Went to Camp Ripley, MN from Sept 26 -Oct 1st for North American Police and Working Dog Association (NAPWDA) training and testing.
Emmett passed his Utility Area search. He had the subject pegged before we vested him up. Vested him up and prolly 1.5minn later we were done. Next time we will for the SAR Search.
Eve passed her tracking certification on Wed and had a hell trailing test on Thursday 1.5 miles....it was a nightmare!! 20MPH winds and gusting way more and dry as heck which made for some of the worst conditions to trail in!! The trail was all over Camp Ripley. By roads in-between buildings, parallel to the wind, against the wind, with the wind...it was hell. Eve stuck with it and worked it out!!! Proud of her!!!!! SOOO PROUD of her!!!!
NAPWDA is a quality organization and I'm proud to have 3 certs from them for my two guys!!!
Now it's time to get Eve an HRD certification and keep Emmett consistent and growing in his young SAR career.
There was a professional photographer there and I'll get some pics up when I get them.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Another call out. Both K9's deployed
Got a call out @ 4:20 this morning. Got the pups ready and hit the scene at about 4:45am. Bad car wreck and we were called in to track the driver that fled the scene.
Started Eve and she worked North next to a building and over to a city park/large community garden. She worked north and I felt confident that she had a nice track. I stopped her (as my other K9 partner had already started tracking her dog down that same line 5min earlier) as I wanted to make sure that was the only trail out of the scene. Started her off the seat (which no one had been in besides the driver) and cast her around the scene trying to pick up some other trail...but had no luck. Cast Eve toward the direction that she had gone earlier...and she hooked back up taking almost the same route....so we continued on that path weaving through the trees and shrubs in the gardens. It was pitch black and very hard to navigate. Worked a trail through the gardens and out on to a side street where the trail went cold. Worked her back into the garden and met up w/ the other K9 and handler. We scented where she had ended to see if we could work the trail more.
Later we brought Emmett to clear the garden area and he found nothing.
All in all a very hectic and frustrating day. Mad that we didn't get the subject but we are thinking he was picked up by friends and transported out of town. Will find out when he is caught and brought to justice!
Started Eve and she worked North next to a building and over to a city park/large community garden. She worked north and I felt confident that she had a nice track. I stopped her (as my other K9 partner had already started tracking her dog down that same line 5min earlier) as I wanted to make sure that was the only trail out of the scene. Started her off the seat (which no one had been in besides the driver) and cast her around the scene trying to pick up some other trail...but had no luck. Cast Eve toward the direction that she had gone earlier...and she hooked back up taking almost the same route....so we continued on that path weaving through the trees and shrubs in the gardens. It was pitch black and very hard to navigate. Worked a trail through the gardens and out on to a side street where the trail went cold. Worked her back into the garden and met up w/ the other K9 and handler. We scented where she had ended to see if we could work the trail more.
Later we brought Emmett to clear the garden area and he found nothing.
All in all a very hectic and frustrating day. Mad that we didn't get the subject but we are thinking he was picked up by friends and transported out of town. Will find out when he is caught and brought to justice!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
SAR certifications passed! (May 7th, 2011)
Had an exhausting last 2 weekends doing SAR Certifications. Last week I was the one under the gun when I good the NASAR SAR Tech II test. Thankfully I passed. Then this weekend the dogs and I were tested through NASDN.
Thank God they both passed!!! Eve recertified in tracking/trailing and Emmett received his first ever SAR cert passing Air Scent Area Search certification! Emmett's test was a breeze even though he hasn't worked much in the last 9 months due to the ACL repair. He is a good boy and knows the game and loves it! He cleared the 6 acre area and led me to the victim in 7min!!!! That was even after dad was a doh head and didn't follow his dog when he noticed the 1st head pop.
