In the midst of an event packed training day, Jana Martin and K-9 Slam; Buddy Meyers and K-9 Max, did their off-trail tests, their first certifications.
If you want to be certified as an area search dog team through the New York State Federation for Search and Rescue, you and your K-9 partner need to pass 5 tests. Each one increases in difficulty for both the handler and the dog. The first test is called the off-trail test. You and your dog walk a trail as if you were doing a hasty search. Somewhere along the way is the subject, hidden about 30 feet from the trail.
There are four basic goals for this test. Two apply to K-9 and two the handler.
- Will the dog leave a trail and search for a live subject? We try to set up the test so that there is a cone of scent emanating from the subject and crossing the trail
- Will the dog preform the trained behavior sequence called an indication to tell the handler that the subject has been located?
- Can the handler “read” the dog. That is, does she observe significant changes in her dog’s natural, untrained behavior that can mean things like “I smell humans” or “I’m no longer smelling humans.” In this part of the country we call these natural behaviors “alerts”
- How well does the handler deal with pressure? Bad as tests can be, searches are much more stressful. The handler’s emotions will impact the dog’s performance
Buddy Meyers and K-9 Max on the trail
Buddy and Max tested first. I was impressed by Buddy’s grace. He later admitted that he felt pressure but he did a wonderful job acting calm and in control. That’s crucial. Your dog will read you and pick up on your tension. Max demonstrated focus and control. A herd of at least a dozen deer and a younger dog chasing them ran right through the search area. Max ignored the puppy and came back when called off the deer. Not bad for a young Malinois. A few minutes later he located the subject well-concealed under a pile of downed limbs and branches.
Jana Martin and K-9 Slam before their Off-Trail test
Slam and Jana were up second. They are off to a great start.
You want your tester to know what you are thinking. You are being evaluated on your ability to read your dog. If you don’t say it, we are left wondering. Jana clearly communicated with me every step of the way, telling me about Slam’s alerts just as I was noticing them.
When Slam entered that scent cone his behavior was textbook. He located the subject rolled up like a burrito in a sleeping bag and a camo tarp, well consealed behind some downed tree limbs and covered with brush. Once he ascertained the contents was truly human, Slam did two flawless find-indicate-refind sequences. Slam’s indication is a full blown body-slam–what else.
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