Canine Search Specialist Training

1. Canine Search Specialist Training Unit 8: Rubble Search

2. Unit Objective Upon completion of this unit, you will be able to explain the rationale for canine foundation training and the advanced skills necessary for a canine to effectively search in a disaster environment

3. Enabling Objectives • Explain the importance of exposing canine to varied disaster scenarios • Describe the importance of the handler being knowledgeable in search strategy and scenting conditions • Identify and solve problems that develop in disaster search scenarios

4. Introduction

7. Search Scenarios

8. Search Scenarios • Rubble • Buildings • Mobile home parks • Brush • Explosions • Construction debris • Grain elevators

9. Train To Reality

12. Think outside the box • Handlers must find and train in unusual sites throughout the canine’s training program • Construction sites • Junk yards • Lumber yards • Demolished and abandoned buildings • Heavy equipment storage areas

15. Required Skills • Handler • Canine • Helper • Spotter/Safety

16. Handler Skills • Agility • Possess hazard awareness • Understand search strategy • Understand scenting conditions • Design training program • Debrief and document accurately

17. Helper Skills • Agility • Hazard identification • Understand the goal of the exercise • Responsible for reward delivery • Must hide in confined spaces for extended periods of time

18. Safety Officer and Spotters’ Skills • Ensure safety of canine • Ensure safety of helpers • Recognize changes in behavior and bark alert • Be able to accurately report canine behavior

19. Canine Skills • Agility • Solid nerve strength • Independence • Reward driven • Possess a strong work ethic • Willing to work out of sight

20. More Canine Skills • Ignore distractions • Possess an independent bark alert • Work in new environments

21. Working in Rubble Considerations

22. Training Considerations • Search area • Safety • Stability of structure • Rest area(s) • Observation area • Wind direction and scent patterns • Access point

23. Search area

24. Safety

25. Stability

27. Rest and Rehab

28. Helper Placement Considerations • Depth to be buried • Materials used to conceal • Wind direction • Behavior of wind and scent • Ability to reward canine

29. Helper Placement Considerations • Distance canine must cover before reaching helper • Level of experience of canine • Ability to conceal helper from view • Assure canine can not access helper

31. Progression of Training

32. Progression of Training • Canine comfortable and agile • Visual - immediate • Visual - delayed • No visual, handler knows location • No visual, handler does not know location

33. Progression of Training (continued) • Canine cannot be rewarded by helper • Canine searches negative pile • All of the above with handler access

34. Stages of Rubble Training

35. Stages of Rubble Training • Beginner • Intermediate • Advanced

36. Beginning Level • Handler knows helper location • Alert prop at the edge of site • Alert prop moved into site • Runaways, pop ups, reward from helper • Introduce “evaluators” as distractions • Helper hides in rubble instead of alert prop resulting in varied scent conditions

37. Intermediate Level • Helper’s location unknown to handler • Cold shots • Less sterile environment • Inaccessible, totally concealed victims • Utilize entire pile • Incorporate search strategy

39. Advanced Level • Longer searches • Multiple victims • Overlapping Scent • Deep victims • Diffuse scent • Handler Reward • Distractions • Multiple search sites • Blank search sites

40. Longer Searches • Set up multiple search areas with short break between sites • Use multi-story buildings with blank floors • Set up larger search areas so dog and handler increase stamina, strategy, work ethic

41. Overlapping Scent • Use motivation • Reward on first bark • Clear and successful

42. Deep • Separate deep and diffuse • Use motivation • Shorten distance—take out the “search” • Reinforce any sound at first—dog must not leave (whine) • Shape into strong alert • Consider props off the pile

43. Deep

44. Diffuse • Use motivation • Shorten distance-take out “search” • Reinforce any sound at first—dog must not leave (whine) • Shape into strong alert • Consider props off the pile

45. Diffuse

46. Remember • Dogs learn by repetition • Do not reward a bad sequence • If the exercise goes bad—ABORT • Practice does not make perfect—PERFECT Practice Makes Perfect

47. Introduce Handler Reward • Toss reward in front of dog while helper gives verbal motivation • Practice smooth delivery without dog • Dog’s focus must remain on alert location • Use sparingly—dog must always think the reward is coming from the victim!

48. Handler Reward

49. Distractions

50. Distractions • Go back to alert barrel • Use helper motivation • Shorten distance • Contain all distractions • Start with distractions by handler • Quick reward