SAR Dog News - National Search Dog Alliance

SAR Dog News
December 2015
Published by the National Search Dog Alliance
Vol. 9, No. 12
The Voice of K-9 Search and Rescue @ n-sda.org
Founding members: K-9 Thor, Eileen M. Nobles, Susan Bulanda, K-9 Roo, Leslie Godchaux, Brian R. Hendrickson,
Continental Kennel Club, Inc., K-9 River, K-9 Persha, Jan Thompson, K-9 Cali, Peggy Ann Buchman, K-9 Geist
CONTENTS
Article
2015 BOD Meeting Dates
Avalanche Testing
Notice to Members
Annual NSDA Board Meeting
PODCASTS
NSDA Testing Passed – Idaho
He Gave All
The Coywolf – a New Species ?
Service and Sacrifice
Think! ( A different Viewpoint)
Kibbles and Bits : Dobermans
Board of Directors
Last Howl
Training, Seminars & Conferences
NOTICE TO MEMBERS
page
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2
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4
5
6
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Starting January 2016, membership cards will
be issued to all current and new members
with no expiration date. Dues and payment
reminders will remain the same but please
keep this card with your membership
number. As of January 2017, only new
members will receive a card.
AVALANCHE
SNOW
SNOW
SNOW
Conditions are off to a good start.
2015 BOARD MEETING DATES
January 7
February 4
March 3
Contact Secretary, Sherry Scruggs (sherryscruggs@nsda.org) for the call in number for the meetings.
Bucky says
What is a dog called
in the winter?
A CHILI DOG
If you are planning to test for Avalanche
certification with NSDA this winter, our
Avalanche written test is now on line on our
website at www.n-sda.org, under Testing.
This test is required as a prerequisite for field
test certification.
A full list of the testing prerequisites for
avalanche will be on our web page starting
January 1 under Testing/ Field Test
Information.
If you are looking for a test, contact NSDA
Vice-President Terry Crooks for more
information at tcrooks@n-sda.org.
BOOKSTORE SALE IN JANUARY
We’re looking for new items so we are
clearing some space. Watch for the January
newsletter.
SAR Dog News, December 2015
DID YOU KNOW…
…almost all of NSDA’s business is conducted by
way of monthly conference calls in order to save
money for our handlers and volunteers?
Once each year the volunteer Directors of the
Board hold a face-to-face weekend meeting in a
central location of the U.S., determined by cost and
the states where our Directors live. This gives
strangers, who are expected to work effectively
together, a chance to actually meet the others and
understand how to communicate more effectively
together.
Page 2
•
developing a membership profile to
help NSDA find members with
talents/skills to help us.
I have been told many times after each
annual meeting that more was accomplished
in that ten-hour day than at two or three
monthly conference calls.
Most are employed at a full time job Monday
thru Friday so our hats go off to those folks
taking their weekend to further our NSDA
programs.
NSDA PODCASTS
The next podcast, for December 15 2015 will
be an interview with Mark Swing of the Civil Air
Patrol. He explains the Civil Air Patrol, what it
can offer in SAR situations and how they can
work with civilian search and rescue teams, as
well as opportunities for interested adults and
youth.
This year’s meeting was held in November. Some
of the items under discussion were:
•
•
•
•
a revised mission statement.
the 2016 budget.
targeting four states to have regional
testing/training seminars: WA; GA; TX;
and Atterbury, Indiana.
Other regional events are possible also.
developing timelines to help plan for
testing/training seminars.
You can listen (and subscribe) to the Search
Dog Podcast through iTunes and also find the
podcast on Podbean at saroc.podbean.com.
Please send questions, feedback and
suggestions to podcast@n-sda.org
And the podcasts stay up indefinitely.
Stay tuned.
Eva Briggs
SAR Dog News, December 2015
Page 3
BOISE, IDAHO
Jamie Simpson and K-9 Yoki
Idaho Mountain Search & Rescue
Area with Live & HR Source
DO YOU END YOUR TEST WITH A
HIGH FIVE ?
