Isn a dog a dog? Why do only certain kinds of dogs become SDF search dogs?
Disaster search requires very specific talents and skills in both dog and handler. A disaster site is a treacherous environment: noisy, chaotic, dust-filled, and sometimes dark. Disaster search dogs must have the ability to perform at a high level in the worst setting imaginable. At Ground Zero, for example, the ‘pile’ was a mountain of debris seven or eight stories high composed of twisted steel and wobbly, uneven surfaces, hot spots and gaps in the rubble where fires were still burning. It takes an extraordinary dog-one with extreme boldness, energy, strength, agility and drive-to approach every training exercise, and every deployment, with energy and determination. These are dogs that LOVE to work, NEED to work, and want nothing more than to be out on the rubble, searching!
