D.O.G.S. North Standards

There are three basic divisions. These are:

1. Wilderness Search
2. Disaster Search
3. Water Search

1. Non-operational
2. Limited Operational
3. Operational

1. Training in basic obedience. All members automatically begin at this level.
2. Extended obedience
3. Advanced obedience

1. Training in basic search techniques
2. Intermediate search proficiency
3. Advanced integrative search proficiency

Each handler and his dog joining D.O.G.S.-north will initially assume team status of I. in all search divisions. These dogs and handlers will undergo training in basic obedience and search proficiency. When he feels ready to be tested or before one year of membership in the unit (whichever comes first and barring accidents to himself or his dog that interfers with SAR dog training), the handler will request evaluation by the Qualifying Committee as provided in the By-Laws. The handler may be evaluated in any combination or sequence of divisions depending upon his readiness and prevailing test conditions.

To qualify as a Level II. or III. team, dog and handler must pass both obedience and search proficiency tests in any division. The team being evaluated will pass or fail each test with no gradations in between. In order to pass a test, the team must earn a pass decision from at least four of the seven committee members.

The committee will consider both handler and dog performance, rating them as a team. Throughout the testing the committee will be looking at the following team characteristics:

• Handler and dog should show mutual liking and respect for each other and enjoy playing together as well.
• Handler should give appropriate encouragement and praise to the dog.
• Handler must be able to recognize when dog is alerting to victims scent, and dog should be giving a recognizable, strong alert.
• Handler should demonstrate his ability to work and control dog effectively in a variety of areas and conditions according to terrrain and weather.
• Dog should show eagerness to work and please in a range of stress situations.

The dog's possesion of AKC obedience titles will not waive the obedience evaluation by the Qualifying Committee. SAR obedience tests do not penalize a dog if his posture and position are not letter-perfect, but the dog must respond instantly and eagerly to gentle voice commands and hand signals even while harrassed bu the presence of other dogs and people and under the duress of unusual noises and situations.

Level II Extended Obedience:

A team will take the following tests under the guidance of the Qualifying Committee in the presence of five other people and five other dogs strategically placed according to test requirements.

1. Obedience off lead with handler working dog - heel, stand for examination, recall, long sit, long down.
2. Drop on recall from 100 feet.
3. Obedience on lead with another unit handler working dog.
4. High jump into back of pickup (36")
5. Noise and confusion response. Five dogs will be loaded into the back of a truck. One handler will transfer one dog at a time to the back of another truck parked 25 feet away. When all dogs have been transferred, handler will move to a postion about 50 feet away and, in view of the dogs, will fire two flares from a pengun.
6. People acceptance. Immediately after test #5, the dogs will be told to stay; 3 strangers will come up to the truck and pat each dog, using pleasent voices. Dog is to show no aggressive behavior.
7. Transportation. Five dogs and handlers will load into the back of a pickup and be transported over a dirt road for 30 minutes.
8. Agility. This test requires a ladder with flat steps (18 inches wide) leading up to a plank (12 inches by 12 feet), with similar steps on the other end (or equivalent) With the dog in front of the handler and on lead, both will walk up the ladder, along the plank and down the steps on the other side.
9. Dogs must demonstrate ability to swim and cross a swiftly moving stream.

Level III Advanced Obedience:

The team will take the following test under the guidance of the Qualifying Committee in the presence of five other people and five other dogs strategically placed according to test requirements.

1. Long down. With lead snapped on and four other dogs also on a down stay, the dog will stay in one location for a period of 50 minutes. Five handlers (not to include handler of dog being tested) will rotate one at a time supervising the dogs for 10 minutes each. The dog may shift position, sit up, then lay down in the same place, but must not leave his location. All dogs will be inside a circle 10 feet in diameter.
2. Agility. This test requires a 6 foot ladder leading up to a platform 12 inches wide and 6 feet long raised 5 feet abour the ground; or equivalent. Off lead the dog will climb the ladder while the handler stands on the ground 5 feet from the platform. On command the dog will turn around on the platforms and descend the same steps.
3. Personal control. While the dog is no long sit or down, off lead, another handler will play stick game with his own dog for 5 minutes.
4. Handler preference. Dog will be given a fresh meaty bone off lead and allowed to chew it for a full minute. At a signal from the judge, the handler will command the dog to drop the bone, leave it and heel to a position 50 feet away. The dog will then be allowed to play for a full minute off lead with a selected unit dog, and will then be recalled to heel for 50 feet, with the playmate uncontrolled.
5. Directed go. Handler will direct to go out and greet a unit member whom he designates by name, and then return to handler. Handler will direct dog to move out at least 20 feet in the direction he designates. Handler will direct dog to move back at least 10 feet and sit.
6. Helicopters. With rotors turning, handler will load and unload his dof, following the procedures of helicopter safety. If no helicopter is available for the test, handler will have previously demonstrated , in the presence of other unit members, his own and his dog's ability to load and unload safely.

In evaluating a team's performance, the Qualifying Committee will judge the following: temperment and eagerness of the dog; endurance; method and intensity of alert; time required; recall/refind; and handler strategy.

Level II Intermediate Search Proficiency:

1. Open terrain. An area of approximately 40 acres with light brsh/tree cover interspersed with open areas. A vicitim hidden out of team's sight must be found by air-scenting within a set time. Committee will evaluate dog's air-scenting abilities.
2. Multi-victim night problem. A 40 acre area containing 2 or 3 victims hidden in different locations (number known to handler). All must be found within given time. Committe will observe dog's willingness to continue working after finding one or more persons, and handlers night navigation and problem solving abilities.

Level III Advanced Search Proficiency:

1. Corridor searching. Handler and dog will enter the area with 2 to 5 other unit teams and will proceed to search for one victim using plain or offset corridor technique according to wind and terrain conditions. Test team will be located in the center of corridor congiguration and will make all decisions regarding corridor advance. Committee will judge handler's and dog's ability to ignore teams on either side and to thoroughly search their corridor while maintaining a good course through the terrain.
2. Area searching with scent discrimination. Up to 3 people will be hidden in a large area and handler is given valid scent article for one of the victims. (If no victim, scent article is fictitious.) Dog must discriminate for victim linked to scent article, and although he may approach other victims, he must eagarly return to work for the prime victim. Committee will observe team's ability to perform thorough area search despite interfering radio interruptions, and dog's ability to discriminate.

Before being rated proficient at Level III, the team must work at least one actual wilderness search mission. Dog and handler must perform with a high degree of professionalism in the estimation fo fellow handlers present.