BOISE, IDAHO
Jan Skeldon
Land HRD
SAR Dog News, December 2015
Page 4
HE GAVE ALL
RUSSIA OFFERS PUPPY
Russia has offered to send an
Alsatian puppy to France in a
gesture of unity after a police
dog was killed during a raid on
jihadists linked to the Paris
attacks.
photo: ajc.com, bing.com PNATIONALE/TWITTER
French police K-9 Diesel died in a barrage of bullets
during an anti-terrorist raid in Saint-Denis on
November 18, 2015. Diesel was reportedly killed by
female suicide bomber, Hansa Aitboulahcen, during
raids targeting the suspected planner of the November
13 Paris attacks, 27-year-old Abdelhamid Abaaoud.
K-9 Diesel, 7, was a Belgian Malinois.
The hashtag #JeSuisChien (I am a dog) trended on
Twitter after French police announced that seven-yearold Diesel died in the raid. Three people died during
the massive operation at the apartment in Saint-Denis
north of Paris -- Abaaoud, his cousin Hasna
Aitboulahcen, and a suicide bomber.
K-9 Diesel was an assault and explosive search dog
and, according to police, the dogs are "indispensable
in the missions and operations of #RAID." (RAID
stands for Research, Assistance, Intervention and
Deterrence unit.)
Five police officers were hurt during the sweep to
capture alleged mastermind Abdelhamid Abaaoud.
Two suspects were killed and up to seven arrests were
made.
The world went to social media to honor K-9 Diesel
Sources: USAToday.com, Miami6.com, examiner.com, ajc.com
Russia's
interior
minister
Vladimir Kolokoltsev said he
had written to his French
counterpart Bernard Cazeneuve
offering to send a puppy named
Dobrynya to replace Diesel, a
Belgian Malinois killed in a huge
raid north of Paris last
Wednesday. The dog is named
after a hero of Russian folk
legend,
Dobrynya
Nikitch,
famed
for
his
strength,
goodness and courage.
Dobrynya is two months old and
lives at a police dog center in
the Moscow region. He will
have to undergo medical
checks and quarantine before
going to France.
"Our four-legged friends also
serve the police, protecting
society from terrorist threats,"
the Moscow police service said.
Sources: USAToday.com, examiner.com,
ajc.com
SAR Dog News, December 2015
Page 5
COYWOLF A DIFFERENT SPECIES?
Coywolves’ DNA was analyzed and the
genes found to be about 25% wolf, and 10 %
dog, with Coyote dominating.
Interbreeding between animal species usually
leads to offspring less vigorous than either
parent—if they survive at all. But the
combination of wolf, coyote and dog DNA that
resulted from this reproductive necessity
generated an exception. The consequence
has been booming numbers of an
extraordinarily fit new animal spreading
through the eastern part of North America.
Some call this creature the eastern coyote.
photo: forestwander .com
Dr. Roland Kays of North Carolina State
University estimates that there are millions of
coywolves populating eastern North America,
spreading southward from their original home in
southern Ontario.
Coywolves weigh twice that of a coyote, around
55lbs or more. They’re able to, on their own,
hunt deer, or with others capture a moose,
thanks to their enlarged jaws, increased muscle,
and quickening legs. What’s spookier is their
howl, or yip, since the sound is reminiscent of
both wolves and coyotes.
They’ve been observed looking both ways
before crossing the street. They eat garden
produce and scraps as well as rodents or pets.
If a coywolf spots an appetizing cat, no part of it
will go undigested.
Clearance of forests for farming and widespread
killing of wolves caused their population to
shrink. The clearing however brought in coyotes
and the dogs that accompanied the farmers.
Lack of breeding female wolves led to
interbreeding with the dogs and coyotes. The
result has been an extraordinarily fit new animal.
The Economist 10-31-15
CROSSBREED DOGS
Crossbreed or designer dogs
usually refer to an animal with two
purebred parents of two different
breeds or varieties. Crossbreeding
is done often with the intention to
create an offspring that shares the
traits of both parents.
Certain
planned crossbreeding between
purebred dogs of different breeds
Cockapoo
can produce puppies worth more
than their purebred parents, due to a high
demand.
Crossbreed dogs are not recognized by
traditional
breed
registries, even if both
parents are registered
purebreds.
