multi-purpose tool and first aid supplies. Besides the threat of hot ashes, there are several other items of concern within the fire area. There will be wildlife, both live and dead, such as snakes, scorpions and other deadly species hidden under burned boards, trees, and brush. To be on the safe side, treat all of the wildlife sighted as live and avoid contact with it. Downed power lines also threaten searchers. These too can be hidden under ashes, burned houses and downed trees. As with animals, treat all power lines as live. It could make the difference between safety and personal calamity.

SAR Dog News, October 2015 The fire debris can shift just as concrete from a building collapse will do. Both handler and K-9 must watch their footing for stability as well as for hot coals.

Any way you look at it, a fire scene, especially ones this vast, are dangerous even after the flames have been extinguished. Firefighters are staying in the field on twelve hour shifts.

Be prepared to do the same and be prepared to walk long distances especially if searching a burned out forest. Remember to look up for wildlife in the tree skeletons and to avoid falling limbs. And, if working a residential area, be prepared to be on the ground there for an extended period of time.

Remember, while in the process of helping others, be safe yourself and keep your K-9 protected also.

Facebook Posting

“We worked the Butte Fire on Friday, looking for the missing and presumed deceased. We deployed as a mutual aid resource from the San Luis Obispo County SAR team. The community is in a state of shock; many people thanked us for helping and told me about their experiences. It reminded me again of why we do what we do.” 9/20/15


DOG STANDS GUARD FOR A WEEK OVER HER FRIEND

(Photo: Vashon Island Pet Protectors) Tillie, the setter, stayed with her doggie friend Phoebe. She left each day to go find help. Phoebe a basset hound, was trapped in a concrete cistern in a ravine where Tillie stood guard. The Washington nonprofit animal rescue organization, Vashon Island Pet Protectors had posted photos of the dogs on their Facebook page, hoping someone would spot them. On Sept. 14, they received a call saying that while they were out on their property, a "reddish" dog had come up to them a few times, before promptly heading back into a ravine. Based on the tip, volunteers made their way into the ravine, said Amy Carey with VIPP. After a bit of searching, the volunteers heard a small one-woof response when they called out to Tillie. A few minutes later they found her lying beside the old cistern with her head resting on the concrete wall. "They knew that meant Phoebe was inside the cistern. Every breath was held and every doggie prayer offered that the peek over the rim would somehow find her safe," Carey said. Both dogs were cold and hungry but are doing well. USA TODAY NETWORK, KING-TV

DO YOU HAVE A CLOUD AROUND YOUR BODY?

Dog handlers have all heard of skin rafts falling off of your subject so that your dog can follow them. Now we learn more. A recent academic article analyzes the bacterial component of the cloud (aka rafts) given off by people. Using advanced DNA sequencing technology they ‘discovered’ that people have individual, distinct populations of bacterial in their cloud. It has been known for a while that individuals have distinct microflora populations on their skin. Because of the methods used, the scientists were only looking at bacteria and would not have detected DNA from skin cells, yeast, molds, or any of the other things a dog might detect. See: https://peerj.com/articles/1258.pdf and http://www.wired.com/2015/09/body-surrounded-clouds-skin-fart-bacteria/

College Park, GEORGIA Officers searching for a car theft suspect unexpectedly found skeletal remains behind an apartment complex south of Atlanta. “Another vehicle pursuit began, and a foot chase,” Peachtree City police Lt. Mark Brown told Channel 2. “Unfortunately, they were unable to grab him at that time.” An Atlanta police K-9 unit brought in to search for the suspect found the human remains in a wooded area behind the Alexandria Landing Apartments. College Park police Chief Keith Meadows told Channel 2 he believes the remains had been in the woods for almost a year. Police said an article of clothing found near the remains might help them identify the body. Sept. 15, 2015 Local News and The Augusta Chronicle


The Editor’s choice for this month’s featured team

Vigo County, Indiana Search and Rescue Vigo County Search and Rescue (VCSAR) is a volunteer based search and rescue organization in Central Indiana. VCSAR is comprised of K9 handlers and ground search personnel that respond to local, state, and regional requests to find lost, missing or deceased individuals.

