Dogs For Search And Rescue

• What Kind of Dogs Are Used?

Most breeds are capable of doing search and rescue work, however a dog with a high play drive will excel at scent work. Dogs from the sporting, herding, and working breeds work well. The dog should be of a size that is capable of working in all search environments. The short-haired dogs or single-coated dogs are better suited to the heat of Houston. Traits desired in a search dog are steady temperaments and the ability to adapt to all environments, confidence and the boldness to work in stressful situations, and an athletic body type for endurance and agility. Aggressive dogs that bite people or other dogs will not work. All search dogs must love people and should never show aggression towards anyone. The missing person deserves the best. Dogs that do not meet the standards of Greater Houston Search Dogs will not be accepted into the training program.

• Why a Puppy?

Or, in other words, must one start with a puppy? Can an older dog be used instead? Well, of course there are examples of adult dogs being successfully trained in search and rescue work. You do need to keep in mind the following: It can take two or three years to fully train a dog. If the dog was three years old when you started, it will not be ready for work until it's at least five years old -- and then it will be ready to retire only a few years later, depending on its breed, health and the demands made of it.

Certain types of socialization are very important for the SAR dog, and it's easier to ensure that a puppy gets this socialization. Such a dog must be completely reliable around people, and it must be curious, inclined to investigate and be utterly self confident. Many ways that dogs are "typically" raised (Stop sniffing! Stop pulling on the leash!) typically inhibit a dog's curiosity. For the purposes of this discussion, though, we will assume you've decided to look for a puppy for your search and rescue work.

• Should I Consider a Purebred or a Mixed Breed?

I have seen many dogs of all description do excellent work in search and rescue. This includes most of the retrieving and working breeds, and mixes of these breeds. The common factors seem to include approximate size (medium, from 50 to 90lbs) and athletic ability. A purebred is probably more predictably talented and it's easier to find one that will conform to your personal preferences on size, color, coat, depending on how important that is to you.

Most importantly, a purebred is more likely to have a properly documented familial history, whereas a mixed breed usually does not. This is important when trying to find a sound, healthy dog. This is in my opinion the only serious caveat to using a mixed breed; otherwise I see no definite advantage to going for one or the other.

• What Are Some Other Things I Should Consider?

You may have coat requirements -- long and thick in colder climates, short and smooth to avoid tangles and burs in high country, waterproof in rainy places. You might want a light colored dog to withstand warm temperatures, or a darker, more strikingly colored dog that is easy to see. You might be interested in trailing, in which case nose and dedication to the trail are important. Or you might want to do area search in which case you need a dog responsive to your direction. You might be doing felony work where a larger more powerful and protective type of dog would be best. Or you might be involved in finding lost hikers and children where a dog less imposing in appearance is better. Wide ranging searches require endurance and focus; work on rough ground requires agility. You might want a male or a female. A smaller dog that is more easily handled in tight areas or on a boat; you might want a larger dog that can run all day.

You may have a personal preference for certain breeds; it's important to consider this, as your relationship with the dog will be one of the crucial linchpins in making up a successful SAR team. Make a check list for yourself and sort the traits out in order of importance.

• Nature Versus Nurture

There is always an ongoing debate over the necessity of early training for a SAR dog versus the innate talent the dog has. My position is that while the early training is vital, you might as well stack the deck in your favor from the nature side as well.

• Health

The absolute first thing to look at is health. If the puppy is not sound or healthy, you will have nothing to work with no matter how talented the puppy is. This means that the puppy's parents should be screened for all the health problems of the breed, at minimum. It means you should take the time to learn about the structure and gait of dogs to understand what goes into a skeletal structure that can take the physical demands you will make on it. I recommend looking at Dog Steps (book or video tape) by Rachel Ellison, Dog Locomotion and Gait Analysis by Curtis M. Brown (which is particularly performance oriented). What exactly is a problem in the breed you select depends on the breed. You need to do your homework and find out what the problems are in the breed. All breeds have some problems, some of them specific to the breed and others possible with any dog. Mixed breeds are not exempt -- in fact if they are primarily of two breeds, they have the potential of inheriting both breeds' set of problems!

As an example, for Labradors (and retrievers in general), you need to make sure the parents have been checked for Both hip and elbow dysplasia -- hips and elbows should be xrayed and cleared by OFA.