Breed
associations such as
the AKC, the UKE and
the CKC, do not
recognize designer crosses
as dog breeds. If crossbred dogs are bred
together for some period of time, and their
breeding is well documented, they may
eventually be considered a new breed of dog
by major kennel clubs.
Labradoodle
Source: Wikipedia.com
SAR Dog News, December 2015
Page 6
SERVICE AND SACRIFICE
MWD RECOVERS AT UTCVM
K-9 Layka, a Military Working Dog (MWD), was two when she was shot four times at point-blank
range with an AK-47 by enemy forces in Afghanistan. Despite her injuries, Layka attacked and
subdued the shooter, protecting her handler, Staff Sgt. Julian McDonald, and other members of the
team, the U.S. Army 75th Ranger Regiment. Her battlefield heroics put her on the cover of the
June 2014 issue of National Geographic as a symbol of the “Hero Dogs” fighting alongside U.S.
troops.
The day after Veterans Day 2015, a local Knoxville, Tennessee, television station, WBIR,
introduced K-9 Layka as a military service veteran in a
special series by John Becker called Service and
Sacrifice. The K-9, a decorated MWD, is being treated
for a stateside injury at the
University of Tennessee College of
Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM). The
war wound cost Layka her front leg
and a freak accident damaged the
wrist of her good leg. Stateside the
dog got in front of a four wheeler
and was struck.
professor of
orthopedic surgery at UTCVM,
performed the delicate surgery on
the wrist of 5-year-old Layka. The
K-9 still has several weeks, if not
K-­‐9 Jason working in UTCVM underwater treadmill months, of therapy including the
underwater treadmill before she
heads home to Oklahoma.
The University of Tennessee honored the military veteran during the Vols’
game against Vanderbilt, November 18, 2015, in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
K-­‐9 Layka
Sources: WBIR.com, NationalGeographic.com
Editor’s Note: Among our many readers are
contributors with a totally different
background that can bring us a different
viewpoint on our work.
THINK !!!
By
TERRY DAVIS
I was talking with a friend the other day. This
friend lays training trails for me. He is also a
soldier who was trained to serve with the
special services. He brought several things to
my attention that I had not really thought
much about. I would like to bring these points
to your attention.
I’m sure several of you are already aware of
what I’m about to pass on. But, if it makes
one handler more aware than he/she was,
this article did its job. I do not know the figure
on how many individuals were trained for
duties with the Special Forces, but, I’m sure it
is a very large number.
SAR Dog News, November 2015
What I’m getting at is the training that the
Special Forces get. They are taught how to
deter, or eliminate, a handler and dog. In their
training, it was stated that they could not lose a
good dog. They are very aware of a dog’s
abilities so they must deter or eliminate.
The following may seem a little drastic or farfetched but you never know what the subject
you’re trailing is thinking. So always be
prepared!
Training is for evasion and escape. This is
exactly what Special Forces are trying to do
when you are trailing them. They are taught
attack, harass, and trap. Destroy their minds,
their hearts, and their bodies, and the only
thing the handler have left to work with is their
emotions. Stealth and the ability to scheme are
more important than speed.
The more lead they have the better. But, their
purpose isn’t them going faster. It’s making us
go slower. They teach take one out, the others
will slow down. They want to make their
pursuer over-extend, hurry, etc. When a
mistake is made, they will then engage in some
way.
The only importance of having distance
between them and their pursuers is to give
them time to change direction, set traps,
double back to evaluate their pursuers number
and strengths. They’re taught if they are too far
ahead, they cannot hurt their pursuers. Why let
their pursuers chase them cost free. Break
bones – maim – kill.
Intelligence is everything they know about their
pursuers and the entire situation. To know this,
they must keep observing their pursuers. They
cannot do this by fleeing in a straight line. Also,
fleeing in a straight line gives their pursuers a
direction of travel. They feel this whole
situation is a big game. They enjoy leading
pursuers through mazes, etc. Then, when they
decide they will attempt to destroy their
pursuers.
Page 7
The lead they try and keep is not for distance.
They determine the amount of lead they need
by evaluating their ability, their pursuer’s ability,
and the terrain.
