SAR News Published by the National Search Dog Alliance October 2018 Vol. 12, No. 10

Article page Synopsis of Annual Meeting 16 2018 BOD Meeting Dates 1 Board of Directors & Founding Members 16 Bucky Says 1 Book Review: K-9 Teams: Beyond the Basics 17 NSDA Certifications 2 Things we don’t think about 18 Regional Testing Information 2 The Last Howl 19 Tests, Training and Seminars 20 Announcements 3

Disaster K-9 Training Scholarship 4 2018 Board Meeting Dates Kibbles and Bits 4 Nov. 1, Dec. 6 Shell Casings and Blood 7 Contact Corporate Secretary, Sue Wolff, at SAR in the Smokey’s 8 [email protected] for the call-in number for the Search for Missing Kotzebue Girl 9 meeting. Depressed K-9? 10

Making Your Own Dog Treats 11 Bucky Says: 2018 Hero Dog 12 Man of Many Trades & Passions-Terry Crooks 13 Don’t sleep alone. Irish SAR HRD Training 15 Get a dog. SAR DOG NEWS October 2018 Page 2

NSDA’S NEWEST CERTIFIED SAR K-9 HANDLERS

Michigan Becky Monroe & Bella Michigan Trailing I Janice Johns & K-9 Blue Trailing I

REGIONAL TESTING

Don’t put off getting your NSDA certification. Bring NSDA Evaluators to you!

NSDA will pay all expenses to deliver Evaluators to your centrally located test site for at least ten (10) tests or more to be given with a minimum of six (6) handlers. The costs of the Evaluator’s expenses will be reimbursed up to $500 per Evaluator with each Evaluator performing at least three (3) tests.

See the NSDA website (www.n-sda.org) under the Testing tab for the application. Contact Karen Nesbitt, Testing Manager at [email protected] for more information.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

HANDLERS: A brand new Urban Trailing Standard will be rolled out this winter. If you have any comments on urban trailing or wish to make a comment, now is the time. Send comments to [email protected].

EVALUATORS: A new Acceptance of Risk Form has been posted on the Evaluator page of our website. We felt the previous one asked too many invasive medical questions. Please download it for future activities.

ADOPTION He is called Ronan and came through Rescue. Approx. 2 yr. old (per my vet) neutered male. Sable color. 74#. Czech looking dog to my eye. Moderate size and dry body type. Well balanced with good reach and drive. Very correct coat and dentition.

Not a beginner’s dog by any means. A new owner MUST have GSD experience and use positive training methods. The dog will protest an unfair correction. Very smart boy. Knows some commands in French, so a former owner may have done some Ring sport training.

Ball, toy, tug, treat crazy! Tested him over a period of 3 days using the Brownell-Marsolais scale with high scores, including on rubble. Videos available. Each advancing challenge he met with increasing calm and focus. Fearless in his searches. Ronan was dog reactive to intact male being walked by while he was on a tie-out without his foster person. He is extremely quiet and very rarely barks at anyone or anything.

Neutral to mildly interested in strangers. A bit dog reactive but has played successfully with other dogs in his foster setting. Not appropriate for a home with small children or small animals.

Vaccines are current. We did x-rays which show elbows and knees are great. Mild bilteral hip dysplasia (shallow acetabulum), well-muscled, moves fluidly and is very agile. X-rays available.

If I weren’t retired from detection work this dog would be MINE. We want this dog to go to a working detection or SAR or sport scent home, rather than an agency where he would be a kennel dog and a mere asset. An agency exception could be made if dog would live with handler in their home. Ronan is an extraordinary individual and dearly wants to belong to someone who knows what they are doing! This dog will work his heart out for such a handler/owner.

Potential adoptive homes will be carefully screened. We know this dog has been in at least 2 homes after puppyhood, and has landed in a shelter twice. We don’t want to fail him. For more info and an adoption application contact Miriam Rose, Certified Nose Work Instructor, Northwest Noseworks, Sequim, WA 360-681-8989

Evaluator’s qualifications: 15 yrs. Drug and explosives trainer and handler with 7 K-9 partners (incl. a GSD) over my career. I grew up with GSDs. SAR DOG NEWS October 2018 Page 4

Disaster K-9 Training Scholarships may be applied to registration fees and travel expenses. Scholarship Offered The scholarship is named for K-9 Redden, a disaster certified canine, who was struck by a The 2019 application period for the K-9 Redden vehicle and killed in June 2017. Memorial Disaster Scholarship is now open. Five (5) - $500 scholarships are available to Learn more about the scholarship at Search & Rescue K-9 teams who currently have, or www.calvarycanine.org/scholarship are working towards, a disaster certification or a certification with a disaster component.

KIBBLES & BITS by Susan Bulanda Introducing a New Dog

First, I want to explain that this topic could be a book unto itself. In this article, I will give an overview, highlighting the main points. If anyone has specific questions, you can email me ([email protected]) and, if the answer is not too long I will write to you or, if it is too involved, we can arrange for a phone call.

