Canine Recruitment

In the aftermath of a disaster, the best resource we have for locating survivors buried beneath the rubble or debris is a highly trained search dog. With training, patience, and love, these former shelter dogs help save the lives of others— and they’re often found right in your community shelter or local rescue.

 

These traits are what we look for in our search dog candidates:

  • High energy
  • Obsessive, intense toy drive, even in new locations
  • Friendly with people and dogs
  • Fearless, brave, and confident in any environment
  • Approximately 1 – 2 years of age
  • Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, German Shepherds, plus obvious mixes of those breeds

 

From shelter dog to search dog…

Upon passing our evaluation, dogs complete approximately nine months of training at SDF’s National Training Center. 

Then it’s time to be paired with their new handlers during our Handler Training Program. Together, they return home and after months of bonding and training with their handler, search dogs are ready for certification. 

Once a team is certified, they still must continue training to maintain the focus, fitness, and skills necessary to be a canine disaster search team. 

Help us find these special dogs their new “leash on life” today! 

IF YOU KNOW OF ANY DOGS THAT WOULD BE PERFECT FOR A JOB IN DISASTER SEARCH, PLEASE CONTACT OUR CANINE RECRUITMENT TEAM HERE.