Blaze

Blitz

Members of VCSAR have training and experience in ground search techniques, communications, administering first aid, land navigation, and search management. Go to: http://vigocountysar.com/

VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) – Blitz, Rudy and Blaze are three dogs with important jobs to do. The trio is a dream team to Vigo County Search and Rescue. “It’s amazing the ability of these dogs,” said Darrick Scott, tracking handler, “They are an asset that every agency in Vigo County, and surrounding counties, need to use”. Over the weekend, the team responded to the call of a missing man in Sullivan County, identified as Richard Wiseman of Dugger. Officials say Wiseman was supposed to meet his hunting partner out of the woods, when he didn’t show up his partner called for help.


Blitz, Rudy and Blaze were called to assist with search efforts. Using only the scent from an article of clothing, the K9 team was able to find Wiseman in less than an hour. Officials say Wiseman had a heart attack while in the woods, became disoriented and injured his leg. He was later taken to Sullivan County Hospital where officials say he is in stable condition. “We were prepared to go into nighttime search, or even overnight search, if we had to,” said Dorean Hojnicki, director of Vigo County Emergency Management Agency. Hojnicki says when it comes to the team, they truly know the meaning of dedication.

Rudy

“They are 100 percent volunteer,” said Hojnicki, “Which means financially this all comes out of their pocket”. The search and rescue team continues to grow, Hojnicki says so far they have almost 12 K-9’s. The K-9’s and handlers spend a great deal of their time training. Hojnicki says the team is constantly working close to two or three weekends every month. The training ultimately prepares them to execute situations like this, in hopes of it all resulting in a happy ending.

“Anytime we have a successful mission, we find someone alive, and especially being able to get them back to their family,” said Hojnicki, “You can imagine it doesn’t feel any better than that, and I am so proud of this team”. WTHITV10.com August 17, 2015

Sniper


Peyton and Dung

Maggie

Peyton Drew and Blitz


Nix

Zeke

James and Z


Maggie

VCSAR is a team of 12 K-9 handlers and ground support personnel. Currently the team has 7 certified K-9s in the disciplines of tracking/trailing, area and Land HRD. Current certifications are with NSDA, IDHS, IPWDA and APCA. Two handlers are also police officers and one K-9 is in training for Arson detection, along with his handler, a career firefighter. Ongoing goals are to improve and enhance search and response efforts for the lost and missing. 2016 will bring focus on Search Management, NSDA certifications for up and coming K-9s and forming early response teams.

Would you like to be featured in our newsletter? Send your photos and information to [email protected].


Auto Safety Features

for K-9s The following is a list from a veterinarian of common automobile safety features that K-9 handlers should not ignore:

1. Seat Belts Although seat belts are mandatory for humans riding in a vehicle, they are often overlooked for dogs. They are regularly ignored because they are an unnecessary annoyance. The “It won’t happen to me” mentality is thought to be responsible for this mind set. Meanwhile, canines are injured or happen to be injurious to others if they are free to roam in a vehicle.

2. Carrier Restraints Handlers who travel with their canines in carriers tend to assume the dogs are safe as long as they are restricted. In a crash, not only can the carrier be thrown from a vehicle and the enclosed animal escape, the animal contained in an unsecured carrier can be unnecessarily killed. Though a carrier restraint cannot guarantee that the K-9 will not get hurt in an accident, keeping the carrier from becoming a projectile in the vehicle has a distinct benefit.

3. Backseat riding Even though a K-9 rides restrained in an elevated car seat that attaches with a clip to his harness, its frame is like that of an infant seat. In other words, it won’t necessarily keep the front seat’s

powerful air bag from breaking the dog’s bones. Therefore, despite the dog’s protests, the canine should ride in the backseat. Unfortunately, that raises its own perils, like being accidentally left in a hot car.

4. Vehicle temperature alarms “It could never happen to me” tends to reach its height when referring to leaving a K-9 in a vehicle. Everyone takes for granted that only the idiotic would leave their dogs in hot cars. As with infants, when pets are strapped into backseat safety devices, they are more likely to get accidentally left behind. And because cars can get hot fast, that can lead to deadly consequences which is where the use of temperature-sensing devices becomes obvious. Fortunately they can be purchased through manufacturers that market these safety devices to police departments (Radiotronics, Criminalistics and Ray Allen). If commuting or traveling alot with a K-9, consider purchasing one.