Most SAR dogs get along well with other dogs since many units require that all their dogs get along. However, some dogs will get along well with other dogs when they are not at home. But at home, well, it’s a different story. This is because home is their territory and, if the SAR dog is even a tiny bit territorial, their instincts take over. Some breeds tend to be more territorial than others.

As a rule, breeds that are bred to run in packs tend to be less territorial and the breeds that are not pack dogs tend to be more territorial. But keep in mind that all breeds of dogs can have various degrees of a territorial attitude.

So, what to do? For any dog, no matter what breed, age or sex, if you plan to get another dog no matter what age, breed or sex, the best way to handle this situation is to take an old piece of cloth and wipe each dog around his tail and rear area and then exchange the cloth, wiping the other dog around the tail and neck area. This will introduce the new scent to each dog so that, when they meet, they are already familiar with the scent. Do this a few times.

Next introduce both dogs on neutral grounds. The next question I often get is what is considered neutral grounds? That can be anything that is far enough away from your home that the dog does not consider it “his” property. Some dogs expand their territory to include the neighborhood.

An example of this is, when I lived in a rural part of Virginia, we had a small development that consisted of about ten houses along our street. My considered this her territory and, if I took her outside with me, she would patrol the neighborhood. All the residents were under her protection as well, especially the children. After everyone got to know Dempsey, they counted on her to watch things.

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On one occasion, Dempsey alerted me that something was amiss by a neighbor’s house. This person was restoring a valuable antique car and was always concerned that someone might steal parts. I immediately called the neighbor and they saw someone leaving their property who did not live in the neighborhood. Fortunately, nothing was stolen.

The point being that you must know how much of the area around your house your dog considers his neighborhood or territory. The safest way to handle this is to drive far enough away to a park or other open area. Have someone else meet you with the dog that you plan to add to your family and let the dogs casually approach each other. Do not force them together; let them set the pace. Note: Do not use a or where other dogs will be nearby.

If possible, do this as many times as you can until the dogs walk together and/or play together on their own. Do not assume, if both dogs immediately start to play together, that it is OK to bring the new dog home. Give it a few sessions. This is critical if you are adding a dog six months of age or older to your family.

Carefully watch both dogs during the introduction. Do not make excuses for less than friendly behavior, which is what people often do. Watch to see if the new dog seems to want to bully the resident dog or vice versa. If this is the case, it will not get better and often leads to aggression as the new dog matures or settles in.

The signs may be subtle which is why people often overlook them even though they notice the behaviors. If the new dog is being adopted and is older than six months, it is important to keep in mind that it takes three to six months for the new dog’s true personality to surface. So any signs of discord between the two dogs during introduction should be a warning not to bring the new dog home.

Even if you do not see any signs of a problem during the introduction sessions, until the reaches puberty, the older dog will tolerate behavior from the puppy that it might not tolerate from an adult dog. Even if the puppy has been spayed or neutered, it will not change the adult dog’s tolerance. The tolerance period lasts until the puppy is between four to six months old which depends on the puppy’s hormonal activity.

Be aware that you will have to manage the younger dog more than the older dog. Be sure to give the older dog a break from the puppy by separating them. Do this every time the older dog seems annoyed or if the younger dog gets too pesty. Give the younger dog enough exercise a few times a day so that the younger dog comes in and flops down to go to sleep.

Once you have evaluated the dogs and the dogs have had a chance to form a friendship, you can bring the new dog home. When at home, be sure to watch the dogs closely for a few weeks. Feed them separately. You can feed them in the same room but not from the same bowl or right next to each other. Watch their interaction around toys and favorite spots.

Also, be aware that some dogs will form an inseparable bond while others may never become close. In this respect dogs are not much different than people. You like and love different people at different levels. Some dogs never like each other and there is little rhyme or reason for this. Keep in mind that dogs completely understand each other and we do not know all the signals and communication that goes on between two dogs.

As I mentioned above, the older dog may seem to get along with a puppy until it reaches puberty. Once that happens, fights can start. Typically, they start as little spats and over time, usually a few months, they escalate to a knock and drag out battle, often drawing blood.

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There are a few main reasons for this. First, the dogs were not introduced properly and only tolerated each other. Second, the puppy has a very assertive personality (remember we often pick the “hard” dog for SAR work) and has not backed down when the older dog corrected the puppy for an infraction. Third, the owners handled the dogs in such a way as to cause jealousy. This is hard to avoid if there are children in the family because the puppy is new, cute and cuddly so the puppy gets more attention. What also makes it difficult is that the puppy needs more attention to start his obedience and housetraining. People usually only have so much time a day to devote to their dogs and the older dog is left out more than before the puppy came along.

Prevention is the best thing the owner can do. Trying to get two dogs to like each other that do not like each other is often harder to correct than it is to rehabilitate a dog who is aggressive to people. This is because we can control the human but we cannot fully control either dog. We cannot stop the visual daggers that the dogs might be sending back and forth.

