FAQ
FAQ: Crisis Response Canines
There is no one breed of dog that is more appropriate for responding to critical incidents than another breed. As with their human counterparts, the characteristics of a true canine responder lie within the individual canine.
Each individual canine should be assessed for core traits that indicate a high potential for thriving in the critical incident environment.
Each canine is a member of the handler’s household, lives indoors and is cared for and loved by the handler and members of their family.
A canine must be 18 months of age minimum for certification as a crisis response canine. Crisis response canines, as they get older, may be semi-retired for as long as the canine shows their interest in working.
While each individual canine matures at their own pace, by 18 months of age working canines typically have the maturity, focus, impulse control, basic training, socialization and life experiences they need to work safely and effectively in the complex field of crisis response.
Yes. You can provide a solid foundation for your canine by working with a local fear-free, force-free 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.
- Always allow your young dog to gently learn at his own pace.
- Avoid exposure to ‘big scary things’ until you’re certain your dog has passed through his 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.
Yes. The same requirements apply.
However, it's possible your service dog is specifically focused on tasks that assist you and is not willing to divert his attention to interact with strangers. In this case, if your service dog is assessed for safety and resilience working in the crisis environment, you may choose to train to respond as a Strike Team Support with your service dog.
Every canine is an individual, so we invite you to contact us to open a conversation to see if crisis response work might be right for your service dog and you.
- Learn more about what it takes to be a crisis response handler and canine team with NATIONAL's Get Started online course.
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.
- Learn more about what it takes to be a crisis response handler and canine team with NATIONAL's Get Started online course.
Yes. The same requirements apply.
However, it’s common for crisis response canines to be willing to work for only one handler. In the case where two handlers would like to work with a single canine, NATIONAL would assess the individual canine for their preference to work for each handler.
If the canine demonstrates their interest in working for two handlers, a second handler may individually train and certify with the canine after the canine has successfully certified with it’s first handler.
As each canine is a member of the handler’s household, lives indoors and is cared for and loved by the handler and members of their family, the second handler must be able to have daily contact with the canine.
Every canine is an individual, so we invite you to contact us to open a conversation to see if crisis response work might be right for this dog and your professional staff.
- Learn more about what it takes to be a crisis response handler and canine team with NATIONAL's Get Started online course.
FAQ: Comprehensive real world Training vs Weekend Programs
The answer to this will vary with each handler and canine in training. The crisis response canine team typically completes the Canis Minor curriculum and practicums in 6-9 months, and the certification practicums in 2-3 months.
You may need additional time depending on previous experience, existing involvement with community organizations, and the time you can commit to regular training. When needed, you may extend your training up to a maximum 18 months.
NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines invests in fully developing our volunteers and canines by taking the time needed to train them in the real world.
During training, NATIONAL Crisis Response Canine teams support state and community emergency management multi-agency drills, disaster simulations and other training exercises, as well as outreach, safety and health programs that teach our crisis response canine teams how to be prepared for a coordinated response to any disaster or crisis.
Through collaborative efforts amongst community agencies, we build the working relationships and knowledge of local resources during our training.
This real-world training allows our canine strike teams to be fully prepared to safely and effectively respond wherever and whatever the critical incident is.
Dogs by their nature, are sensitive to the feelings of people. Some dogs will find the intense emotions of people in crisis to be very distressing. Likewise, a dog may become distressed if s/he senses its handler is distressed in the crisis environment.
Effective crisis response depends on a deep partnership, and both ends of the leash must be committed to the work.
- Learn more about what it takes to be a crisis response handler and canine team with NATIONAL's Get Started online course.
- The structure of the Canis Major+Canis Minor program provides a safe way to determine if crisis response work is right for you and your dog. The safety and ethical treatment of the canine and its handler is always our primary concern.
Yes. Each of us have the skills, experience, compassion and heart of service to help those who are hurting. We invite you to contact us to talk with someone who'll help you see how your experience and skills can be used for the greater good.
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Yes. We invite you to contact us to talk with someone who'll help you see how your experience and skills can be used for the greater good.
FAQ: Service Dogs, Emotional Support Animals, Pet Therapy Dogs, and Working Dogs
The FAQs about service dogs, emotional support animals and pet therapy dogs are provided here to foster a better understanding of the different types of dogs you may encounter in public places.
For everyone’s safety, ask first. Please do not approach or pet any dog you don’t know.
If the dog is a working canine, their attention has to be on their handler and the tasks they’ve been trained to do. Approaching or petting a working canine distracts the handler’s and the canine’s focus from their work.
Working canine handlers are trained to be aware the public’s interest in their canines. When appropriate, the handler may acknowledge your interest by asking you if you’d like to meet their canine. Please understand the handler and canine are always ‘on the job’ even during meal breaks.
Yes. Our working canines and handlers enjoy playing as much as your family pet and you do!
Working canines are trained to recognize their working uniform, so when their work gear goes on, they know they’re in work mode. Once the work gear comes off, they’re free to play, socialize, explore, rest and daydream as they choose.
Just as we all need a short break from the pressures of the workday from time to time, you may catch a working canine playing a game of tug, fetch or find-it with their handler during a rest break.
Not at all. Here’s why. To meet the requirements of being a service dog, the dog must be assisting an individual with a disability and the dog must be trained to mitigate that individual’s disability. By comparison, crisis response canines and their handlers respond to the general public and the responder community.
No. Here’s why. To meet the requirements of being an ESA dog, the dog must be supporting an individual who’s received a mental health diagnosis from a medical professional. By comparison, crisis response canines and their handlers respond to the general public and the responder community.
Not at all. Here’s why. Many people are familiar with the pet therapy dogs they’ve seen in nursing homes, libraries or schools. They’ve experienced the power of the human-canine bond when a dog’s friendly demeanor lifts the spirits or elicits happy memories in the residents of assisted living facilities, or fosters an encouraging learning environment for children.
The same wordless communications of dogs are also effective in a crisis environment. However, the chaotic, unpredictable nature of crisis requires skills, temperament, stress management and trauma-informed training quite different than those needed when working in normal, predictable surroundings.
For everyone’s safety, it’s critical that only certified crisis response canines and handlers be deployed to crisis incidents.
Here’s why. While most dogs are sensitive to the feelings of people, many dogs find the intense emotions and behaviors of people in crisis to be extremely distressing. The canines' natural survival instincts prompt them to move away and avoid people, especially strangers, showing signs of distress, grief, frustration or anger.
By comparison, NATIONAL’s Crisis Response Canine canines and handlers are specifically assessed and receive trauma-informed training to work in the complex physical environments of disasters and to safely interact with people experiencing intense emotions in the aftermath of crisis.
No. These FAQs about service dogs, emotional support animals and pet therapy dogs are provided to foster a better understanding of the different types of dogs you may encounter in public places.
Please see the US Department of Justice’ website for a better understanding of service dogs and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The information is presented in a easy to understand question-answer format.