Eve's trail was a real bugger and she didn't give dad any help in the beginning. She was so lackadaisical and didn't even act like she wanted to trail. Dad kept his cool and didn't freak out. He cast her and worked her to get her going. Once she was about 50ft into it she was dead on and looked like a normal working Eve that I know. Got to the bottom of a hill in a valley where about 4 different hills and valleys met. The air down there was crazy. It had gotten warm and the wind switched 4+ times while we were down there. Took us about 5-10min to work that area and clear the scent pool. Dad about melted down and freaked out!!!!! I kept my cool and was glad that she gave me plenty of negatives so I knew where to eliminate and keep working towards the victim. We were about 30-50yrds away the whole time. I thought she gave me a negative the way the trail was but I must have miss read her because she went that way 3 times before the dope on the end of the rope followed her and about 30yrs up a trail on a hill I saw our victim laying on a pallet in the woods. My heart sank as I knew we had recertified!!! That was about 5-10min of the most stress I have had in a lot time. The evaluators and about 4-5 of my peers were staring as I about melted down and almost missed certifying. After the trail we talked about what had happened and the evaluators talked about how the wind shifted 4+times while there were standing there and why it would have been harder then it should have been. I have never worked a valley like that before. Granted I wasn't perfect and missed some signs she gave me we kept it together and thank God she didn't shut down on me and we figured it out!!!! I never want to go through that again but am glad I did so that I can just keep thinking and reading her through it!!
Thank God they both passed!!! Eve recertified in tracking/trailing and Emmett received his first ever SAR cert passing Air Scent Area Search certification! Emmett's test was a breeze even though he hasn't worked much in the last 9 months due to the ACL repair. He is a good boy and knows the game and loves it! He cleared the 6 acre area and led me to the victim in 7min!!!! That was even after dad was a doh head and didn't follow his dog when he noticed the 1st head pop.
Eve's trail was a real bugger and she didn't give dad any help in the beginning. She was so lackadaisical and didn't even act like she wanted to trail. Dad kept his cool and didn't freak out. He cast her and worked her to get her going. Once she was about 50ft into it she was dead on and looked like a normal working Eve that I know. Got to the bottom of a hill in a valley where about 4 different hills and valleys met. The air down there was crazy. It had gotten warm and the wind switched 4+ times while we were down there. Took us about 5-10min to work that area and clear the scent pool. Dad about melted down and freaked out!!!!! I kept my cool and was glad that she gave me plenty of negatives so I knew where to eliminate and keep working towards the victim. We were about 30-50yrds away the whole time. I thought she gave me a negative the way the trail was but I must have miss read her because she went that way 3 times before the dope on the end of the rope followed her and about 30yrs up a trail on a hill I saw our victim laying on a pallet in the woods. My heart sank as I knew we had recertified!!! That was about 5-10min of the most stress I have had in a lot time. The evaluators and about 4-5 of my peers were staring as I about melted down and almost missed certifying. After the trail we talked about what had happened and the evaluators talked about how the wind shifted 4+times while there were standing there and why it would have been harder then it should have been. I have never worked a valley like that before. Granted I wasn't perfect and missed some signs she gave me we kept it together and thank God she didn't shut down on me and we figured it out!!!! I never want to go through that again but am glad I did so that I can just keep thinking and reading her through it!!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Long overdue update
So the last post has been since January...well I've been VERY busy. Almost every weekend is full of training the dogs and life is always busy. Have some great news though. I passed my NASAR SAR Tech II test!!!! We studied for 4wks or so hard and heavy and I just took it this last weekend and passed!!!!! I'm excited to have this step in my SAR career out of the way.
Now I'm getting nervous as Eve re-certifies thus coming weekend (May 7th) and Emmett will try for his first certification that day also. Dad is getting the pretest nerves. I know my pups can do it...just hope dad doesn't get in their way or mess them up.
For now not trying to let the nerves get the best of me
Eric
Now I'm getting nervous as Eve re-certifies thus coming weekend (May 7th) and Emmett will try for his first certification that day also. Dad is getting the pretest nerves. I know my pups can do it...just hope dad doesn't get in their way or mess them up.
For now not trying to let the nerves get the best of me
Eric
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Warm January play
A short video for you all. It was like 33-35 degrees here yesterday which was like shorts and t-shirt weather after this -23 crap we've had. Got her out to play and took a video w/ my itouch
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Yep I'm a terrible parent. Forgotten Birthday!
Well Eve turned 4 a week ago yesterday....I forgot about it till Friday of last week. What a terrible parent I am. Who's taking Eve cause obviously I'm not fit to keep her
I look forward to the years we have together. She has been such a great pup these first 4 yrs.
:) J/k But I did feel bad that I forgot :( What a jerk I am
Lunchbucket
I look forward to the years we have together. She has been such a great pup these first 4 yrs.
:) J/k But I did feel bad that I forgot :( What a jerk I am
Lunchbucket
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)