Training Disciplines
We train with the philosophy that searching is a game to the dogs, and we always set them up for success with a reward at the end. This allows us to keep our dogs fresh and eager for the game long into their careers.
Obedience
We require all of our incoming dogs to pass an obedience test consisting of the following 
activities: walk on a loose lead; sit; down; a 3-minute stay; a 100-foot recall through distractions (a base camp situation); the dog must go willingly into a kennel and allow another team member to remove him; heel on a figure 8 around two dogs and handlers; a 30-minute tie-out without commotion; and sit or stand quietly while handler greets a friendly stranger. If the dog will be working any of the off-lead disciplines (Air Scent, Cadaver, or Evidence) then the test must be repeated off-lead with the exception of the tie-out.
Tracking/Trailing
All of our new dogs start out in this category when they are brought into the group. We begin the training with motivational “fire runs,” where an assist takes the dog's reward and, while calling him, runs a short distance away. The handler then releases the dog, giving the track command. When the dog has figured out this stage of the game we then move into short tracks, which are similar to the fire runs but the dog does not see the missing person run away. Gradually the distance of the tracks is lengthened. When the dog is doing well, a delay is added between the time the track is laid and the time the dog starts, and turns are added as well. 
Our dogs don’t follow footstep-to-footstep but rather track and trail, which allows the dog to follow a short distance off the track itself. This method enables the dogs to move more quickly along the track. For Level 1 Tracking/Trailing, we work the dogs up to ½ mile tracks with a 30-minute delay, incorporating cross-tracks and contaminated scent articles. The dogs typically train for 6 months to 1 year before they are tested to become Level 1 Field Qualified.
Air Scent
Most SRDI dogs that train in Air Scent are specifically chosen by the Training Chairman based on behavior and performance in Tracking/Trailing. We begin training the Air Scent dogs by first doing motivational runs similar to those done for tracking.The beginning is always easy and fun, with the dog watching the person run away and hide before going to find them. As the dog improves, the handler increases the distance and difficulty of the hiding places and adds a delay between the time the subject hides and the time the dog begins searching.
In conjunction with these training sessions, we begin teaching the dog the recall/refind game, where the handler and assist call the dog back and forth, rewarding him each time. In training sessions the handler starts requiring the dog to come back to him/her for the reward after the find, to develop the habit of the recall/refind. The recall/refind is used to train the dogs to return to the handler and give an alert after they find the missing person, and then bring the handler back to their find. These games continue, adding in new factors such as increasingly difficult terrain, weather, and hiding places, as well as having multiple people hiding in the search area. Dogs are trained to grid a half mile area with the primary goal being to "clear" the area and confirm that the missing person is not there.
Evidence
This is a specialty category and any dog entering training for this discipline must either already be Field Qualified in Tracking/Trailing or Air Scent, or the handler must already have had a Field Qualified dog previously.We primarily train forthis discipline not for the benefit of criminal cases but to teach the dog to alert on any article that a missing person may have dropped while the dog is working Tracking/Trailing or Air Scent. These articles allow us to confirm areas through which a missing person passed and "leap frog” dog teams to follow the lost person's estimated direction of travel. 
Cadaver (Land and Water)
There are two different types of searches in this specialty category and as with Evidence, the dog must be Mission Ready in either Tracking/Trailing or Air Scent.
Cadaver searching is optional for the members and the dogs themselves, as some are not willing to deal with the emotional aspects of this type of search. When training for Cadaver on land, the dogs are first introduced to the scent and when they naturally go in to investigate they are rewarded immediately. This training is combined with teaching the dog to work a grid pattern and to “show” the handler where the scent is coming from. Training for land Cadaver is similar to training for Air Scent. The dogs are taught not to paw or mouth the article, just as in Evidence, so that there is as little disturbance as possible for forensics. Gradually the dog is taken through largeitem identification to buried and hanging material and bones in areas of various sizes. Each level has a test that the dog must pass in order to work that type of mission on a call-out.
With Water Cadaver Search, the training starts out the same with the change being that once the dog understands the scent it is being asked to find, we thenbegin work with the Search and Recovery Divers. Using divers as a trigger, the dog is taught that the scent being looked for is coming from below the surface of the water. Members learn boat safety and how to properly place out markers for the divers, who work as a team with us. The purpose of using dogs is to narrow down a body of water so that specially trained divers may go down and have a better chance of locating the deceased.
Education
As a nonprofit organization, SRDI is committed to educating the community about outdoor safety as well as search and rescue activities. We frequently participate in such events as community safety days, local fairs, and visits to elementary and high schools. Upcoming PR events are shown on our calendar. Our presentations often include slide shows, discussions of K-9 SAR training and outdoor safety, and demonstrations with the dogs.
SRDI is available to everyone in the community for demonstrations of our skills and educational presentations. These demos can be tailored to fit your needs! If you are interested in having SRDI members and dogs give a presentation to your organization, class, or school, please contact Southwest Rescue Dogs at the address at left. We would love to share our knowledge with you.
Website created by K. Leeder