5. Microchips

If there is an accident and the K-9 is thrown out of the vehicle, Microchips can literally be a life saver. Dogs lost in an unfamiliar area can quickly be reunited with their handler by either a dog pound or veterinarian reading the chip as well as the AKC Reunite service. (To enroll, see http://www.akcreunite.org. Check to see if service/SAR dogs are still enrolled for free.)

Source: VETSTREET.COM


UPCOMING OTHER AGENCY TESTS

October 16, 17, 18 HOLLY SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI Andrew Olney NASAR SAR Tech II [email protected] October 27 – Nov 1 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO Kasie McGee Canine Trailing I – IV [email protected] November 8 WAUPACA, WISCONSIN Michelle Metzner Area II & III [email protected] Land HRD NSDA Board of Directors

Susan Fleming President Pennsylvania [email protected] Terry Crooks Vice-President Montana [email protected] Julie Gibson Secretary Idaho [email protected] Sherry Scruggs Treasurer Georgia [email protected] Robert Noziska New Mexico [email protected] Heather Proper- VanValkenberg Pennsylvania [email protected] Bridget Jackson Missouri [email protected] Kathleen Kelsey Missouri [email protected] Jennifer Skeldon Idaho [email protected] Heather Suedkamp Kentucky [email protected]


KIBBLES & BITS by Susan Bulanda

To my loyal readers – Do you have any subjects that you would like me to cover? Send them to me at [email protected] with K & B in the subject line. Dog Breeds for SAR In the March K&B I promised to review some of the breeds of dogs that I have found to make great SAR dogs or that I feel have potential to be good SAR dogs Since a number of people have told me that they are not familiar with ‘Designer Dogs,’ this month we will look at what exactly is a “designer dog.” Interestingly I recall in the late 1950’s – early 1960’s a pet shop in New Jersey called J.P. O’Neal’s (I may have spelled the Neal part of the name incorrectly) that used to advertise crazy mixes. It was obvious that they were making up names for mutts. The name of the ‘breed’ was a combination of the breeds that it was made up of. I cannot recall any specific names but we used to get a good laugh over the names. I for one did not ever in my wildest imagination think that anyone would be fooled by this tactic. Just for a bit of history, in those days people did not neuter or spay their dogs. Often the bitches would get “caught” and have a mixed breed litter of puppies. If the owner of the bitch could not find homes for the puppies, they would wind up in a pet shop. Shelters and rescues were almost non-existent and the local dog pound was not a place where you would want to take a dog. I can only speak for the East Coast since in those days people communicated via a hand written letter because computers did not exist and phone calls out of the area were either toll calls or long distance calls (depending on how far away you called) and were expensive to make. So information was not readily available. Therefore as far as I know, J.P. O’Neal’s was the inventor of what today is called designer dogs. However, today as it was then, designer dogs are either a Heinz 57 Variety or a cross-breed as they were referred to back then. Some people have created fairly new breeds, such as the Cesky Terrier but have established a standard and the groups of enthusiasts have worked toward that standard. They are dedicated to meeting the requirements of the major registering bodies for recognition. Typically a breed must produce a uniform standard for a required number of years/ generations before they are considered for registration. It takes years of coordination and a group breeding plan to accomplish this. To the best of my knowledge, the designer dog breeders today do not do this. They have found that the general public is basically uneducated about dogs in terms of breed requirements and will believe almost anything. Add this to the fact that most people do not know enough about dog breeds to be able to recognize which breeds created the designer dog and do not want to spend the money for a DNA test, if they are aware that a DNA test exists.

