New to the forum so a big hello to all you proud GSP folks!

I spent sometime over the weekend browsing the archives and found a few answers, but I thought I would post and ask for some feedback.

I am in the slow process of  entering disaster search and rescue as the handler on a dog search team.  I have an extensive background in search and rescue and will be returning to volunteering here shortly.  Over the next year, I will be in a position to obtain and train (with a lot of help) a very special dog for search and rescue work --particularly disaster search (downed buildings and the like).

I have experience with labs, retrievers, border collies, and terriers, but I have always admired the agility and apparent smarts of a GSP.  THey seem both tough, smart and of appropriately gentle tempermant for the work.

My question to all of you is what feedback can you give me on the suitablity of GSPs for this line of work?  Considerations and concerns?  Anybody have first hand experience with either raising, training, or working a GSP for this purpose?

My present GSP Rocky has been very sucessful in finding holding at point lost Dogs that have strayed away from their owners. In all cases we have been able to get the lost dogs back to their owners. With out my GSP, no way could we have catched the lost dogs. Also GSP's have a great nose on them. My GSP in a test picked out the one person is a group of 30 who had a treat in his pocket.  My other GSP was able to scent and track humans even over water. Very smart and train easy. Their coats are thiner than labs and have some bare spots on their belly so it is important to have protective jackets on them to protect from getting scatched or cut,  In hunting terrains they go on deep brush and thick terraine to retreive birds, so I think a GSP could be trained to search and rescue. Very high energy athletic breed. A study done with Labs and GSP's pheasant hunting. The same field and and same time during a hunt the Lab did 1 mile of running and the GSP did 2.5 miles. Good luck with your training for search and rescue

I do search & rescue too, but on horseback, 4-wheelers etc., mostly for lost people & some evidence searches in homicides. I have always thought that a GSP would be wonderful at searching & would love to get one to train for that ,but we are in the middle of some big life changes soon so I will have to wait [ hubby retiring ] keep us updated! I would very much like to know how it goes. Maybe we can start a GSP search & rescue team!

Welcome aboard Bluejack!

I'm not involved with Search and Rescue in a direct fashion, but have had dogs evaluated for SAR's work through the "local" TRASAR Team in Philippi, WV by their Trainer from Chiodo Kennels.

http://www.trasar.org

http://www.chiodokennels.com/
GSP's are quite suitable for the job, but the biggest key is that they MUST have an "off the chart" retrieve drive and be very bold, confident and intelligent. In my case, they wanted to buy my Stud dog Percy, but I was not looking to sell him. He's my Grouse hunting buddy!
There are some things that can be done to weigh the odds in favor of a newborn pup to succeed in this line of work, particularly "Bio-sensor" handling, otherwise known as "environmental conditioning". Read the below link:
http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/achiever.html
This is basically the same as what is done in "The Monks of New Skete" books and is the SOP used to evaluate and condition pups for Military and LE work. The pups must accept this training/conditioning through evaluation and those that don't are washed out of the program. Are you planning to get a pup? or older dog? If getting a pup, I would strongly suggest you get a pup from a Breeder that is conditioning in this fashion. If the Breeder says they do, they should be able to tell you the steps off the top of their head. It is repetitive! If getting an older dog, there are some simple test you can do to evaluate their potential for this work. Will the dog walk on slippery surfaces such as those found in a mall or school with no hesitation? Will they walk into such a building that is brightly lit with no hesitation? Will they walk into a completely dark, think pitch black, room with you without hesitation? Will they retrieve a ball from dark rooms? from up on top of a pile of skids or other such elevated position? Will they search and search for a ball thrown into a hidden/obstructed area and refuse to stop searching until they have found the ball? Will they retrieve a ball when loud noises are made, such as dropping a book on a floor or banging a trash can lid, as they are going to get the ball? In essence, do they ignore the noise and focus strictly on the retrieval of the ball. These may seem easy enough, but you would be amazed how few dogs can actually pass all of these "simple" test.

Do you have any specific questions? I'll be happy to offer any info I can on the subject or refer you to someone that can. This is all stuff that I've learned from Kathy, whom is a former Military Trainer/Handler and now works privately in the trade as a Trainer/Handler and supplies dogs for use in SAR's & Detection work.

This is exactly what I was hoping for --thanks!  I'll research the links posted.

I am in Seattle --but I would be casting a wide net  for 2008 (summer/fall most likely) for a puppy "started" the right way for the first 7 weeks of life.  My hope is to develop a good relationship with a breeder and be able to secure first pick based on a very detailed assessment profile at 7 weeks.  Driving distance for me would include Washington, Idaho, BC Canada, Oregon and even Northern California.  The dog would have to be from strong, proven hunting and agility lines.  I would even consider a young dog (12months) that could pass a different sort of evaluation (obedience, tempermant, confidence, varied surfaces, retrieving) that needed a working home.  Super smarts in Mom and Dad is always a plus (well, at least for this type of thing )

The pup would be joing a household that includes a very friendly, happy Cairn terrier --Jack's just to short for search work!

Had some time this evening to take a look at the links --just wanted to say thanks for the welcome and the connections.  Looking forward to finding some locals to talk to!

Although not the same, we have been training our GSPs for tracking via AKC rules.  We have one that is doing excellent on Variable Surface Tracking training -- she is up to 4 hours old on tracks, and will indicate all 4 of the article types.  We think she can earn a VST title, but the proof will be in the pudding.

I guess my point is this breed is fully capable of using the nose for non-bird activities (and ours has been put in hunt tests and has done casual hunting) but will stay on the track even if distracted.  And they can do the track successfully on aged tracks over difficult surfaces.

SAR is quite different than AKC tracking tests, but I just wanted to note our success in the tracking testing we have done -- we are excited about the prospects we have this fall as we continue on with our quest for additional tracking titles, and hope you find what you are looking for in a SAR GSP.

There is a person in my neck of the woods who had a GSP do SAR work -- it was published in the GSPCA Shorthair Journal as well -- the link to that story is:

http://www.freedomfiregsps.org/guiding_%20spirit.htm

Have fun and good luck.  I know we love doing the tracking sport with our GSPs as much as we enjoy the other activities we do (conformation, hunt testing, agility, rally, and tracking) -- in fact, tracking is a sport that has caught the passion of both myself and my wife.

Dave