Dogs doing land or disaster searches must learn to walk on debris, rocks, and other uneven surfaces. They cannot become so intent on the search that they cause more rubble to fall or end up a victim themselves. SAR jobs Local and federal law enforcement agencies use search dogs to seek out contraband such as smuggled food or drugs or to find bombs, to trail criminals, and to locate lawbreakers in a building. These dogs may be trained to sniff out particular substances or to bravely hold a criminal at bay until the officer arrives on the scene. Search and rescue dogs add an extra dimension to the job they find missing people for rescue if possible and to ease the minds of victims' family members who need to know what happened to a loved one.
Search dogs can be any breed or mix with a desire to work.
Sporting dogs such as Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers make good search dogs because they generally like people and love to follow their noses. German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, and other working and herding breeds have a work ethic that makes them good search and rescue prospects, according to Kathy Tepas of the Ohio Canine Search Team. Shirley Mittendorf and Parker work with the Hamilton County Sheriff's department and Loveland-Symmes Task Force 1. They frequently work on searches with teams from Ohio Canine, and Tepas has high praise for Parker and his owner. We just love working with Shirley, Tepas said.