What they want to do is develop what they call
negative lead-time. That means putting large
semi-circles in the trail so they can get to a
vantage point to observe their pursuers and
then plan their defenses. They are taught to set
up small type avalanches. These could be out
of trees or stones. The pursuers will encounter
these along hillsides, cliff areas, etc.
They will also cut sections of trees, leaving
limbs approximately three feet long, suspend
them with some type of trip wire. They’re
advised to put some type of personal article at
the area of impact. This is so the pursuer’s dog
will alert on the article. The pursuers will
congregate at the article. Then it is possible
that the trap will injure or kill more than one of
the pursuers. They know they cannot fool a
dog’s nose, but they can slow him down or
discourage the handler.
They will travel the thickest cover, turn into the
wind, circle back around, etc. They are trying to
wear down and confuse the handler, not the
dog.
This may all sound like something you would
see in a movie, but this is the training a lot of
people have had.
Once they become a pursued subject, whether
it is for a criminal action, wanting to commit
suicide, a mental subject who may be lost, an
escapee, etc., they could revert back to this
training. Remember, the subject that you are
after may also be after you!
Stay in shape! Stay alert! And most of all
keep THINKING!!!
The information came from “Great living in grubby times”
edited by Don Paul, a Green Beret’s Guide.
This document written for and by THE VIRGINIA
BLOODHOUND SEARCH AND RESCUE ASSOCIATION.
COPYRIGHT @1993
SAR Dog News, December 2015
Page 8
KIBBLES & BITS
by Susan Bulanda
To my loyal readers – Do you have any subjects that you would like
me to cover? Send them to me at susanb21@juno.com with K & B
in the subject line.
This month we will look at the Doberman Pinscher. Most people
know that this German breed of dog was named after
Louis Dobermann, the man who created the breed.
Louis Doberman wanted a good protection dog
because he often carried a lot of money and did not find what he wanted in a dog
from the breeds of his day (late 1800’s).
Generally it is believed that he used a wide variety of cross-breds to create the
Doberman. Unfortunately Dobermann did not keep a record of what he did to create
the dog because he was only interested in a good working dog.
Every year there was a huge dog market at the annual fair in Apolda. The object of
the market was to buy and sell dogs, promote dog breeding and show off all of the breeds
available. Louis Dobermann attended the market yearly. Dobermann’s goal was to create a dog
that is fearless, highly intelligent and an aggressive guard dog.
After years of breeding, Dobermann succeeded in creating the dog he wanted. As the reputation of
the breed spread, his dogs became in demand especially by policemen, night watchmen and
others who needed a strong guard dog. Dobermann had trouble keeping up with the demand. By
around 1893 other breeders were producing Dobermans.
Because the first Dobermans were very harsh and aggressive, breeders
decided to change the breed into one that could be a family dog. In 1903 they
crossed the original Doberman with the Black and Tan terrier (not the
Manchester Terrier). The original Dobermans had a double coat and were
nicely formed dogs. However around 1910 the breed again changed due to the
introduction of the Greyhound into the breed.
Like many breeds, the outbreak of WWI put the Doberman at risk of extinction
because they were used for service in the war. A dedicated group of breeders did keep the breed
from eradication.
By 1922 there was another change in the breed. They became too long legged, the coats became
more shiny and lost the undercoat and the tan became deeper in color. This was due in part to
another outcross with the Black and Tan Terrier.
Just before WWII, Dobermans were imported to America and became popular. When WWII struck,
the Doberman earned his claim to fame as the principle Marine Devil Dog. About 90% of the Devil
Dogs were Dobermans and served in the Pacific theater. It is recorded that no unit protected by
these dogs was ever ambushed or infiltrated by the Japanese.
SAR Dog News, December 2015
Page 9
As a result of the Doberman’s WWII reputation, in the early 1950’s,
Macy’s (the department store) used four Doberman’s to patrol the
entire store of 2,000,000 square feet due to nighttime thefts.
Likewise, a large university in Chicago started using Dobermans to
stop vandalism. In both cases, there were no more thefts or
vandalism while the dogs were on patrol.
