How does one get involved in...

Therapy dogs?

Search and Rescue?

Find a group in your area that does therapy work.  There are several national groups like Delta Society, Therapy Dogs International, and Therapy Dogs Inc which may have local chapters.  They all have websites that tell you about their local chapters, the requirements and also who to contact for certification.  All the tests are similar for each group.  I would also contact dog trainers in the area as there are also local therapy dog groups that may be a better fit for you.  Then think about the type of therapy work you would like to do with your dog.  Kids, elderly, etc.  Each group has their own focus so deciding what you want to do will help guide you to the right group. I would then call and talk to them.  Interview them because the fit for you and your dog is important.  You want to be with a group that is right for you and your dog. 

While you are doing all this you can be working with your dog.  Socialization and getting your dog comfortable around wheelchairs, crutches, etc is important.  Teaching your dog to handle unusual situations is also important.  Also train your dog in obedience (heeling, sit, down, stay).  You will be tested on all those things.  You will also need to train your dog to do all this with a buckle collar.  The therapy groups do not allow chains, slips, or prong collars.  Not because they think there is something wrong with them, but because a patients hand can get easily caught in them.

Finally, the bond and trust you have with your dog because of the dog training will go along way when you become a therapy team.  Your dog will trust you and when you encounter something odd, your dog will be ok because he is working with his trusted partner.

One of the things you may encounter (I did) is some groups will think that GSPs (sporting dogs outside of labs and goldens) will not make good therapy dogs.  Don't let that get you down.  Those people are wrong and you and your pup just need to show them or find a group that doesn't feel that way.

Also, you may find that folks think therapy dogs need to be older.  That also is not necessarily true.  My therapy dog, Belle, is 5 years old and the youngest in the group that I work with.  They were a little unsure that Belle would work, but gave us a chance.  You see Belle is very athletic and young.  They were a bit skeptical that she would be calm enough.  She was fine.  In fact they told me she settled into the situation faster than most dogs. I believe that Belle could have done therapy work at 3 years of age, but I was not able to make the commitment at that time.  So, we had to wait until I could commit.

Good luck.  Therapy work is a great way to spend time with your dog and it is so very rewarding.

As for search and rescue, I would ask a dog trainer or call your local fire or police department and ask them about who in your area does training.

Don't know much about this organization, but found it on the web.  It might be a place to start for Search and Rescue.

www.sardogsus.org/index.html

There were others as well.  I just googled Search and Rescue.

Good Luck!  I think GSPs would be excellent Search and Rescue dogs.  They have great noses and the drive.

Like Bev said, you will hear some people say, this breed or that breed don't make good Therapy Dogs for this reason or that reason. My late American Bulldog was certified - not typically the breed you see...

Usually, the dogs must be at least 1 year old to be evaluated, and honestly, I would add another year to that at least (sometimes they need to be re-evaluated anyway) as temperaments still change during that time. Before you test though, socialize, socialize, socialize...take the dog everywhere, and get creative sometimes. Elevators, slick floors, crowds, noises of all kinds, surfaces of all kinds, crutches, wheelchairs, etc etc.

Milka was certified w/TDI. www.tdi-dog.org/ You may want to go to the website and read up on it, and download the test, which is pretty much the AKC Canine Good Citizenship test with some added items. The dog does not have to perfectly execute the tasks - it's not an obedience trial. What they were mainly looking for during our evaluation was owner-dog bond/relationship, if the owner cares well for the dog and if the dog trusts and minds the owner and enjoys this type of work. The website lists upcoming tests, if there is one in your area, you can stop by and watch or talk to the folks, they are usually most helpful.

Our evaluation was held adjacent to a dog park, one pen of which contained a few really nutty dogs...the boxer kept charging the fence and barking at us. I thought that was odd - it's not the type of environment the dog will be working in. Thankfully, Milka totally ignored that dog. She was almost making a point of ignoring him by sitting with her back turned. She was wonderful.

TDI is a good place to start. Delta is a little stricter as their certified dogs are allowed to be more involved in therapy, whereas the TDI dogs can "only" visit. I would start with that, then move on to Delta if the dog - and you - enjoy this type of work.

Em,

I did a quick Google and while this forum seems either new or very quiet, it might be a starting point and is located in NC.

NCCERT

and here is the

North Carolina Google Search 

Let me know if you have no luck with these and I'll check with a friend of mine in Philippi that trains and heads up our regional SAR and see what help she may be able to provide.

I can tell you there are several levels of Classification/Certification that are awarded by qualifying in Training and Testing, very similar but not quite the same, as AKC Tracking Titles. You might look at the AKC Requirements to get a feel for the work cut out for you. It is absolutely awesome to watch the higher Certified dogs work on Drug and Bomb Detection and SAR. I've worked with Kathy a few times and gotten to play "lost", leave tracks, hide explosives and drugs and they are amazing to watch as they sort it out. One particular track I put down for the dog to find me was probably close to 2 miles and I very purposely walked about 100 yards of drainage grating around a school and the dog had me nailed and didn't even hesitate at the grating where I thought scenting would be extremely difficult. Even followed my figure 8's and loopy loo's. Quite impressive to say the least.

1 more thing, "Ball Drive" has to be through the roof for a Detection/SAR dog, as their ball becomes the reward. Most dogs used for this work are quite often groomed into it from birth.

Hope this helps!