What is the time commitment necessary to become a Disaster Search Dog handler?
Training for disaster search requires a large dedication of time and energy in order to be successful. NDSD personnel are not paid for time spent at any NDSD event or deployment, and members often use personal or vacation time away from work to attend such events. In addition to formal training sessions with the NDSD team, a handler must be willing to spend regular training time with their dog to achieve and maintain basic skills for canine obedience and agility. A beginning handler should be prepared to commit at least 2 or 3 hours a week to dedicated training of their dog (just 15-20 minutes per day with a beginning adult dog or puppy will develop and reinforce necessary obedience and agility skills). Members of NDSD also participate in school and organization demos, help in setup and organization of local and national certification tests, and attend search and rescue seminars. New members are required to attend two full weekends of SAR courses within one year of joining, and all mem
