Training & Certification FAQs

It’s all about temperament…and training. Dogs by nature are sensitive to the feelings of people, but some find the intense emotions of people in crisis to be very distressing.  They may also pick up on their handler’s stress. You need to have a deep partnership, where both ends of the leash are committed to the work. Explore you and your partner’s potential in our Get Started course!

Crisis response canines are unique in their ability to help work in the complex physical environments of disasters and to safely interact with people with intense emotions in the aftermath of crisis.

Working in the chaotic, unpredictable nature of crisis requires skills, temperament, stress management, and trauma-informed training quite different than those needed by therapy dogs in predictable surroundings. That said, with the proper training and the appropriate temperament, a therapy dog could be a candidate to become a crisis response canine.

On the other hand, some dogs find the intense emotions and behaviors of people in crisis to be extremely distressing. Survival instincts may prompt them to move away and avoid people…which in itself could be unintentionally harmful to someone experiencing trauma. For everyone’s safety, it’s critical that only certified crisis response canines and handlers be deployed to crisis incidents.

There is no one breed of dog that is more appropriate. During our Get Started course, handlers will learn more about the work and whether their canine shows an interest and potential for the work.

A canine must be at least 18 months old to formally enroll in our certification program. (They can be younger to enroll in the prerequisite, Get Started.) At 18 months, canines typically have the maturity, focus, impulse control, basic training, socialization and life experiences they need for this kind of work. There is no age limit and canines can work as long as they show interest and ability.

Yes. You can provide a solid foundation for your canine by working with a local, positive, ethical trainer who will guide you through gentle socialization, low-key and varied positive community experiences, basic handling and public access skills, and learning how to understand the language of dogs. Here are a few tips:

• Always allow your young dog to gently learn at his or her own pace.
• Avoid exposure to ‘big scary things’ until you’re certain your dog has passed through their developmental fear stages (typically by 18 months).
• Learn more about what it takes to be a crisis response handler and canine team with NATIONAL's Get Started online course (which you can take without a canine).

Yes. A service dog can be a candidate. Because crisis response work is so unique, the same training requirements for you and your canine apply. In addition, if you find (during the Get Started course) your dog doesn’t demonstrate a willingness to interact with strangers, we can talk about training with us as Strike Team Support with your service dog.

Yes. The same requirements apply. Additionally, you would need to be able to have daily contact with the canine. This is to allow you and your canine partner to spend time with each other on a daily basis for walks, grooming, play, training, exercise, and community experiences.

Yes. The same requirements apply — for each staff member.

After the canine has successfully certified with its first handler, and they demonstrate interest in working for another handler, the second handler will individually train and certify with them.

Note that canines must be a member of the handler’s household/life, live indoors and be cared for and loved by the handler and members of their family.

If you’re considering this option, we invite you to contact us to talk about what may work best for your situation.