Most SAR dogs start as puppies. How do you pick the right one? You drop a spoon on the floor. Does the puppy run away? No good. Does the puppy attack the spoon like it’s a sworn enemy? Perfect. We call that “drive.”
We also test for curiosity. A great SAR puppy will climb into a cardboard box, get stuck, and then try to eat the box. A bad puppy will just bark at the box from a distance. You want the foolhardy adventurer, not the cautious observer.
Search and Rescue Dogs Train at Green Roads Laverton
Funny detail: One trainer I know chose her dog because he kept stealing her boots and hiding them in the laundry basket. That’s not mischief; that’s scent discrimination with a side of kleptomania.
The "Yell" Is Actually a Howl of Victory
When a SAR dog finds a person, they have to “alert” you. Some dogs bark. Some sit. Some jump up and down like a pogo stick. One dog I read about would grab the person’s glove and run away with it, expecting a chase.
That’s not a bug; that’s a feature. The dog thinks, “I found the human! Where is my toy? Oh, you are my toy now—go!” It’s adorably chaotic. The handler just has to roll with the weirdness.
