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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.

 
Apprentice Evaluator (Last updated: 3/1/2019 by Beat Marti)
After certifying with an active dog team in at least one discipline within a discipline group, an active handler may participate in certification tests as an APPRENTICE EVALUATOR and earn the necessary apprentice credits to become a candidate for that discipline group over a period no less than 5 years. The Apprentice Evaluator must remain an active, certified team. for one ore more disciplines within that group.

Performing an APPRENTICE EVALUATION, the Handler participates in an evaluation along with one or more certified evaluators, observing evaluation performance of the tested team and recording these observations and conclusions. After the evaluation, the handler will share and discuss his/her observations and notes with the certified evaluator(s) that administered the test. The pass/fail outcome of the test is not relevant to the apprentice evaluation. Recording of the apprentice evaluation is to the discretion of the supervising certified evaluator.