The hardest thing to do in the case where two dogs will not get along is to re-home the younger or new dog. Some people may want to re-home the resident dog but that is not fair or right. The resident dog did not ask you to bring the younger/new dog into the family. Also, it is more difficult to re-home the resident dog who is older.

The other consideration which is very important with SAR dogs is that hostility between two dogs becomes a learned reaction. This means that an otherwise friendly dog who did not fight before may start to feel defensive around other dogs. Both dogs in this situation can be scarred for the rest of their lives.

No matter what caused the new behavior, if it happens more than three times it becomes a learned reaction. The dog that has either been picked on or felt the need to be the aggressor, has learned to associate the causative circumstances with the behavior. A dog cannot reason that because certain circumstances with an individual warranted a specific behavior, that it does not apply to other similar circumstances with a different dog. An example of how this works would be where a dog has had a bad experience with someone with a certain characteristic, such as a hat or beard or walking stick and then cannot tolerate anyone who has that characteristic.

Because it is easier for things to go wrong than it is to rehabilitate what went wrong, prevention is most critical. Keep in mind that we cannot reason with a dog which is why it is sometimes impossible to cure the problem. Also, dogs never do anything that they think is wrong. They always have a good reason for doing what they do, at least a good reason to a dog.

As a last resort, if the owner plans to keep both dogs, they will have to kept separate. This includes play time and work time. At all costs, you must avoid an incident.

If an owner plans to re-home the younger dog, then the sooner it is done the better it will be for everyone (human and canine) involved. The best time to decide not to bring the new dog home is when the dogs are first introduced if there is evidence that there is going to be a problem.

If the two dogs are only going to be , the owner will have more time to work with the dogs to avoid and prevent problems. But the SAR dog handler must have enough time to do this as well as keep up with unit requirements and SAR dog training. It is a tough decision and has to do with how much time is available to work with the dogs.

In a future article, I will focus on how to specifically manage dog to dog aggression in more detail.

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Shell Casings and Blood By Tom Osterkamp September 2018

The use of shell casings and blood in K-9 scent work was touched on in the NSDA Newsletter of May 2018, Kibbles and Bits. Here are some comments based on the scientific literature and personal experience that may be of interest to readers.

DNA from fired shell casings. It has been generally believed that heat and high temperatures associated with firing cartridges in firearms was sufficient to destroy DNA present on the casings from the act of loading the firearm. However, recent studies have shown that it is possible to recover DNA from fired casings, although the success rate is low (Mawlood 2015). This suggests that dogs, with their sense of smell that typically equals or exceeds that of current instrumentation, may be able to detect scent on fired casings. If this is true, the fired casings could be used as scent articles for trailing and identification of the person that fired the gun. I tested this hypothesis using fired shell casings that were ejected without being touched for scent articles when trailing. It was found that all three dogs could successfully trail using fired casings for scent articles.

Detection of old blood The positive identification of blood and good quality DNA profiles obtained from old and compromised casework samples (Haas et al., 2012) raised the question, “Can cadaver dogs detect old blood? And, if so, for how long?” While discussing this problem with my son who was on the state highway patrol, he volunteered the information that the patrol had a stored vehicle that was involved in a fatality ten (10) years earlier. This vehicle had brown stains on the upholstery that we believed was blood. I worked three (3) cadaver dogs on a vehicle parked at the patrol headquarters and none of the dogs gave an indication of scent. When the dogs worked on the stored vehicle, two (2) of the dogs showed a strong change of behavior and one (1) dog came to a full alert on the brown stains. So it appears that the dogs can detect blood at least a decade old.

Sources: Mawlood et al., Analysis of DNA from fired cartridge casings, International Journal of Biological, Biomolecular, Agricultural, Food and Biotechnological Engineering Vol:9, No:8, 2015, pp. 870-877.

Haas et al., RNA/DNA co-analysis from blood stains—Results of a second collaborative EDNAP exercise, Forensic Science International: Genetics, Volume 6, Issue 1, January 2012, pp. 70-80.

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scope as crews faced rain, fog, wind and temperatures in the 40s vs 80s SAR in the Smokey’s during the day. Besides K-9 teams, ATVs and helicopters The body of an Ohio woman was found in the equipped with FLIR were used to Great Smokey Mountains National Park on scrutinize the heavily wooded, October 2, 2018, a week after she went mountainous area of the park missing while hiking with her daughter which straddles Tennessee and North Carolina. Mitzie Sue "Susan" Clements, 53, of Cleves, Ohio, had been missing Officials closed Clingmans Dome since the afternoon of Road and set up a command post September 25, when she there. Verizon brought in a and her daughter became portable cell tower to help remedy separated during a hike. the poor cellphone service. By The daughter reported Tuesday, more than 100 people Clements missing shortly from 45 agencies had joined the after hiking ahead and search. losing sight of her mother around 5 p.m., according Teams used satellite GPS units to keep track of to park spokeswoman which areas had already been searched. Aerial Julena Campbell. Mother and daughter were drones from the Oak Ridge to meet in the Clingman’s Dome parking lot if National Laboratory (ORNL) they became separated. were also used. ORNL scientists assigned geographic Park officials searched the immediate area that coordinates to each pixel and night without success. The next day, a group used the composite images to better of experienced searchers spent the night on understand the treacherous terrain. the Appalachian Trail attempting to find Clements and to interview any hikers in the Campbell, the park spokeswoman, said officials area. also worked with doctors who shed insight into the types of behavior Clements might exhibit The search continued to grow in size and under various circumstances.

