“Don’t run around, stay found”

Hi ! My name is Simon. I am a member of the San DiegoCounty Sheriff’s Search and Rescue K-9 Unit. My dream isto be a real search and rescue ( SAR ) dog like all mybuddies. Sometimes I don’t listen very well and I forgetthings. Maybe you can help me.

First, let me tell you about all my SAR dog buddies. Theytrain all the time with their handlers. Most started theirtraining when they were just 8 weeks old!

SAR dogs have to stay in good shape to climb,run and jump. They have to learn how to use theirnoses to find lost people.Sometimes my dog buddiesride in helicopters or godown ropes – that’s calledrappelling- with theirhandlers . WOW. It’s a lotof work to be a SAR dogbut I know the handlers love their K-9 partners.

BREEDSWhat breeds can be SAR dogs? I’m a Bloodhound which Iknow is a good search and rescue breed. Dogs with traitsfor sporting, working, and herding are the best picks forthis line of work. But mixed breeds can be a good search dogstoo. Our team has lots of spirit and heart to do this job.They have to be calm in all kinds of situations.

We have Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds,

Australian Shepherds, Border Collies, Golden Retrievers, Mixed Breeds, Labradoodles (that’s a Labrador and Poodle Mix ) and Beagles in our unit.

SKILLSLet me tell you all about the skills it takes to be a searchand rescue dog. Of course the best skill is the keen sense ofsmell we dogs have. That’s how we find a lost person.

Some of our team are trainedas air scent or area search dogs.These dogs smell the air for anyhuman scent. Our noses can be upto 10,000 times better thanhumans. Cool, huh? It’s good to bea dog!! Area dogs work best inlarge places where there are no

other people around. That way they can sniff the missingperson using the wind.

We also have trailing dogs. That’s what I want to be! Theyneed to smell something that belongs to our lost person likesocks, a hat or a shoe. When these dogs are given thatscent, they look for just that smell and sniff the ground tofollow the lost person.

Help me find my snacks.Start here.

Simon's Word SearchC W D M X C S Y D C R Y Z N LV A H P X N R D O E N S I H FA F M I A D F D G D I J S S DG P V C S A K U S T E G K J EX L K H H T Z B L X W F Y D JO S Y N K X L K Q T I E R X ET P L Y S E H E U H O L V W VU L H D J S A T N J N P B W YS I Y W X S J G I E W C E U YR T B L O O D H O U N D A M VI E A E U C S E R T Q V G T VJ D T Y N Q Z M N G I N L E IU D M A G Q Y E P V P I E U KO N Z R W O C J H N A G S C CN J F I J S L I K S M E L L Z

Circle these words above.

My favorite safety tip.

My favorite safety tip.Answer sheet