SAR Dog News, October 2015 Many of the designer dog breeders claim that the Poodle mixes are hypo-allergenic. This is absolutely not true. No dog is hypo-allergenic, even pure Poodles. For an article about dog fur/hair go to: http://www.examiner.com/article/dog-fur-vs-dog-hair-does-it-matter-to-people-who-are-allergic-to-dogs I have seen puppies that were sold as Labradoodles grow up with terrier like wire hair, beard and all and a terrier build. The fact is that no ethical breeder who owns a top notch purebred dog, either a conformation show dog or a champion field/working dog is going to cross that dog with another breed. Based on my experience, and I realize that there may be an exception, I have found that these breeders do not do genetic testing for congenital defects, and never know from litter to litter what the puppies will be like. For example let’s look at a Poodle mix. There are at least three different sizes of Poodles. This means that a Poodle mix could be small to large depending on which size of Poodle was bred. Any time two or more breeds are mixed, there is no way to determine which characteristics will be inherited. With Labradoodles you cannot tell for sure what coat type the dog will have, what size it will be and even more important from a working dog point of view, which breed genetics will dominate the dogs mind. What is important to consider with any mixed breed dog is that the mix complement each other. Since Poodles are really a German duck retriever and Labrador’s are also a water/duck dog, this mix compliments itself. One of the mixes that were popular about thirty years or so ago was a German Shepherd/Husky mix. This was a bad mix because these two breeds are at opposite ends of the spectrum (especially mentally) and did not mix well resulting in a lack of bidability and aggression. This makes it difficult to pick a puppy or adult dog for working purposes and have any assurance that the dog will want to, or have the ability to work. That said, I admit that many mixed breed dogs, designer dogs or not, have made excellent working dogs. I started my career as a dog trainer with two cross bred dogs, one was a Shepherd/Collie mix and the other a Beagle/something mix. However, the designer dog is not a new phenomenon but goes back to WWI and even before that. Prior to WWI Major Richardson from England went to Germany to study their war dog program. He was so impressed that he was instrumental in developing England’s war dog program for WWI. One of most popular dogs over all that were successfully trained by Richardson as ambulance/ messenger dogs were Lurchers. A Lurcher was a purposely bred dog of any breed, with a hound. The most common cross was a hound/collie mix. For example, one month’s record of successfully trained dogs by Richardson, shows 70 Lurchers, beat only by Collies (Border Collies for the most part) with 74 and third goes to the Airedale with 66.


THE LAST HOWL

By Sue Wolff Opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of the National Search Dog Alliance. To begin, I have to tell you that my GSD will eat anything (and I mean eat, not just chew) – toys, rugs, paper, bird houses, sticks, plastic cat food containers, cardboard, etc. She started this as a puppy so I figured she would out grow it. WRONG! As you may or may not know, GSDs have delicate stomachs. GSDs I’ve known could not tolerate the smallest change in diet. Fortunately this dog has a cast iron stomach. She’s had a couple of problems with digestive enzymes but that has been easily fixed. She’s been trained and certified in Human Remains Detection (HRD) having nary a problem with source...until we got to teeth. We were doing a blind problem in an open field. My dog diligently searched in her grid pattern, got to the center of the field and sat, her trained alert. She then bent over and ate something on the ground before I could stop her. The trainer informed me that she had just eaten the source—two teeth. Now I couldn’t fault the dog because she had never worked this kind of source before. I did chastise myself for not watching my dog more closely to prevent her from doing what she did. I also fault the trainer for not putting the teeth in a container of some sort especially since I told him that the dog had never worked teeth before and he knew that my GSD would eat anything.

My point here refers to putting HRD source in some type of container – cricket cage, can with holes in it, anything that will allow the scent out but keep the dog from getting to it. There are various types of containers that can be bought or handmade. These containers don’t have to be professionally made unless you and/or your team can afford to purchase them. Besides the ones available from K-9 training businesses, inexpensive ones can be bought at stores such as Wal-Mart, usually in the sporting goods section. Bass Pro Shops and other businesses of this type carry many items that can be used by the HRD handler/trainer but don’t expect them to be in a K-9 training section. When looking for items to use for training, think way outside the box. Cricket cages are one example. They can be found in the

fishing section because they are used to hold crickets as bait. One really cool idea was given to me by another NSDA HRD Evaluator. In training for elevated targets, she uses flower vases that are normally placed in the ground on graves in cemeteries. They have the pocket for flowers in

water so source can be securely placed in it and the spiked bottom allows it to remain in the crook of a tree branch. These can be purchased in any store that carries floral supplies such as Wal-Mart and craft stores. One of the easiest and least expensive holders for source is a PVC tube with holes drilled in it. The PVC, end caps and glue can be purchased at hardware stores, Home Depot and/or Lowes.