"There's a lot that goes into managing a search, a lot of technology and psychological science as to what people do in these situations," Campbell said.

Search crews found the body of Clements approximately two (2) miles west of the Clingmans Dome parking area and three- quarters of a mile south of the Appalachian Trail, according to a park news release.

Source: CBS news, msn.com Clingman's dome observation tower and trail

SAR DOG NEWS October 2018 Page 9 remains detection or HRD. He wasn’t too far Rescue dog part of search of off when he described the water searches the dogs perform. missing Kotzebue girl He didn’t get into avalanche searches last week. The techniques are like a combination of an area or wilderness search and a water search where the dog roams over an area trying to detect human scent from beneath the snow. The training exercises usually involve hiding somebody beneath the snow surface and working the dog to find where the person is hiding. The dog normally will begin digging where it finds the strongest scent to literally “unearth” the person. A 10-year-old girl went missing in Kotzebue Alaska. According to the television news, more than two dozen Alaska State Troopers and FBI agents were involved in the search efforts along with local law enforcement officers, search divers and local volunteers. Vikki and her dog, Taiya, of Alaska Solstice Search Dogs (ASSD), were also part of that effort. In fact, she and Taiya appeared in a couple of three-second flashes during the video reporting the story on the NBC, KYUU evening news. Stacey does the actual certification of the dogs and handlers to show they have mastered the Stacey, another member of (ASSD), said that search technique being tested. She said three dogs from the group were certified but several different groups can do the certification two of the owner/handlers have jobs and testing but that ASSD usually uses the National couldn’t get the time off to participate in the Search Dog Alliance (NSDA). This group has search. Vikki is retired and was available so members all over the Lower 48 who can do the she went. certification testing. The dog and handler need to be retested every two years to keep The Alaska State Troopers initiate the SAR call- their certification for each search technique out for the dogs and handlers. current.

In an article in the Frontiersman last week, the Vikki and Taiya are certified for all four search author, Howard Delo, briefly mentioned three techniques. Stacey and her dog, Sally, an of the four types of searches the dogs and Australian Shepherd, are currently certified for handlers generally participate in. Stacey told both HRD and area search techniques. Stacey him the correct name for each of the search hopes to have Sally certified for water search types. In that article, the writer had talked work by next summer. The other dogs in the about a trailing exercise. Stacey told him that group are all younger animals and, while some is referred to as an area or wilderness search have one or two certifications, most are still in SAR jargon. What the author called a learning what is expected during training cadaver search is more properly called human exercises. source: frontiersman.com

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Depressed K-9?

Unlike humans, most dogs seem to be in perpetually good moods. They're ecstatic when you arrive home from work, are always ready to play and enjoy keeping you company whether you're cooking dinner or cleaning the garage. When your K-9 seems sad and is no longer interested in the little things that used to make him or her happy (like searching and SAR training), it's only natural to wonder if depression is the cause.

Pet behavioral experts believe that animals probably do suffer from depression when they face upsetting situations. Symptoms of depression often occur after a life-changing event, such as a move to a new home, a family member moving out or the death of a or family member. Often, it takes a little detective work to determine what may have caused your dog's condition.

Your canine may be depressed if you observe one or more of these symptoms: • Decrease in Activity Level. You may notice that your dog seems a little lethargic and uninterested in doing much more than sleeping or resting. • Loss of Appetite. Depressed canines often aren't interested in eating and may begin to lose weight. • Lack of Interest in Playing. Fetch, find the subject or the HR and other games may fail to interest a K-9who's depressed. • Reduced Interaction with People. Depressed dogs just want to be alone. They may stop greeting you at the door or find a hiding place under a bed or table.

It's a good idea to schedule a visit with the veterinarian if your K-9's symptoms continue for longer than two weeks. Because many of the symptoms of depression can also occur if your animal is sick, it's important to rule out illnesses and conditions that can affect behavior. For example, diabetes or kidney failure may cause your dog to feel tired and lose interest in his or her usual activities. Older canines that seem depressed may actually be suffering from arthritis. When standing, walking or running is painful, going for long walks or even staying by your side while you cook dinner may no longer be enjoyable.

If your veterinarian doesn't find any health problems, you can help your dog by: • Spending More Time with Him or Her. Depressed canines may not seek you out, but they'll still benefit from increased time with you and other family members. If your dog seems depressed after your child leaves for college or you change your work schedule, paying a little more attention to your furry friend may help him or her adjust. • Brushing or Grooming Your Pet. Depressed animals may not have the energy to groom themselves. Brushing will help improve your dog's appearance and offer additional opportunities for the two of you to spend more time together.

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Paying Attention to Socialization Needs. Some dogs do better as only canines, while others, like guinea pigs, will become depressed if they don't have companions. • Encouraging Your Dog to Play. Canines, particularly younger animals, may exhibit signs of depression if they're bored. New toys that make noise, light up or contain treats make playtime more enjoyable for dogs tired of the same old squeaky toy. Dogs can easily become bored if they're sent to the backyard for hours on end with no human interaction. Playing games with your dog in the yard or taking him or her for walks or trips to the dog park can improve your pet's mood and help you get a little exercise. • Keeping the Same Routines. A move to a new home or a new job may require that you make a few changes to your routine. Despite the changes to your schedule, it's important to keep your K-9's routine as predictable as possible. • Offering Treats. If your dog has lost interest in his or her usual food, offer treats and foods that may not be a regular part of your canine's diet, such as baked chicken, lamb or salmon. • Considering Medication. Medication isn't usually recommended unless your dog is severely depressed but may be helpful in some cases. Sources: PetMD.com, VetStreet.com

should be cooked well (about 165 degrees). Making your own dog treats When in doubt, consult the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center for a database of Due to allergies, some dogs cannot eat ingredients known to be toxic to animals, or call commercial dog treats. So homemade is the 888-426-4435 if you think your dog may have best option. ingested a poisonous substance.

Here are some don’ts for homemade treats: What ingredients can you include? Many vegetables and fruits are a safe bet. • Avoid using baking molds containing BPA, a contaminant linked to cancer and other health maladies. Some that are recommended include • Don’t use toxic ingredients, including xylitol, onions, garlic, chocolate and broccoli, carrots, raisins. summer squash, zucchini, Brussels • If you’re planning to make homemade peanut butter dog treats, read the label sprouts, pumpkin, carefully as several peanut butters on the cucumber, celery, spinach, kale, market contain xylitol. dandelion greens, • Cook homemade dog treats to an adequate temperature to kill potential apple (and unsweetened apple pathogens, such as Salmonella that may be present in eggs and other ingredients. sauce), peaches, pears, strawberries, blueberries and bananas. If treats are made out of raw meat, they Source: PetMD.com

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Chi Chi — Category: Therapy Location: Phoenix, Arizona Sponsor: Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food Charity Partner: Pet Partners

The 2018 American Humane Hero Dog Awards® gala hosted a bevy of dog lovers and celebrities alike, but the shining stars of the evening were the 2018 Hero Dogs. Each Hero Dog’s story was shared, revealing stories of love, forgiveness, and courage. And following more than a million votes cast by the public, Chi Chi was named this year’s most heroic canine.

Chi Chi is a quadruple amputee who is inspiring people all over the world. She was left for dead in South Korea where she was found in a garbage bag with her legs bound, worn to the bone and already necrotized. The only way to save her life was to amputate portions of all four of her legs. When she first arrived at our home, she was afraid of people but, with time and lots of love and grace, she realized that she was safe and no one would ever hurt her again. She forgave and decided to trust people again. She quickly adapted to her first set of custom prosthetics and now loves spending her days as a certified sharing her joy and cheerful demeanor with people of all ages. Recently, she had surgery to remove cancer tumors so she is also a cancer survivor.

When people meet Chi Chi, they are inspired by her courage, perseverance, ability to overcome adversity and her never give up attitude. She exemplifies resilience and forgiveness and openly shares her love and compassion in abundance. Her sweet-tempered and gentle spirit opens people’s hearts and her perceptive spirit senses where her love is needed. When people hear Chi Chi’s story and experience her attitude of joy, they are often inspired to face their challenges with renewed courage and a fresh perspective. Chi Chi brings joy everywhere she goes and her optimism and smile spreads quickly to others. She positively impacts thousands of people all over the world via her online Therapy work through her social media account.

The eighth annual Hero Dog Awards, sponsored by the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation and Zoetis Petcare, will be broadcast on Hallmark Channel October 24 at 8pm ET/PT, 7pm Central. Source: American Humane Press Release. SAR DOG NEWS October 2018 Page 13

A man of many trades and passions: Crooks enjoys sharing his love of the outdoors with others By BETHANY ROLFSON

Editor’s Note: This article was printed in The Western News on November 08, 2016 at 7:36 am. However all the information in it about Terry holds true. Terry has served NSDA since its inception in 2007. He has been a member of as well as Vice-President on several Boards. He serves as a Principal Evaluator in Area Search, Area Search w/Large Source, Avalanche, Gun Source Residue, Land HRD, Trailing along with Water HRD and teaches the Evaluator Workshops for Area and Avalanche.

As a local to Libby for over 40 years, Terry Crooks has always found Libby, and its people, to be his “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”

Crooks is known as the man who, 20 years ago this year, shot the largest nontypical bull elk ever killed with a bow in the world, and the second largest taken with a recurve bow. A nontypical bull elk refers to horns that are not symmetrical.

