SUGGESTED STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE
(Edited for publication by Wyoming K-9 Search
& Rescue)
·
Absaroka
Search Dogs /
·
·
Eagle
Eye K-9 /
·
High
Country K-9, Inc. /
·
Northwest
K-9 /
·
·
The above listed K-9 units agreed to test their teams
to these standards using evaluators that are operational handlers, certified by
these standards or equivalent in the discipline they evaluate. Non-compliant
K-9 Units will be removed from the list.
The Tri-State Standards of Performance provide a
·
Unified, documented set of
guidelines to evaluate SAR dog teams.
·
Tool to conduct consistent
inter-unit evaluations.
·
Consistent set of standards and
expectations to law enforcement and requesting agencies.
The Tri-State Standards of Performance define the minimum requirements
for the following K-9 team disciplines:
·
Wilderness Search
·
Trailing
·
Cadaver
·
Human Remains Detection (HRD)
·
Water
·
Evidence
·
Avalanche
·
Building
The training/testing officer in each unit is responsible for validating
that all teams have met or exceeded these guidelines before obtaining
operational status.
·
The handler must meet individual
unit handler skills requirements prior to testing the dog.
·
A novice handler must respond to
at least one actual search incident, supporting an operational dog team before
obtaining operational status.
·
Adjacent area searching: The dog must be able to
effectively work along side other dog teams without undue distraction.
·
Endurance: The dog must be able to work a prolonged search while maintaining
optimum performance.
·
Night work: The dog team must show the ability to work without daylight.
·
Wilderness Refind/Alert:
The free-ranging dog must return to the handler upon making a find and
take the handler back to the subject, or the dog must stay and bark. The
handler must be able to read either alert.
·
Alert: In regards to disciplines other
than wilderness, other types of alerts are acceptable: i.e., barking, down, sit
and dig. The handler must state alert behavior prior to testing and must be
able to read alert during the test.
·
Age: The dog must be at least 12 months of age in order to be fielded for
operational status.
·
Temperament: The dog must be able to operate effectively and non-aggressively in all
working situations.
·
Vaccinations: All dogs must have proof of
current required vaccinations.
·
Agility: The handler must demonstrate, off lead, the ability to safely and
confidently control the dog through the following skills:
o Jump up at least three feet into a specified area.
o Crawl under an obstacle ¾ of the dog’s height.
o Climb onto, and walk along a log or obstacle 3-4 feet off of the ground
and 10 feet in length.
o Not jump off of area/object until commanded to do so.
o Walk through a culvert or small tunnel.
·
The handler must have off-lead
control of the dog at all times.
·
The Dog is not allowed to
approach other dogs while training/searching.
·
The Dog must be responsive to
handler commands at all times.
·
The Dog must demonstrate the
following:
o Come – dog must come directly
o Stop on recall (dog will go towards handler and when
given a command, stop, down or sit within a very short distance) (a safety
issue)
o Sit or Down stay – 5
minutes with handler out of sight
o Heel or Close – within 2 feet of handler
1
All K-9
disciplines must be re-certified every two years.
2
Upon the
discretion of the evaluators, a test may be stopped at any time if the dog
team:
·
Is not ready for
testing.
·
Does not
demonstrate forward progress.
3
It is the
responsibility of the training/testing officer within each unit to appoint
evaluators for each K-9 discipline.
4
A candidate team
has the right to request a different evaluator.
5
A candidate team
must verbalize a search strategy and the dog’s indication at the beginning of a
test.
·
Mini-Area Search: This test must be completed prior to the
Wilderness Search test. The area is
approximately 1/4 by 1/4 mile in moderate terrain containing 3 well-hidden
subjects. The search time is limited to 2 hours. Evaluators may extend the time
due to weather or terrain concerns. For a conclusive test, the dog team must
find all three subjects and demonstrate at least two re-finds or bark alerts. The purpose of
this test is to show the reliability of the dog’s re-find or bark alert and the
strategy and navigation skills of the handler. Upon successful completion, the
handler may request the Wilderness Search test. The Wilderness Search test must
be completed within six months of the Mini-Area test.
