The term S.A.R. or Search and Rescue certainly took on new meaning after the fateful morning of 9/11.Prior to that date visions of people crossing open fields or dogs walking on snow covered slopes came to mind. As we adjust to the many lessons of 9/11,we are finding that the dog is many things, and our defining of S.A.R both hinders and helps that definition. What is a S.A.R. Dog? To many it is a friendly, bubbling, bouncing creature. Ball crazy and food motivated as it trains to recover human scent. Yet when placed on the mountainous debris pile of the World Trade Towers, this type of dog and this style of training were found to be of no value at all. In fact when given long arduous tracks this type of dog breaks down in both wilderness and urban settings. It is here also where other questions are raised regarding dogs used as man trackers can the same dog used for man tracking be used for debris pile work? Some people say no. They are wrong. In fact the terrain a good search dog works on should be of little consequence. What really changes the work ethic is the work attitude. To try to explain what happened to the dogs and handlers on 9/11 I will ask you to imagine, what part of the ball throwing, happy voiced search procedure do you think remained upon that pile of death and devastation?None.It was no longer play. It was the Valley of Death in all its smells and sounds and visuals. The dog works off of the handler. An ill-prepared handler creates an ill-prepared dog. Prior to this date training was done on user friendly surfaces, NO SMOKE, NO FIRE, NO STRESS.NO COMPARRISON.In the Pentagon and Trade Center piles twisted, sharp, hot steel was under foot. Smoke, dust and death were in the air. The ball did nothing, its place was never meant to be here. In fact the very training techniques used prior are being used now, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE PROVEN TO FAIL.Most Search and Rescue people are volunteer and that is commendable, yet the very nature of their task demands the caliber of their training to be the highest possible.
©Mike McConnery-Baden K-9,April 12,2003

If you have comments please email us using the form provided below: