the k9 team
paws to the pavement
The K9 team provides K9 resources to support the ground team and the Sheriff’s office on missions for missing persons. There are 3 main disciplines to the K9 team; Area search, trailing and Human remains. The area search K9s are invaluable in assisting lost or deceased persons in a wilderness setting especially if the person is unable to respond. They work off-leash and are trained to follow the scent of a human to locate them. The trailing dogs will follow the trail of scent left behind by a human and is very useful in determining the direction of travel a person went in the wilderness or in an urban setting. The human remains detection dogs are trained to find persons that are deceased and are used by both Search and Rescue and the Sheriff department. All of the dogs are personally owned and trained by their owner/handler and all vet bills and food are paid for by the volunteer handlers.
Training
We train weekly in all seasons and weather. We work on agility, stamina, obedience, and train our dogs in area search, trailing, or detection. Our flankers or support people help with navigation, communication, and man tracking.
Skills
- Navigation
- Communications
- Mantracking
- Area Search
- Scent Theory
- Trailing and Lost Person Behavior
requirements
- A K9 is not required.
- Adept with navigation and communications.
- Ability to work with their dogs on a regular basis to obtain certification and to continue to work with their dogs to maintain certifications.