·
Wilderness Search: In a 1
square mile area of moderate terrain, 1 – 3 subjects will be placed, either
hidden or roaming. Subjects will enter area in a manner, which will make it
difficult for the dog to cut the track. If a dog cuts a track, and follows it
to the subject, this is an acceptable find. There may or may not be a simulated
injury when subjects are located. Before beginning the test, the dog handler
completes an interview with the reporting person (RP) and verbalizes a search
strategy to the evaluators. Adjustments may be made, considering wind shifts,
obstacles, etc. The handler must tell the evaluators what the dog’s alert is.
The test team (candidate handler and K-9 and optional support person) is
expected to communicate with the base via radio and relay all pertinent
information as well as alerts, clues and finds. Upon completion of the search
the test team explains using a topographical map, the percentage of area
covered with probability of detection (POD) information and list areas that
should be searched more thoroughly. The test team is expected to search the
area as is customary on an actual search covering as much area as possible in
three hours. The team is not expected to locate all subjects. If a dog locates
a subject but does not successfully alert the handler, the evaluators will
terminate the test. Passing this test involves evaluating the teams’ overall
performance, taking all factors into consideration. The focus of this test is
on the quality of the search strategy, proficiency in navigating through the
search area and the team’s ability to search efficiently, for the full duration
of the test. After a dog team has successfully completed this test, the
mini-area search will be used for re-certification.
·
Re-certification: The “Mini-Area Search”
test is used.
·
Level 1: The length of the trail will be
at least 1 mile and will be aged not less than 4 hours. The handler is
responsible for collecting the scent article. The handler will be given a
designated point last seen (PLS), with area approximately 20 X 20 feet. The PLS
will be contaminated by one person (during the first quarter of the total aging
time) by laying a different trail from the same starting point, at least ¼ of a
mile long. The subject’s trail will be laid in moderate terrain and all
attempts will be made to prevent the dog from air-scenting the subject. The
start of the track should allow for a 360-degree possibility of direction of
travel. One cross track will be laid during the last quarter of the aging time
with the crossing located after the first third of the actual track. There
should be a road crossing, either paved or dirt, in any part of the test. The
dog must obtain direction of travel and locate subject for successful
completion. It is an acceptable pass if wind change allows the dog to air scent
the subject after it has located the direction of travel, has successfully
worked through the contamination, and successfully passed the cross track.
·
Re-certification: The same test is used for
recertification.
·
Level 2: This test may
be skipped if a handler wishes to test to Level 3 directly. The length of the
trail will be at least one mile and will be aged not less than 12 hours. Handler will conduct an interview with RP.
The handler is responsible for collecting the scent article. The handler will
be given a designated point last seen (PLS), with area approximately 100 X 100
feet. The PLS will be contaminated by one person during the first quarter of
the total aging time by laying a different trail from the same starting point,
at least ¼ of a mile long. The subject’s trail will be laid in moderate terrain
and all attempts will be made to prevent the dog from air-scenting the subject.
The start of the track should allow for a 360-degree possibility of direction
of travel. One cross track will be laid during the last quarter of the aging
time with the crossing located after the first third of the actual track. There should be a road crossing, either paved
or dirt, in any part of the test. It is an acceptable pass if wind change
allows the dog to air scent after it has located the direction of travel, has
successfully worked through the contamination, and successfully passed the
cross track.
·
Re-certification: The same test is used for
recertification.
·
Level 3 (WYK-9 specific): The test trail definitions and
success criteria are the same as for Level 2, except that the trail is aged for
not less than 24 hours.
·
Re-certification: The same test is used for
recertification.
