FAQs
Who can join the team?
Do I have to have a dog to join?
Will my personal dog be good at Search and Rescue?
What breeds of dogs are preferred?
What type of searches are our dogs trained for?
How often does the team train?
What equipment will I be required to have?
Does the team only search in Bowie County, Texas?
Answers
Who can join the team?
A team member must be in good physical condition to perform whichever job on the team he or she is assigned. For instance, a person assigned to a search team in a wilderness environment must be able to walk long hours and climb steep hills and in and out of creek bottoms. There are, however, positions on the team, such as at the command post, where physical condition is not as vital to perform a job. A background investigation is mandatory on applicants and a person wishing to join the team must not have a criminal record.Do I have to have a dog to join?
No, there are a number of different roles a team member can fulfill, such as a flanker, who accompanies the dog and handler on a search. The flanker may navigate the team with a compass or GPS. The flanker may carry extra gear on the search or act as an extra pair of eyes.Will my personal dog be good at Search and Rescue?
Most people who join our team do so with their family pet. Some of these dogs have the drive and ability necessary to become good search and rescue dogs, while some do not. Some people quit the team and do not continue if their dog does not have what it takes. Other people will continue on the team as member in one of the other needed positions. Some acquire a new puppy and train him from that age to do this work. However, the old saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" is not always true! You can train an older dog for this work if he has the aptitude, however, it takes one to two years to get most dogs fully trained. A dog may have a life span of eight to ten years. If he is six years old when his training begins and then it takes one to two years to train him, age may affect his ability to perform once his training is complete. It is recommended that training of the beginner dog be started at no older than five years of age. Because of this longer working life, the younger training is begun, the better, even if they are just pups.What breeds of dogs are preferred?
Medium to large breeds, such as labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, border collies, german shepherds, belgian malinois, hounds. Some beagles are also very good at this work.What type of searches are our dogs trained for?
We train dogs to air scent, by picking up the scent of a person, by the wind carrying that person's scent to the dog's nose, when there is no track to follow. We train tracking/trailing dogs to follow the path a person actually took, by smelling tiny skin rafts that fall continously from our bodies to the ground, collecting on the ground and surrounding vegetation. The tracking dogs are also believed to be smelling crushed vegetation and insects along the track, in addition to the skin rafts. We also train dogs to detect human remains, on land and under water. Some dogs can be trained to do all these types of searches, while others may be only able to learn one discipline.How often does the team train?
Every Sunday afternoon at 2pm we do search training. Occasionally, we have a recruitment meeting and have a number of new members join the team. When this happens, we have obedience training for the new dog teams on Wednesday at 6:30pm, for two to three months. Some members meet once during the week and just walk together, building their own physical stamina. The second Friday night of each month, we have classroom training, for an hour.What equipment will I be required to have?
To start off, a person only needs the proper collar and leash for their dog, as well as a dog crate. Dogs are required to be kept in a crate during search training, when they are not actually in training themselves. Once a person decides they want to remain on the team, there is a number of items they need to purchase, such as snake boots, briar chaps, leather gloves, backpack, hydration systems, compass, etc.Does the team only search in Bowie County, Texas?
No. We will respond to any location, within reason, where we are requested by law enforcement or fire departments. This would be primarily in the Four States Region of Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, however it could be other locations.For additional information, Please see our contact page.