But Crooks is a lot more than an avid hunter, he is also a minister at Libby Christian Church, a college-course instructor, a member of the David Thompson Search and Rescue for over 35 years, former president of the Western Montana Search Dogs and vice president of the National Search Dog Alliance.

During his involvement with search and rescue, former Lincoln County Sheriff Daryl Anderson got him interested in search dogs. Although being so heavily involved with search dogs wasn’t his initial intention, he’s made it a big part of his life.

Crooks became involved in the Western Montana Search (NSDA photo) Dogs and eventually the National Search Dog Alliance (NSDA), a not-for-profit, 501(c) (3), that serves communities through the certification and education of search and rescue and law enforcement canine teams and their support personnel.

Under NSDA, Crooks, along with a search dog, has responded to some infamous natural disasters, including a mudslide in Oso, Wash., and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In short, Crooks said helping with Katrina was difficult, but he’s grateful he was able to work with the other volunteers and help out. “It was sad,” Crooks said. “We were dealing with a lot of people with a lot of loss.”

As a minister, Crooks has worked extensively with teens at youth events, teen camps in Yellowstone and leadership canoe trips on the Missouri River.

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In his spare time, Crooks teaches a “Dog Obedience” class at Flathead Valley Community College, a seven-week course on dog training and behavior, working with dog owners to instruct them on how to properly train, take care of, and live in a house with a dog. “Dogs are an important part of people’s lives,” Crooks said. “As a pastor sometimes, I tell people that I probably save more marriages teaching dog obedience than I do sharing marriage counseling with them.”

Crooks is right at home in Western Montana and has been since he and his family moved to Butte from the Texas Panhandle when he was a teenager. At the time, Butte was a different atmosphere, “the Wild West” as Crooks put it. “It felt like I died and went to heaven,” he said.

After spending some years in Butte, the family moved to Libby where Crooks graduated high school, and his father worked as a minister at Libby Christian Church. Crooks graduated from York College in Nebraska and returned to Libby.

When his father passed away, he followed in his footsteps and became a minister of the church. As an avid outdoorsman and hunter, Crooks enjoys taking the youth in his church out for hikes and hunting trips. Crooks wants to pass on his love of the outdoors to the youth and the fond memories he has of hunting since he was a teenager.

One of his friends he’s been hunting with since they were teenagers was Adrian Mathis, the man who, on Oct. 17, 1996, was with Crooks when he shot the record-breaking elk. However, Crooks wasn’t looking to take down a bull that day. In fact, Crooks was looking to get Mathis in position to kill the elk but, when everything came together with the weather, Crooks had to take the shot at the giant bull only 15 yards away from him.

Even though Crooks felt bad after taking down the elk, Crooks said Mathis was completely understanding. “He wasn’t into it for himself. It wasn’t about me — we were just friends hunting together,” Crooks said. “ Crooks said he doesn’t consider himself a better hunter than anyone, but just a man who had the perfect shot, during the perfect moment. As he looks back on that day, Crooks said the experience is one of the blessings to be a part of in Libby, the community he cherishes.

“People are always looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” Crooks said. “I think for a lot of people [Libby] is it. I always wanted to live in Alaska or someplace far away, and after I spent some time in Libby I realized, this is the place.”

The bull Crooks shot 20 years ago still holds the record and sits in The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in Missoula on display for the public to see. And that’s just where Crooks wants it to be.

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Irish Search Dogs now use placenta to help sniffer dogs track down missing people as it closely replicates human tissue decomposition

Irish dog handlers are using placenta to help train search to track down missing people. The organ, which forms on the wall of the uterus during pregnancy, closely replicates human tissue decomposition, and can be used to search for bodies at varying stages of decay.

A mother of two who donated her placenta to help train search dogs is now urging others to do the same. Melissa O’Shea, 34, who lives in Greystones with her son Sam, 6 and daughter Summer, 3, said she was happy to give the gift to Irish Search Dogs.

She said: “It’s great to know something that costs nothing to donate can potentially train dogs to save lives.”

Discussing the training methods for their dogs, Irish Search Dogs (ISD) Coordinator Joanne Horgan told the Irish Sun: “We have received three donations this year so far, which has been great. “It means each dog and handler team can train on the various stages of decomposition and we can share out the placenta to numerous dog and handler teams for training.”

“Our dogs qualify to find both live, and deceased persons, which means they need to train on both live ‘dogs bodies’ – volunteers who hide or articles of clothing – and ‘cadaver’, which is where placenta comes in extremely useful. “We use placenta when we can get it, as it most closely replicates human tissue decomposition. We also occasionally use dead piglet as it also is close (though not as close as placenta), to decomposing human tissue.”

The placenta forms on the wall of the uterus during pregnancy and acts as transport system bring food to the fetus and taking waste away. The organ is rich in variety of nutrients and hormones and many perceive there to be health benefits associated with consuming afterbirth, such as improved mood and energy.

