Dog Health Questions: Where do you get a dog trained for search and rescue?

We just received a Bloodhound as a gift after losing our last bloodhound almost a year ago. My husband has hopes of him being a search and rescue dog, especially after seeing one at a park soon after we lost our last one. I haven't a clue as to how to find a place or someone to train him. Do the trainers have to be certified in anything? I live in Southwest Virginia and think maybe I will have to travel a lot for this. Or do police assist in training?

Where does one start?

Buying and Using an Electronic Dog Training Collar

Recommended Answer:
Most S&R dogs/teams are contract employees for State or Local Law Enforcement. So how they get trained varies tremendously.

However, I've provided the URL for FEMA's SAR selection and training course that will get you started. In the meantime, contact the local Sheriff's Dept. and ask them who their SAR contacts are and then contact those folks. Finally, it's a bit far from you but I know of a place in Stafford, Virginia where they do a variety of training. Most of it is bomb detection but they also do SAR contract work as well and I believe they do training too. It's called Colonial K9's and the URL is below the FEMA page. Even if they're too far for you to do SAR work with, I'm sure they'd have some references for you in your part of the State.

A Long Tradition of Dog Training

• Contact your local search and rescue. You can join up with them and they will help you train your dog along the way. Some rescues require you to work as an assistant to another searcher to learn the ropes before putting in the time to train your dog. Our rescue group doesn't require it.


• ONE ***DIY****!!!!
  
  Since the OWNER handles the dog,the OWNER must know how to train *&* search!
  You don't just wave bye bye to Ol' Beau !
  One VOLUNTEERS to haul off at a moments notice & go anywhere & stay for as long as takes to finish the job. One must be physically & financially & mentally fit enough to WORK all day in the worst conditions.
  If you can't even train Ol' Beau to find his own food bowl,let alone track a scent through lord knows what sort of terrain..ACCURATELY....for hours,day after day,stay home.
  SAR isn't a game.


• One starts :o) by contacting the Virginia Search & Rescue Dog Association.
  
  http://www.vsrda.org/
  
  I wish your husband well, it's a good thing he wants to do.


• let it play call of duty 4