Resources

Resources

These resources are provided for informational purposes only. There are many other resources available online that may be more specific to what you are interested in.

Are You Ready for K9 Search and Rescue?

This article provides a great overview that will help people understand what all is involved in K9 Search & Rescue. While each team will have different requirements, this article provides a fair representation as to the commitment required.

Are You Ready for K9 Search and Rescue?

Black dog on a leash at the airport

Everything Search Dogs

Selecting and training a K9 for SAR

There is no one absolute way to selecting and training a dog suitable for SAR work. These resources are designed to give you some ideas about what to look for when picking a dog that you want to use for SAR as well as some ideas about training.

K9 Health and Fitness

Keeping your SAR dog healthy and fit is important. These are resources for information only. ALWAYS consult with your veterinarian regarding all issues of your dog’s health and fitness.

Traveling with your K9

These are a few products and that our handlers use to keep our dogs comfortable when hanging out in the car as well as a some more detailed resources for travel.

Certifying Organizations & Standards

We believe that 3rd party certifications for SAR dogs is important as it confirms a working dog is trained to a known high standard equivalent to other dogs at that level. We are providing links to some of the most common certifying organizations as well as links to national standards.

Equipment

Every SAR dog handler knows the need for quality equipment.

Social Media

Social media pages and groups provide a wealth of information on every subject imaginable on SAR K9. We’ve collected links to some of our favorites.

Scent and Search Theory

Information on scent and search theory changes rapidly so check back often for updated resources.

K9 Podcasts and Blogs

Podcasts are a wonderful resource for many aspects of dog training.  Find them wherever you get your podcasts.  We’ve listed just a few here.

  • K9 Detection Collaborative
  • K9s Talking Scents
  • Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training
  • Hunt-Find-Alert: K9 SAR Community

Flipboard Search and Rescue Collections

Flipboard Magazines are collections of articles around a specific topic that makes it easy to find information. You can download the Flipboard app or sign up at Flipboard.com

Books and Articles

There are many books and articles to help you in your journey of training a search and rescue dog. These are just a few to get you started. Check back often for updates as new books and articles are published.

  • What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the WorldCat Warren
  • K9 Teams: Beyond the Basics of Search and Rescue and RecoveryVi Shaffer
  • Bark Alert: Search Dog Development with Search Strategy TrainingMary Ann Warren
  • Imprint Your Detection Dog in 15 Days: A step-by-step workbook – Paul C. Bunker
  • Go Find: My Journey to Find the Lost – and MyselfSusan Purvis
  • Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell and KnowAlexandra Horowitz
  • Canines:  The Original Biosensors – Lauryn E. DeGreeff & Craig A. Schultz
  • A Dog’s Devotion: True Adventures of a K9 Search and Rescue Team – Suzanne Elshult & James Guy Mansfield
  • Additional Books