PRA and retinal dysplasia. The breeder should be screening all breeding stock annually for eye problems, including older dogs no longer being bred; some problems surface later in life.

Epilepsy, allergies, thyroid function. Not as common in Labradors, but conscientious breeders keep an eye out for these problems cropping up in their lines.

Golden Retrievers should be cleared for subaortic stenosis (SAS) which is a heart defect that tends to suddenly kill young (2-3 years old) dogs. Other breeds have other factors to consider, such as von Willebrand's Disease (a blood clotting disorder), luxating patellas (the kneecaps slip out of place), or cancer. Reputable breeders screen for these type of problems.

• Picking Out the Breeder

There are other, less tangible, things to look for when picking out a breeder besides basic health checks. Why are they breeding? Do their goals coincide with yours? If the breeder is as concerned with their dogs' working ability as in other areas, that is better for your goals than a purely show-oriented breeder. Does the breeder place a high importance on correct and predictable temperament in their dogs? You need a dog that is stable, confident and reliable. Temperament seems to be inherited and learned in about equal parts, so look at the parents of the puppy and other close relatives. Do you like their temperament? Is it what you want to see in your puppy? References -- ask the breeder for references and look them up. Talk to other people who have this breeder's dogs. Are they happy with them? Especially if the breeder has placed other dogs in search and rescue or working homes, talk to these people and find out what they think of their dog and the breeder.

• Picking Out the Puppy

Now that you've screened the breeder down to one that shares your philosophy on dogs and that you think works with your goals, you have to actually pick that puppy out of the litter. You should listen to what the breeder has to say about each pup. The breeder has been observing them for the last several weeks and can give you a good summary of each pup's personality and temperament. You should also examine each pup's structure to eliminate any obvious structural problems -- stick with dogs that have clean straight legs, and are properly angulated for their breed.

Puppy aptitude tests are quite popular. I think it's important to understand how they work and what their limitations are before using them. They attempt to evaluate specific traits that a puppy may have. There are no "passes" or "fails". Different breeds will profile differently, eg fiesty independent little terriers versus cuddly lapdogs versus playful retrievers.

The tests consist of a series of events in which you note the reaction of the puppy to the event. Different types of responses will depend on the confidence, aggressiveness, or independence that a puppy has (or does not have). The age of the puppy at testing time is also important, and available evidence suggests the "right" time differs somewhat by breed and individual development. In general, testing the puppy sometime between 7 and 9 weeks is appropriate. Finally, the puppy should be evaluated by a stranger, so that learned responses ("this person feeds me") does not affect the test. They should also be tested in an area new to them.

Social attraction:

The evaluator kneels down and calls the puppy. The puppy can:

run toward the tester, jumping up and biting or barking at him
run toward the tester and lick their hands
look at the tester and bark at them
come toward the tester but hesitantly
come slowly with tail down
look away from the person
ignore the person

Following:

The evaluator stands up and walks away from the puppy. The puppy can:

run along with the tester, getting underfoot, biting at the ankles
run along with the tester, getting underfoot
follow along at a cautious distance
remain standing (may show varying signs of indifference or fear)
ignore the person

Restraint:

The puppy is rolled over on his back and a hand on his chest prevents movement. After thirty seconds the pup can be:

squirming and barking and or nipping
squirming and licking hands
settling down
not moving at all from the onset (may or may not show signs of fear)

Social dominance:

This must follow the restraint test. The evaluator sits next to the puppy and strokes it from the head to the tail. The pup can:

• wiggle closer and lick the tester's face
• wag its tail and accept the petting
• appear sulky
• squirm away

Elevation dominance:

The evaluator interlaces his fingers under the pup's belly and lifts the pup off an inch or so from the floor. The pup can:

• squirm and bark and/or try to bite the tester's fingers
• squirm, and continue squirming
• squirm and then settle down
• remain relaxed
• show signs of distress

Retrieving:

The evaluator tosses crumpled paper or a small toy and encourages the puppy to get it and then bring it back. The pup can:

• race after the toy and jump on it, pick it up and shake it
• pounce on the toy and bring it back (or nearer to the tester)
• jump on the toy and run around the area with it
• ignore the toy, or jump back from it

Sound sensitivity:

The tester makes a sudden loud noise (such as a spoon on a metal pan). The pup can:

• react to the sound and bark at it
• react to the sound and come over to investigate it
• be fearful or upset at the sound
• ignore the sound

Sight sensitivity:

The evaluator ties a string around a towel and drags it on the floor in front of the puppy. The pup can:

• watch the towel and bark at it
• run up to the towel and bite at it or jump on it
• watch the towel with interest
• look at the towel but loose interest
• be upset at the sight of the towel and refuse to investigate
• ignore the towel

In general, what you are looking for are responses that indicate interest and confidence in the puppy. So responses in which the puppy approaches new or interesting things are what you are looking for. I feel that the sight sensitivity test is one of the better ones at showing focus and interest. A pup that enjoys that towel is interested in his surroundings and comes out to investigate. The retrieving test is good too, but non-retrieving breeds may or may not do well on this test regardless of their suitability for the work.

The Restraint/Social dominance sequence is supposed to tell you whether the puppy is inclined to hold grudges. A sulky puppy can be more difficult to train, especially if you make mistakes or lose your temper. Most people find it easier to work with dogs that forgive you readily.

There is another test often included in this sequence called the Touch sensitivity. It involves pinching (gently then with increasing firmness) until the pup squirms. The longer it takes to reach this point the less sensitive the dog is. This trait is very breed specific and I'm not sure it really tells you all that much. Supposedly dogs with a high tolerance to pain are "harder" -- that is, they react less to physical corrections, etc. Since this type of correction is not used in SAR training, which is highly motivational in nature, it strikes me as somewhat irrelevant.

References

Brown, Curtis M. Dog Locomotion and Gait Analysis. Hoflin Publishing, 1986. An extensive, well illustrated book on the mechanisms of canine movement.

Corley, E.A. and G.G. Keller. Hip Dysplasia A Guide for Dog Breeders and Owners. 2nd Edition 1989 Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, Inc, 2300 Nifong Blvd, Columbia, MO 65201, 314-442-0418. $3 donation. This is a highly informative booklet, illustrated with various radiographs of hips.

Elliot, Rachel Page. DogSteps. A well organized and illustrative video that visually shows correct and incorrect structure in various breeds. Available in many mail order catalogs such as New England Serum (800 NE SERUM in the US).

Fogle, Bruce. The Dog's Mind. This appears to be the best, most comprehensive book summarizing current research on canine psychology and behavior. You won't find much in the way of how-to instructions, but you will find alot of hard facts on every aspect of the canine mind and personality. This book is well-written and very readable.

Monks of New Skete, The. The Art of Raising a Puppy. Little, Brown and Company (1991). ISBN: 0-316-57839-8 (hardback). The monks of New Skete have put together an excellent book that discusses puppy development and the things that should be done at the appropriate stages and why. First they follow a newborn litter through its various stages of development and at each stage they discuss what is happening. They discuss testing puppies' temperaments and what you want to look for, under which circumstances.

Tolhurst, Bill. The Police Textbook for Dog Handlers. Sharp Printing, 3477 Lockport Road, Sanborn, NY 14132. 1991. (Paperback, 89 pages.) This book is only available from the author. $14 plus $2 shipping and handling. Write to Bill Tolhurst, 383 Willow Street, Lockport, NY 14094. Contains information not available from any other source. Discusses how to train a variety of detection dogs. It begins with a chapter discussing puppy profiles and how to select a puppy, using the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test.

Willis, Malcolm B. Genetics of the Dog. Howell Book House, 1989. An excellent source of information on Hip Dysplasia as well as other commonly inherited diseases in dogs.

Zink, M. Christine, DVM, PHD. Peak Performance: Coaching the Canine Athlete. Howell Book House, 1992. ISBN: 0-87605-757-1. This eminently readable book goes over canine physiology, both internal and structural. She covers how to keep your dog in general good shape, discusses some conditioning strategies, and finally details a number of possible impediments to conditioning your dog, including: genetic on your dog, and moreover lists all the things you need to consider when trying to keep your dog fit and healthy.

In locating these books, you can use either 4M Enterprises or Direct Book Services to help you locate difficult to find items. Phone for the former is 1-800-487-9867, for the latter 1-800-776-2665. They are both extremely helpful companies.

Waggery Labradors
Cindy Tittle Moore, tittle@io.com
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by Cindy Tittle Moore
Presented at Glorieta, New Mexico, May 1995