Irish Search Dogs are on hand to offer year-round assistance to agencies dealing with missing person searches. The charity’s skills have been called into action in a number of cases throughout the years. In March 2011, a four-dog team assisted with the search for Deirdre McCarthy, 43, who went missing in County Clare. She had been last seen after returning to her home in Ballyvaughan after a night out. Her body was later found on Fanore Beach near Ballyvaughan.

The team was also brought in to help locate missing Joe Walsh. The OAP, 91, had gone missing from his Clonmel home in June 2003 five days prior. It took the two air scenting teams less than an hour to locate Joe, who was found in relatively good health in a corn field.

Visit ISD on their website at www.irishsearchdogs.com, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Source: thesun.ie/news

SAR DOG NEWS October 2018 Page 16

NSDA currently has 21 team memberships with a total of 271 members on these teams.

A new Urban Trailing discipline was presented for review.

Everyone was reminded to start their budget process as the 2019 budget must be in place by January 1 of that year.

Synopsis October 4, 2018 Annual Meeting

NSDA’s Annual Meeting was held by Board of Directors— conference call on Thursday, October 4, 2018. Five Board members were present and OFFICERS constituted a quorum. Three Program Norma Snelling, President & CEO, WA Managers and two members attended also. [email protected] Sue Wolff, Executive VP & Corp. Secretary, TN The Marketing Program is working on a [email protected] brochure describing NSDA’s certifications. Heather Proper-Van Valkenberg, CFO, PA [email protected] The Communications Program is in the process of creating a video Public Service Announce- DIRECTORS ment. Roy Pescador, Canada [email protected] The Education Program Manager is putting the Sherry Scruggs, Georgia finishing touches on the voice-over for the K-9 [email protected] First Aid power point to be posted on www.n- Anne Shehab, Delaware sda.org. [email protected]

A How to be an Evaluator program is in the Founding Members— development process. K-9 Thor, Eileen M. Nobles, Susan Bulanda, K-9 Roo, Leslie Godchaux, Brian R. Hendrickson, The question of who pays for what in regional Continental Kennel Club, Inc., K-9 River, K-9 testing was brought up. NSDA covers all costs. Persha; Jan Thompson, K-9 Cali, Peggy Ann Teams are not paying anything, only providing Buchman; K-9 Geist the manual labor.

SAR DOG NEWS October 2018 Page 17

Book Review by Susan Bulanda

K9 Teams: Beyond the Basics of Search and Rescue and Recovery By Vi Hummel Shaffer, ISBN:978-1-55059-762-2, Brush Education, 386 pgs. $44.95

This book was years in the making. Ms. Shaffer has compiled notes, interviews and her personal experiences spanning over 26 years. Ms. Shaffer is a SAR/R dog trainer and handler specializing in forensic human remains detection. Her resume is too extensive to list here; trust me she has tons of experience.

The material in her book is well documented with notes, bibliography and additional sources. She also includes a list of suggested reading.

There are six major sections with multiple chapters in each section. All in all there are 38 sections.

The major headings are: • The Making of a TEAM: Building a Strong Foundation • Canine Abilities and Scent Detection • Instructors, Training and Certifications • Cadaver and Human Remains Detection • Disasters and Disaster Teams • Additional Issues

Ms. Shaffer has been part of a number of high-profile cases such as the Madalyn Murray O’Hair murder and the Pentagon bombing.

K9 Teams: Beyond the Basics of Search and Rescue and Recovery is a must have for anyone who is interested in K-9 SAR and forensic detective work using dogs.

SAR DOG NEWS October 2018 Page 18

The things we don't think about. What I want to emphasize today is the effect From Patricia McConnell. of the soundscape on the dogs in our own homes. How noisy/quiet is it in your house? "How much, and what kind of noises are your How much quiet time do your dogs get? Do dogs subjected to? I say “subjected,” because you know what (not if) electronics in your so much of the soundscape surrounding our house emit high pitched whines? (Standard dogs is negative. Between high pitched whines advice here is to unplug as many electronics as from electronics (some of which we can’t hear you can when not in use.) Our houses are ourselves), loud televisions or music, traffic noisier than we think, which is why long walks noises (city), chain saws and tractors in quiet places may be extra good for our dogs. (country), groups of people laughing at parties, dish washers churning, there is a lot of noise As a person who has been known to walk into out there." a restaurant and immediately turn to leave after being hit with a wall of noise, I admit to "Noisy soundscapes being hyper sensitive to this issue. Noise have a cost–to us for depletes me; even beautiful music after a while sure, but also to our can tire me out. And I am very lucky. We live dogs. Here’s a summary in the country and it’s pretty darn quiet out from an article by here. It is NOT silent…there are traffic noises Basner et. al., 2014 and tractor rumbles and chain saws growls but, about the effects of compared to most places, it is blissfully quiet. noise exposure on No children running around the house, no one human health." practicing drums and very little traffic down our country road. But that doesn’t mean it “Observational and experimental studies have isn’t a good idea to think about what kind of shown that noise exposure leads to annoyance, noise my dogs are subjected to. disturbs sleep and causes daytime sleepiness, affects patient outcomes and staff performance Of course, many noises are good, like “Wanna in hospitals, increases the occurrence of treat?”, “Wanna go on a walk?” or “Would you hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and like another martini with your scallops?” It’s impairs cognitive performance in up to us to be thoughtful about which ones our schoolchildren.” dogs hear. (It’s probably best to skip the martini question.) After all, we all know how I was reminded of this issue thanks to a important sound is in so many ways. I wrote reader, Vic N, a dedicated owner an entire chapter on sound and language in and kick-ass amateur photographer who has The Other End of the Leash. Alexandra graciously provided me with some great Horowitz, in Inside of a Dog, talks about the pictures and videos through the years. senses of dogs and does a fantastic job reminding us that dogs and people share a lot Vic sent me a link to an article by a but we still live in different worlds. veterinarian about the value of letting patients and staff in hospitals have a pause, including What about you and your dogs? Are your dogs giving them some quiet time. Mostly after sound sensitive? Do you think about the reading it I wanted to stand up and cheer, noises your dogs hear that you can’t? having been in some hospital settings whose noise and energy exhausted me, and seemed to be the antithesis of a healing environment.