SAR Dog News, October 2015 Determine the amount of source on which you wish to train. Choose a pipe with an interior diameter which will accommodate the source tightly. Cut the PVC into lengths (10-12 inches) and drill 1/8th inch holes all around the pipe about 2 inches apart. Glue one end cap in place; place the other one

on the other end but do not glue to allow for placement of source. A variation involves painting the pipe. This can be done in green,

brown, sand, camouflage, whatever will match the surroundings where the pipes will be utilized. These are brief instructions which can be varied according to training needs and finishing items like sanding the drilled holes are not included but should be done to avoid injury to the dog and/or trainer. Now there are some who do not like using PVC pipe and especially not painted pipe. They maintain that the dog will be hitting on the odor of the pipe itself and that the smell of the paint will interfere with the odor of the human remains. All of the above is true BUT the HRD K-9 has been trained to be source specific (just like a tracking dog or scent specific dog) so, to me, the argument against PVC, painted or otherwise, is not valid. Besides these odors can be detractors which teach the dog to ignore all but the target. Bottom Line: Securely enclose human remains so that the canine cannot reach the source plus train the dog not to ingest it.

Bird Suet Basket Bait Barrel 6”

Crab Snare

TRAINING, SEMINARS & CONFERENCES

REACH OVER 1,300 SAR K-9 HANDLERS. LIST YOUR TRAININGS, SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES IN THE

SAR DOG NEWS Contact Editor Norma Snelling at [email protected]

Training, Seminars & Conferences OCTOBER 2015 17 – 18 Clandestine Grave Workshop, Siskiyou County, CA. Must have L.E. affiliation and experience working double blind problems. For information: Susan Hobson, [email protected] 30 – Nov 1 FACTS Workshop, Whole body, off lead search scenarios. Texas State University, San Marcos, TX. For information – [email protected] NOVEMBER 2015 6- 8, HRD, Air Scent & Trailing Workshops. Camp Lakeview, Brown County, Indiana. North Star International K9 Training Association For information: Maryln Allen Adams www.nsk9ta.com See next page

NSDA DISASTER TESTING LIVE/HRD

October 17-18, 2015 Camp Atterbury, Edinburgh, Indiana Old Hospital Road, Edinburgh, Indiana 46124

Hosted by Gateway Search Dogs

A $50.00 fee will be collected at the door to cover expenses. If 10 or more sign up for the test, the fee at the door will be waived.

Each candidate will need to prepay the test fee. You can either mail a check with your registration or pay on NSDA’s website on Paypal and send a copy of the paid receipt with the registration. The test fee is $30 for members and $75 for non-members.

We will have 6 Live testing slots available on Saturday and 6 HRD slots on Sunday. These slots are available on a first come, first serve basis. Sleeping accommodations will be provided in the Search and Rescue Academy trailers. If you are staying overnight, you will need to bring, toiletries, pillow, blanket, sheets and towel and you will be responsible for your own meals. You are only allowed to test one dog per discipline – NO EXCEPTIONS. You may test the same dog in both disciplines or two different dogs – one in live and one in HRD. The website will be posted when the testing slots are full – so keep your eye on that. All prerequisites and testing standards are on the NSDA website www.n-sda.org. Tests will NOT be given unless all prerequisites are presented and appropriate equipment is worn. For additional information contact Jan Meyer, [email protected]. NAME: TELEPHONE: ADDRESS: CITY/STATE: ORGANIZATION: NSDA MEMBER #: DOG NAME/BREED: Please mail registration and check or prepaid receipt to Jan Meyer, 1123 Eagle Creek Road, Wildwood, MO 63005. If you have a prepaid receipt, you are welcome to email a copy of the receipt and registration to [email protected].

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