What are the names, addresses and phone numbers for the top three
schools in the US to be trained and certified as a search and rescue
dog handler

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 06 Jun 2006 12:02 PDT

There is no TOP list to rely on. I can provide you with a number of
highly regarded schools and their contact information as an answer if
you like. FYI - I have some experience in this area, having been a
police dog handler/trainer myself for some years at one point in my
law enforcement career.

tutuzdad-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 06 Jun 2006 12:20 PDT

On second thought perhaps you should read up on the matter a bit or at
the very least describe exactly the type of "training" and
"certification" you currently qualify for. For example, in order to
obtain a SARTECH certification, you must already have comepleted the
following courses with your dog and be able to show proof at the time
of your application for an examination:

-- Canine must be a minimum of 12 months of age (pending Board of
Directors approval at the conference all meeting July 2006).

-- NASAR SARTECH II or I, American Avalanche Institute, National
Avalanche School or National Ski Patrol certification.

-- Proof of passing the Canine SARTECH written examination. 

-- IS-700 NIMS Integration. (http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is700.asp) 

-- A current nationally approved CPR certification. 

-- American Red Cross or equivalent Basic First Aid Course or higher
medical training.

-- Present proof that their canine has passed an AKC Canine Good
Citizenship or equivalent.

-- Must have completed, at a minimum, an Avalanche Awareness training
course. This course must be a NSP Avalanche Level I or II, National
Forest Service (FNS)

-- Avalanche Awareness, American Avalanche Association Level I or II,
American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) or
equivalent.

If you have these, at a minimum, maybe I can help you.

tutuzdad-ga

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Clarification of Question by david4-ga on 07 Jun 2006 04:05 PDT

I have no experience and no training. I am just beginning to gather
information about the process. At this point, I don't even have a dog.
Where do you suggest I start? I would like the names and contact
information of the highly regarded schools you refer to.

Dear david4-ga;

Thank you for allowing me to answer your interesting question.
Obviously, for the beginner, it is necessary to evaluate yourself for
this commitment. Following that one must acquire a suitable dog. After
a substantial amount of bonding and growth the dog must then be
obedience trained. The process just up to now can take more than a
year to complete. I suggest you read this article by trainer Melissa
Buhmeyer, founder of DogTrainingSchool.com to help you begin this
process:

HOW TO FIND A SEARCH AND RESCUE DOG TRAINING SCHOOL
http://www.hotlib.com/articles/show.php?t=How_To_Find_a_Search_and_Rescue_Dog_Training_School

DOGTRAININGSCHOOL.COM
http://www.dogtraining-school.com/

If you are still interested, I highly recommend that you begin by
contacting the National Association for Search And Rescue (NASAR), one
of the preeminent certifying authorities in the United States. NASAR
is a not-for-profit membership association dedicated to advancing
professional, literary, and scientific knowledge in all fields related
to search and rescue.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE
http://www.nasar.org/nasar/

The training requirements are quite complex. To put the requirements
into perspective you should first view the training and curriculum to
see exactly what would be required of someone trying to enter this
field of service. The necessary commitments are often overwhelming to
those who cannot afford to devote the necessary time and investment in
this vocation. It is also important to note that there are many
different forms of SAR Canine (K9) teams and the requirements of each
differs; slightly in some cases and dramatically in others:

Canine Avalanche Responder
Canine Disaster Responder
Canine Disaster Responder - Human Remains Detection
Canine Disaster Responder - Human Remains Detection - Forensic
Canine Human Remains Detection (HRD) Water Examination
Canine SARTECH I Examination
Canine SARTECH III Examination
Canine SARTECH II Examination
Canine Human Remains Detection (HRD) Land Examination

NASAR COURSE OFFERINGS
http://www.nasar.org/nasar/course.php

You can obtain virtually everything you ever wanted to know about
training and certification from this organization. They can also
provide you with all the pertinent literature:

NASAR CONTACT INFORMATION
http://www.nasar.org/nasar/contact_us.php

One of the more impressive organizations is LASAR, located in Slidell,
Louisiana. However, like all courses, you must be prepared to devote
anywhere from 1 to 3 years to the training process before you and your
canine are even ?considered? for certification.

LASAR
http://www.lasardogs.org/index.html
FAQ http://www.lasardogs.org/faq.html

Another impressive organization is the Ohio Valley Search And Rescue,
Inc (OVSAR). You can contact Linda L Dillbeck, OVSAR President, at
dillbeck105@juno.com or LDillbec@usi.edu .

OHIO VALLEY SEARCH AND RESCUE, INC
http://www.ovsard.evansville.net/
http://ovsar.org/SARdog.html
http://www.ovsard.evansville.net/Schedule.htm

One of the most recognized authorities on this subject is Brad Dennis,
Director of Search Operations for KlaasKids Foundation in Pensacola,
Florida. Mr. Dennis also happens to be a NASAR Coordinator for the
Search and Rescue Technician program and their K-9 certification
program, and was also the lead search manager following the abduction
of Polly Klaas. He has more than 20 years of experience in this field
and has worked a number of high profile cases and comes highly
regarded. You can contact Mr. Dennis at (850) 525-4807 or
klaaskidssearcher@yahoo.com .
http://www.klaaskids.org/search_manager.htm

Other widely recognized associations, organizations and their websites
can be found here:

UC DAVIS
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/CCAB/rescue.html

THE 911 SITE
http://www.the911site.com/911k/sar_50.htm


I hope you find that my answer exceeds your expectations. If you have
any questions about my research please post a clarification request
prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating and your
final comments and I look forward to working with you again in the
near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher



INFORMATION SOURCES

Defined above


SEARCH STRATEGY


SEARCH ENGINE USED:

Google ://www.google.com


SEARCH TERMS USED:

NASAR

SARTECH

CANINE

K9

SAR

SEARCH AND RESCUE

TRAINING

CERTIFICATION

ASSOCIATIONS

Once I cleared up my question, the information I received was
absolutely excellent. It saved me a tremendous amount of time and I
wouldn't have gotten 1/3 of the information furnished by tutuzdad-ga.
Thank you so much.

SAR dog handlers can't walk into any school off the street for
training. The dog and handler who are already deeply committed to one
another are trained to be a "team" and the process takes up to two
years to complete.

In addition, there is no standing list of "top schools". Your question
then seems to solicit opinion rather than actual fact.

tutuzdad-ga

WOW!  THANK "YOU" !!!