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TRI-STATE-K9 STANDARDS

Basic Handler Skills (Last updated: 10/12/2010 by Beat Marti)
MINIMUM HANDLER SKILLS:
  1. The handler must complete Handler's Skills check-off list prior to testing a dog for operational statusl
  2. A novice handler must respond to at least one actual search incident as dog team support prior to becoming an operational search dog handler.
LOCAL RESPONSIBILITIES: Tri-State-K9 defers to the member group/unit to define essential, basic handler skills such as navigation, communication, medical etc. Further, Tri-State-K9 expects the group's training/testing officer to validate the candidates prior to declaring them operational search dog handlers.
Basic Dog Skills (Last updated: 10/12/2010 by Beat Marti)
DOG SKILLS GENERAL:
  1. ADJACENT AREA SEARCHING: The dog must be able to work effectively along side other dog teams without undue distraction.
  2. ENDURANCE: The dog must be able to work a prologned search while mantaining good performance. 
  3. NIGHT WORK: The dog team must show the ability to work without daylight.
  4. WILDERNESS REFIND ALERT: The free-ranging dog must either return to the handler upon making a find with a readable alert behaviour and take the handler back to the subject, or the dog must stay and bark. The handler must be able to interpret either alert correctly.
  5. ALERT: For disciplines other than wilderness search, other types of alerts are acceptable: I.e., barking, down, sit or dig. The handler must state alert behavior prior to testing and must be able to interpret the alert during the test.
  6. AGE: The dog must be at least 12 months of age to become operational.
  7. TEMPERAMENT: the dog must be able to operate effectively and non-aggressively in all working situations.
  8. VACCINATIONS: All dogs must have proof of required vaccinations.
  9. AGILITY: The handler must demonstrate off lead, the ability to safely and confidently control the dog through the following skills:
    1. Jump at least three feet into a specified area.
    2. Crawl under an obstacle 3/4 of the dog's hight.
    3. Climb onto and walk along a log or obstacle 3-4 feet off the ground and 10 feet in length.
    4. Not jump off area/object until commanded to do so.
    5. Walk through a culvert or small tunnel.
  10. OBEDIENCE:
    1. The handler must have off-lead control of the dog at all times.
    2. Dogs will not be allowed to approach other dogs while training/searching.
    3. Dogs must be responsive to handler commands.
    4. Dogs must demonstrate the following skills:
      1. COME: Dog must come directly without hesitation.
      2. STOP ON RECALL (dog will go towards handler and when given a command, stop, down or sit within a very short distance for safety reasons).
      3. SIT - DOWN - STAY: 5 Minutes with handler out of sight.
      4. HEEL or CLOSE: Dog must remain within 2 feet of the handler.
Operational Evaluation (Last updated: 8/20/2011 by Beat Marti)

OPERATIONAL EVALUATION:

A Tri-State-K9 Team is declared OPERATIONAL if:

  1. The handler has sucessfully demonstrated proficency in the "Basic Handler Skills"
  2. The K-9 has successfully satisified the "Basic Dog Skills" requirements
  3. The Team has successfully certified in a search discipline
  4. To remain operational, a Team must re-certify each discipline every two (2) years. Every effort should be made to complete the re-certification prior to the expiration date. A 3 month grace period extension may be granted at the discretion of the search command.

Evaluation Process:

Tests are administered by at least one (if at all possible two) tri-state-k9 CERTIFIED EVALUATORS for the corresponding Discipline Group.