Search and Rescue Dog Challenge

Think you can fool a search and rescue dog in a game of hide and seek?

We don't think so, but try us!

New Jersey Search and Rescue dogs are trained to find anyone lost in the woods. It is critical to their training that new volunteers hide for them as "lost subjects". For instance, if the same group of people hide for the dogs all the time, then the dogs are only being trained to find that specific group of people and not anyone.

No dog training or outdoor experience is required to participate in this challenge.

If you would like to attend a training to hide for our dogs please email Chris Kempey. Thank you for your continued support! It is greatly appreciated!

NJSAR Canine Team

NJSAR canine certified handlers offer combined experience of over 65 years in training and handling search dogs. They are dedicated to the detection and discovery of lost, missing, abducted and disoriented persons, or wherever the detection of human scent is of value.

Search for Subjects

Search and rescue canines look for people in many different scenarios:

  • Lost or disoriented hikers, hunters cyclists, all terrain vehicles, and climbers
  • Missing children
  • Alzheimer's patients
  • Drowning victims
  • Homicide and suicide victims
  • Victims of collapsed structures
  • Victims of downed airplanes
  • Forensic evidence
  • Victims of natural disasters including earthquakes and floods

Air Scent

Air scent dogs scan air currents with their noses for any generic human scent. The have scenting ability 200 times that of a human being which enables them to detect even trace amounts of scent at considerable distances or that emit from concealed locations. Search and rescue canines are trained to reliably indicates to their human handler to the location of the source of the scent. The source could be a person (living or deceased), an articles of evidence handled by a criminal subject, and article dropped by a lost person - anything that has come in contact with the subject. The source can be visible, concealed, or buried.

There is an element of human scent common to all persons regardless of sex, age or race. Air scent search and rescue dogs are trained to detect this generic element. Therefore, they can effectively search for unidentified or multiple missing persons - such as in the aftermath of an earthquake, tornado, airplane crash or even under the snow. Another benefit to detecting generic scent is that a scent article is not needed. As long as the source exists, scent will still be emitted - making it possible for air scent dogs to detect this scent hours, weeks, months, and even years later.

Search Terrain

Search and rescue canines can search efficiently in all types of weather and environments:

  • Suburban and urban areas
  • Woods, forest, and wilderness areas
  • Ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers
  • Dense brush or tall grass
  • Avalanches or under snowfall
  • Rock and mudslides
  • Floods

Deployment

It is best to deploy search and rescue canines immediately. However, air scent search and rescue dogs can be effective days, weeks, months or even years following an incident.

It is suggested to call authorities immediately to put NJSAR canine resources on stand-by alert when a potential search situation arises. Keep in mind that air scent dogs can be efficient at any time and under almost any condition or weather.

NJSAR and NJSAR canine resources does not self deploy and will only respond at the request of an official agency. NJSAR can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via Bergen County, NJ Emergency Police Communications at (201) 646-2705. If in doubt in a potential search situation, please call us at (973) 919-6711 for deployment consultation and an officers of the NJSAR Canine team will evaluate your situation as to the suitability of air scent dogs to your task.

Handler Training

NJSAR canine certifies handlers offer combined experience of over 65 years in training and handling search dogs. They are dedicated to the detection and discovery of lost, missing, abducted, and disoriented persons or wherever the detection of human scent is of value.

NJSAR canine handlers are skilled in:

  • Search planning and operations
  • Search strategy and tactics
  • Clue awareness
  • Crime scene preservation
  • Courtroom testimony
  • Navigation using map and compass or GPS
  • Night navigation
  • Wilderness first aid and survival
  • FEMA National Incident Command System
  • Radio Communications

All NJSAR canin handlers and support personnel arrive on scent with the ability to be self-sufficient. The have the skills and training to cooperate with and work well with requesting agencies to find the missing person as quickly as possible.

Download our brochure in PDF format to learn more about NJSAR's K9 Team.

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