Dobermans make good SAR dogs but may have difficulty in very
cold climates due to the fact that they do not have an undercoat and
enough hair in their ears to prevent freezing, especially if the ears are cropped.
As working dogs they need to have their confidence built and their training to be with no force for
the best results. They are a rather high energy dog, which is fine for work but can be a problem as
a family pet. Dobermans tend to remember almost everything and are known to manipulate their
owners at times. They are very trainable and agile but can be barky.
For scent work, they tend to track with high noses and very fast. This does not mean that their
work is inferior; it is just their style.
The major down side to this breed is that they have a very short working life span and often cannot
work past six or seven and often do not live past ten. I have personally owned three Dobermans
and love the breed. One of my Dobies even raced with my team of Siberian Huskies. They have
about 50 known health problems, too many to list here. Two very common ones are von
Willebrandt’s disease and Wobbler syndrome.
NSDA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SUSAN FLEMING
President
suefleming@n-sda.org
TERRY CROOKS
Vice President
tcrooks@n-sda.org
SHERRY SCRUGGS
Secretary/Treasurer
sscruggs@n-sda.org
JULIE GIBSON
Director
jgibson@n-sda.org
ROBERT NOZISKA
Director
rnoziska@n-sda.org
HEATHER PROPER-VANVALKENBERG
Director
vankuturidgebacks@n-sda.org
BRIDGET JACKSON
Director
jamdogs@hotmail.com
KATHLEEN KELSEY
Director
kathleenmkelsey@gmail.com
JEN SKELDON
Director
jskeldon@gmail.com
HEATHER SUEDKAMP
Director
hsuedkamp@aol.com
SAR Dog News, December 2015
NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATIONS
In the United States, New Year's Eve is
celebrated with formal parties, family-oriented
activities, and other large public events.
One of the most prominent celebrations in the
country is the ball drop held in Times Square
in New York City. This ball drop was inspired
by the time balls* that were formally used as
a time signal.
At 11:59 p.m. ET, an 11,875-pound, 12-foot
diameter Waterford crystal ball located on the
roof of One Times Square begins its descent
down a pole that is 70 feet high. The ball
reaches the roof of the building 60 seconds
later to signal the start of the New Year.
The Ball Drop has been held since 1907, and
in recent years has averaged around a million
spectators annually.
Festivities broadcast on radio and television
have helped establish specific celebrations in
America. Beginning on the
radio in 1928, and continued
on CBS television from 1956
to 1976, Guy Lombardo and
his
band,
The
Royal
Canadians, presented an
annual New Year's Eve
broadcast from the ballroom
of New York's WaldorfAstoria Hotel.
Guy Lombardo
Page 10
The broadcasts were most well known for the
Royal Canadians' signature performance of
Auld Lang Syne at midnight, which helped
popularize the song as a New Year's
standard. Lombardo and his band became
such an iconic symbol of the holiday that
people of that time often said that, when
Lombardo died, he was taking New Year’s
Eve with him.
After Lombardo's death in 1977, prominence
shifted towards ABC’s's special Dick Clark’s
New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Clark originally
intended the show to be a modern and
youthful alternative to Lombardo's big band
music.
*
A time signal is a visible, audible, mechanical, or
electronic signal used as a reference to determine
the time of day. The first time ball was erected at
Portsmouth, England in 1829 by its inventor
Robert Wauchope. One was installed in 1833 on
the roof of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich,
London, and the time ball has dropped at 1pm
every day since then.
Source: Wikipedia.com
SAR Dog News, December 2015
THE LAST HOWL
By Sue Wolff
Opinions expressed in this column are those of the
author and not necessarily those of
the National Search Dog Alliance.
As the old year ends and the
new begins, remember the past
fondly and look forward with
anticipation to another beginning.
But what will that beginning entail? Moving?
New job? Change of career? Training a new
dog? Certifying your K-9?
With more and more red-neck handlers
singularly or banded together to form a “search
team”, it is essential that a national K-9
standard be maintained. Bubba shows up for a
search with his bloodhound and he’s good to
go. Or Jim Bob shows up with his coon hound
that’s great at flushing out quail. The sheriff,
deputy or emergency manager doesn’t know
how good any of these dogs are at finding
people but “he’s a good huntin’ dog!”
