Search & Rescue

I have participated in search and rescue for over 3 years. Carda is a 100% volunteer non-profit, volunteer organization. It stands for California Rescue Dog Association. It is the largest Search and Rescue organization in California, with close to 100 mission ready teams. A team consists of one handler and one dog. Each member is responsible for certifying and training their own dog, with the help of sponsors and information that Carda and OES (Outdoor Emergency Services) makes possible. It is a rigorous, intense training, both physically and mentally. The requirements are challenging, ranging from being an expert in reading topo maps and navigating through the wilderness, to becoming a First Responder. A SAR team does it all.

My main passion is scent work with dogs. I am in love with the dogs nose. I think it's absolutely fascinating. For the past three years, I have been training my own Search and Rescue dog with Carda. I have a wilderness Search dog named Django, who I've trained myself. He works off lead in the wilderness, in search of missing persons, dead or alive.

Training the dog is one thing, but, as we all know, it's more about training the person. The human behind the dog makes the dog. SAR is the most incredible education possible for both dog and owner. I've learned more about dogs and dog training from Search and Rescue than anything else in my education. I am trained in map and compass, land navigation, wilderness survival, helicopter training, and I'm also a First Responder. These are only some of the many requirements of Search and Rescue. It generally takes 2 years minimum to certify a dog. It's a huge life commitment, training 3 times per week in the wilderness, and with Los Angeles Sheriff’s Dept.

To me, SAR is the ultimate in dog training. It's ten times as hard as agility or competitive obedience, which I participate in as well. My dog is even trained to tell me when there's a rattlesnake nearby. A trained SAR dog is unbelievable. You really learn how to trust your dog. You are in the wild, and you trust your dog to do his job. It's the most rewarding thing I've ever done. It is the ultimate in bonding between human and canine.

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