Would someone please tell me about the search dog field in general trerms.

Saturday our almost two year old GSD Jäger passed basic obedience and was deemed a good candidate for protection dog training. I am also considering search training for him but want to know about the field.

I'm a retired/disabled NCO living comfortably on a pension. I'm not looking to get rich, but, if I get Jäger certified to search for people, dead people, explosives, or something along this line can I get enough to pay for our travel, food, & lodging to and from places that need search dogs in whatever search function we go into?

I already teach shooting pro bono in the community and donate a fair amount of time training Arizona National Guardsmen, so I donate my time and skill to my country because I enjoy it. But the bottom line for me is, I can't lay off very much more in donated time equipment. Can I generally get reimbursed for searches further afield.

If this can be taken two ways; one of them being I'm a materialistic weasel, and the other is a guy who wants to be of use to his country but can't afford to travel, I'm the latter.

99% of the time, SAR operations (including K-9) are conducted by volunteers. There is usually NO compensation for training, travel, equipment, food, or any other costs associated with aquiring, training, handling, living with and deploying with a SAR dog. These costs are 99% of the time, the sole responsibility of the handler. There MAY be some tax benefits, but that is all.

Generally speaking, working a SAR dog will cost an individual a LOT of time, energy and $$$$. In fact, many times the only reward will be the one you get back from the reflection in the mirror.

If that appeals to you, I encourage you to be the best SAR dog team you can be. If you find the above description less than appealing, however, thanks for your interest but please, move on.

Thank-you Scott.

I try not to look in the mirror, there's some overweight balding middle aged white guy in it all the time. I have no idea how he got there or where my old reflection went. Maybe it's identity theft.

Donating skill appeals to me, I already shell out a lot of time and money to teach gun safety & marksmanship. The question becomes can I afford to do this physically and financially. Now I know not to concern myself with the idea of recouping my travel, food, lodging incidental to a search.

I have heard the average search dog handler spends around $3000-$5000 per year for getting to be a volunteer and, if you count gas, etc. that really sounds about right.