It’s our job, as certified K-9 handlers, to
educate our local law enforcement and
emergency management on why search dogs
should be trained and nationally certified in
their particular field of expertise. And not
trained in one weekend and given a certificate
by John Boy.
National certification must be stressed and the
training involved explained thoroughly. The
fact that it takes approximately one year to
effectively train a SAR dog is essential to LE
and EM understanding of the proper work done
by a certified K-9.
Then the certification testing process needs to
be emphasized. How many people to be found
in how many acres? How old and long a trail
the dog must find (unlike the police K-9 who
runs a “hot” trail for a very short distance)?
Page 11
How small a human remains source was
located in what kind of situation i.e. vehicle,
acreage, etc.? What kind of evidence was
located in what type of terrain? Explaining
these things thoroughly is essential to getting
law enforcement and emergency management
to understand effective use of a SAR K-9.
AND these are not things that can be
thoroughly discussed at a search scene. You,
as a nationally certified K-9 handler and
authorized representative of your SAR team,
must schedule an appointment with the local
sheriff
and/or
head
of
emergency
management. Take your dog with you, in full
PR regalia: shabrack or harness complete with
certification patches and other SAR honors.
Look professional. Wear your team uniform,
clean and pressed, and bring your dog’s
records with your so you can show certificates,
training records and anything else you think
might be important to illustrate professionalism
and education.
Most importantly, stress that the work done by
you and your team is free and that you all are
not trying to replace any paid personnel but to
assist them. Also stress that you will work
under the command of the official in charge
and will aid them in dispatching SAR K-9s
effectively. Offer to speak to a gathering of law
enforcement to explain the proper use of a
SAR K-9 at a scene along with what the K-9
can and can’t do.
It would also be advantageous to have thought
out a plan for the authorities to notify you
and/or your team. Do you want their Dispatch
to call you or do you want the officer on scene
to call? What information will they need to
supply? Also it would be best to have one
contact person who notifies other team
members if you do not have a central
answering point such as dispatch or an
answering service.
Be sure to have business cards or something
to leave behind that has contact information
SAR Dog News, December 2015
on it. Brochures are also nice to leave as well
as any other handout material that you think
would be helpful. This might also include the
requirements for the national SAR K-9
certification and how many dogs on your team
are certified to what standard i.e. Area, HRD,
etc.
Page 11
Bottom line is that education of local authorities
is essential to having them use nationally
certified SAR teams and it’s incumbent on
certified members to provide that information to
them.
TRAINING, SEMINARS & CONFERENCES
REACH OVER 1,300 SAR K-9 HANDLERS. LIST YOUR
TRAININGS, SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES IN THE
SAR DOG NEWS
Contact Editor Norma Snelling at snelling@olypen.com
Training, Seminars & Conferences
JANUARY 2016
8
9 -10
23
K9220 -Basic Tracking/Trailing Techniques for K9s
Camp Atterbury, Indiana
K9320 –Intermediate Tracking / Trailing Techniques for k9s Camp Atterbury, Indiana
K9105 K9 First Aid
Camp Atterbury, Indiana
Contact Lillian Hardy
lhardy@dhs.in.gov
FEBRUARY 2016
6-7
27
K9555 - Building Search Techniques for K9s
K9 Pretest
Contact Lillian Hardy
lhardy@dhs.in.gov
Muscatatuck, Indiaia
Camp Atterbury, Indiana
MARCH 2016
4
5-6
5
19-20
K9200 – Basic Air Scenting Techniques for K9s
Camp Atterbury
K9300 – Intermediate Air Scenting Techniques for K9s
Camp Atterbury
SAR 100 – Crime Scene Operations – Blood Borne Pathogens Camp Atterbury
K9650 - K9 Credentialing Test
Camp Atterbury
Contact Lillian Hardy
lhardy@dhs.in.gov
APRIL 2016
4/27 – 5/1
L.E.T.S. (Law Enforcement Training Specialists)
Camp Lakeview, Indiana.
Contact Gail Cramer at merletornado@gmail.com for 40 hour seminar and
certification details