·
Urban: The handler
will conduct an interview with RP. The handler is responsible for collecting
the scent article. The handler will be given the point last seen (PLS) of
either a residence or vehicle. The area will be contaminated. The trail will be
aged not less than 2 hours and will be 6 – 8 blocks in length. The trail will
include asphalt, concrete, sidewalks, alleys, grass, etc. At least two street
crossings should be part of the trail. Regular day-to-day activities in the area
will not be cause for delay or cancellation of the test. The time limit is 1
hour but may be extended by the evaluators if there is sufficient forward
progress. The dog must locate and identify correct subject for completion of
test.
·
Re-certification: The same test is used for
recertification.
·
Part 1:
The dog team will search two areas, 75 by 75 yards each or equivalent
footage in moderate terrain, containing a minimum of two scent sources. All
sources will be well concealed, and one source will be buried between 4 to 6
inches deep. Animal bones or remains will be in the areas. The sources will
have a volume of scent that simulates a deceased body as closely as possible. The
evaluators will test and approve the scent sources, prior to any test. The handler
may also request to view the sources. The handler will verbalize search
strategy and dog’s indication, prior to the test. The areas will be searched in
sequence to a 100% POD (all sources must be found). The handler is allowed 30
minutes per area and may not return to a previously searched area. If the dog
finds a source in an adjacent area, it is counted, but the handler must
complete the search in the current area. The handler must call a find by
recognizing the dog’s indication behavior as stated prior to the test. No false
alerts are allowed. False holes will be present. Scent rise time will be not
less than 2 hours.
·
Part 2: After completing part 1, the dog
team will search for human bones. This test will have bones set up in a line or scattered in a small area. The handler will
determine how far apart the bones will be placed. The lineup may contain all
animal, all human, or a combination of both. The handler must be able to
identify the human bone(s) by the dog’s behavior. No false alerts are allowed.
·
Re-certification: The same test is used for
recertification.
·
Part 1: The dog team
will search three separate areas, 75 X 75 feet each or equivalent square
footage in moderate terrain, containing a minimum of 10 sources. One of the
areas may contain no sources. Blood and bone will be used for eight of the
fourteen sources. There will be animal bones present. The handler will
verbalize a search strategy and the dog’s indication prior to the test. The
areas will be searched in sequence to a 70% POD (70% of an unknown number of
sources must be found). The handler may not return to a previously searched
area. If the dog finds a source in an adjacent area, it is counted, but the
handler must complete the search in the current area. The handler must call a
find by recognizing the dog’s indication behavior as stated prior to the test
with no more than one false alert. The handler will have 30 minutes per area to
complete the test.
·
Part 2: The dog team will search one room
in a building. Within that room, an area of no more than 20’ x 20’ contains no
less than three samples. The samples will be well concealed on the floor or
raised, but not higher than 3 feet. The samples will be blood and/or tissue.
The handler is given 30 minutes to search the area to a 70% POD (70% of an
unknown number of sources must be found).
Dog must not disturb the samples. The handler must call a find by
recognizing the dog’s indication behavior as stated prior to the test.
·
Re-certification: The same test is used for
recertification.
·
The dog team will search an area
200 X 200 feet, or equivalent square footage, in moderate terrain. A minimum of
three human scented articles will be well concealed on the surface or hanging,
but not buried. A variety of articles can be used, including but not limited
to: metal, plastic, and cloth. The area will be searched to a 80% POD (80% of
an unknown number of articles must be found). The handler has 1 hour to
complete the test. Scent rise time will be no less than 30 minutes. The handler
must state crime scene preservation procedures.
·
Re-certification: The same test is used for
recertification.
Note: There
are 2 separate tests for certification:
shore and open water. After a team passes one of the tests, they will be
certified for that type of water search.
·
Shore search:
The dog team will search a stream or shore line,
approximately 100 yards in length. A
scent source will be placed 5-10 feet off the shoreline and will be 2 - 10
inches deep. The dog may indicate from the shore, or in the water, as long as
handler can describe the location of the scent source within 15 yards. Scent
rise time will be no less than 15 minutes.