What characteristics make up “the right stuff” in a SAR dog?
Drive and temperament are the two biggies in what makes a SAR dog. Drive is the dog’s motivation – and we’re looking for play drive (food drive in pups as well). The dog works for reward, just like people work for money, except the dog’s reward is playtime with a person! The dog with the right stuff will search for long hours in difficult conditions to get that chance to play tug or retrieve.The right temperament is a dog that has biddability – the ability to work with it’s handler – and that is confident in new situations and unfamiliar settings. Temperament also includes non-aggression towards people, including fear. A dog that is fearful of or aggressive towards people is not considered for WOOF. Dogs must be able to work along side another dog(s) and be able to focus on work but they don’t have to be best friends with other dogs. SAR dogs are focused on their work – it’s what they were trained to do.
