Local dog being trained for search-and-rescue
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by Tom Chillemi
Maryanne Gibson of Jamaica and her 14-month-old Belgium Malinois, “Diva,” have been selected by K-9 Alert Inc. to be trained to “search and rescue” (SAR).
Gibson and Diva started training in May and Gibson became a handling-in-training member of K-9 Alert in September. Training takes 18 months to 2 years to complete and the handler and dog must be re-certified every 2 years.
At 8 weeks old, Diva exhibited an independent nature—an indication of her willingness to work, explained Gibson. Malinois are “thinking” dogs that want to work, she added. They are prized by law enforcement for their intelligence and keen senses.
In wilderness settings, SAR dogs work off the leash to find missing persons. This allows them to cover more area, said Gibson. “It’s the most efficient way to find a person who is lost.”
Once the lost person is located, the SAR dog will return to its handler and lead him or her to the missing person.
SAR dogs use air scents to find lost people. Gibson said she is learning how weather and wind can affect scents. There also will be agility and obedience training.
The final exam will include locating a person in 160 acres during the day, and finding a person in 40 acres at night.
When fully trained, Gibson and Diva will work with law enforcement and rescue agencies to find children who walked away from their parents, and alzheimer patients. They will work with a team of other handlers and SAR dogs.
