Becoming a K9 search team

Becoming a Certified K9 Search Team involves a number of stages. Those stages are briefly outlined here; click on any stage to get more details.

Pre-applicant: You and your dog are interested in getting involved. We are all getting to know each other. Prior to applying, you and your dog are earning a Canine Good Citizen certificate and acquiring basic skills in obedience and tracking.

Applicant: You have applied to become an official trainee. You are regularly attending trainings, and we are assessing the capabilities or you and your dog.

Trainee: The certified members of the team have voted in favor of you joining the team as an official trainee. You are issued a list of required skills and regularly attend trainings and meetings. At weekly trainings, you work on earning check-offs for required skills.  

Certification: After you have completed all of your check-offs, the certified members of the team vote on certification.

Certified K9 Team: You regularly attend trainings, host some training sessions, maintain search skills by completing annual re-certification check-offs, and help guide trainees toward certification. 

Pre-applicant

If you are interested in becoming a PAWS Search and Rescue Dog Handler, it is best to start by contacting us and attending several training sessions to see what we do. We will ask you to initially attend training without your dog. We will let you know when we are ready to meet your dog.

If you and your dog seem like a good match for our search and rescue team, we will encourage you to work towards Applicant status. Before becoming an Applicant you and your dog need some basic skills. Your dog will need to earn the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate. While the CGC is the only required training certificate, you should also train your dog in basic obedience and tracking/trailing and be able to demonstrate these skills. Finally, you must join Wilderness Search & Rescue (WSAR).

In summary, once the certified handlers invite you to apply, to achieve Applicant status, you must: 

  • submit an application to PAWS (an application can be obtained from the President or training supervisor);

  • submit your dog’s immunization records; 

  • submit AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate;

  • demonstrate  AKC Companion Dog (CD)-level Obedience;

  • demonstrate AKC Tracking Dog (TD)-level tracking ability; and

  • join Wilderness Search & Rescue (WSAR).

Applicant

You have obtained the required Canine Good Citizen certifications (CGC) and WSAR membership and submitted your PAWS trainee application. 

You are expected to:

  • Regularly attend PAWS trainings and work with a variety of certified handlers.

  • Attend PAWS business meetings.

  • Start training your dog in line with PAWS training skills progression. 

Your applicant probation period of up to six months will allow handlers to get to know you and your dog and evaluate your potential as a search and rescue team. 

Certified handlers review your application, general attributes, and potential as a search and rescue team. When the team is ready (within your six month probationary period) a vote is held on whether to accept you and your dog as trainees.

Trainee

After receiving a majority positive vote of the compliant certified handlers, you are accepted as a PAWS trainee. 

Certification to take 1-3 years to complete.

You are expected to do the following:

  • Attain operational status through WSAR. 

  • Attend at least 70% of the scheduled PAWS training sessions per year.

  • Attend at least 50% of PAWS business meetings per year.

  • Work with all handlers.

  • Keep training logs of what you do at PAWS trainings and other training opportunities. At a minimum, logs should include date, location, weather conditions, training scenarios, and results.

  • Work on acquiring check-offs on the certification check list. 

You will receive a report of your progress every six months. All certified handlers are expected to contribute to this report.

Trainees who have attended less than 50% of scheduled PAWS training sessions within the preceding year will be dropped from the roster and must reapply to PAWS to attain trainee status.

Certification

To be considered for a certification vote, you must:

  • attain operational status with WSAR;

  • complete your PAWS “Dog and Handler Certification” check-off list;

  • attend 70% of scheduled training sessions within the previous year and 70% of scheduled trainings within the previous three months. Trainees may use one alternate training per month in order to reach their attendance requirements; and

  • participate in team activities and contribute to the team.

Completion of PAWS “Dog and Handler Certification” check-off list and attendance requirements alone does not guarantee certification.

When requirements are met, you may be proposed for certification by a certified handler. All certified handlers will review your training logs, proven abilities, general attributes, contributions to the team and potential as a search and rescue team. When the team is ready, a vote of all certified handlers is held.

If after 3 years your dog is not fully certified, a vote of certified handlers must be held to approve your continued status as a trainee with the team.

Certified K9 Team

When you pass the certification vote by a majority of compliant certified handlers, you are designated a certified dog and handler team. 

You are expected to:

  • continue to train to maintain and improve your and your dog’s proficiency; and

  • work with all handlers and trainees.

To remain compliant as a certified handler, you must:

  • attend 50% of scheduled PAWS trainings each year. No more than 50% of required training attendance may be satisfied by alternate training; including seminars, workshops or other gatherings of PAWS handlers; and

  • complete and submit your PAWS “Dog and Handler Recertification” check-off list to the training officer each year;

  • complete Progress Reports on each trainee twice a year as determined by the team.