SAR DOG NEWS October 2018 Page 19

Now that you’ve made your selection for a

THE LAST HOWL command, it’s time to implement it. By Sue Wolff

Opinions expressed in this column are When you’re walking your dog and they those of the author and not urinate, tell them, “Good [command]! several necessarily those of the National Search Dog times. Do this each time they urinate. Then Alliance. every other time and so on until you think they’ve got it.

In a search situation, a female German If the first time you use it they don’t respond, shepherd dog urinated in her crate while being don’t quit. Revert back to saying it when they flown to the search site in a military transport. urinate, just like you would do with other She was frightened by a sudden drop in the commands that they don’t get right away. aircraft when it hit an air pocket. You can use the same command for defecation Under the circumstances that’s excusable. or add a word; for example, “take a big break.” However it’s not if it occurs in cabin on a flight, Use the same technique as above for training. on the carpet in the police station, on the floorboards of a vehicle, etc. Be sure to clean up after your dog as well especially since you’ll probably be giving these So how do you avoid commands in very public places and/or at this besides giving crowded search bases. Not only is it the polite your dog nothing to and sanitary thing to do but you don’t want drink ever when on a anybody stepping in dog excretion. search or travelling to one? Teach them to urinate and defecate on command!

It’ easy to do, just a matter of repetitive training like any other obedience command.

Start by selecting what command you want to give. Empty, void, take a break are all commends that I have heard. Check people with whom you train as to what command they Teaching your dog to urinate and defecate on use. command may seem silly and like an exercise

in futility but, the first time you find yourself in I once heard a handler say, “Go potty” to their a position where the situation demands that K-9. While this might be appropriate for a the dog go now, you’ll be glad that you trained toddler, it is not for a ! for it.

SAR DOG NEWS October 2018 Page 20 FREEBIE!

List your tests, training seminars, and conferences in the SAR Dog News at no cost to you REACH OVER 1,400 SAR K-9 HANDLERS Contact Norma Snelling at: [email protected]

TESTS 2018 Topic Location Contact

October

Snohomish, Suzanne [email protected] 13-14 Land HRD WA Elshult November

Sharon 18 Land HRD (closed) Kelso, WA [email protected] Ward Late Nov- Camp Land HRD Jan Meyer [email protected] Early Dec Atterbury, IN

TRAINING SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES 2018 Topic Location Contact October

NSI K9 All Breed Seminar (urban and Maryln http://www.nsk9ta.com/seminar.html 17-21 wilderness trailing, Edinburgh, IN Adams [email protected] water and land HRD) Variable surface Cincinnati, 20-21 Jody Franklin [email protected] tracking seminar OH K9 human remains San Marcos, Ben 26-28 [email protected] detection TX Alexander November AMPWDA WV state Harpers 1-3 Tony Keith www.ampwda.com workshop Ferry, WV IDHS SAR 1-4 Edinburgh, IN Jan Meyer [email protected] Conference AMPWDA free 10 Cloverdale, IN Tony Keith [email protected] training HRD Specialty Wildersville, 7-11 Coordinator www.facebook.com/events/292396347934283/ Training TN Tracking seminar Sarasota Co., http://k-9sar.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018- 8-11 Jeff Schettler for LE and SAR FL Tracking-Seminar-Registration-Form-Final.pdf

SAR DOG NEWS October 2018 Page 21

Advanced urban K9 Tallahassee, https://scentevidencek9.com/advanced-urban-k9- 12-14 Paul Coley trailing FL trailing/

K9 cadaver and Windsor Matthew 17-18 [email protected] trailing workshop Locks, CT Zarella December AMPWDA free Indianapolis, 8 Tony Keith [email protected] training IN

2019 Topic Location Contact January CNCA/NACSW K9 Cathedral 31-Feb 1 scent and detection Coordinator www.cnca.com/nacsw-conference City, CA conference April NASDN Spring Milford Lake, 10-14 Donna Casey www.nasdn.com Seminar KS