The K9 Experience will enable you to meet our search dogs and become a part of the K9 training experience. You may be asked to be a lost subject for a search dog and/or to follow behind a search dog and handler while they search the New Mexico wilderness. Either role will enable you to see K9 search and rescue in action. The extent or limitation of each person's experience and participation in the training is based on individual fitness and preparedness levels, the weather, and the time of year.

You can attend as an individual, a family, or a small group of friends. All participants must be in good physical condition and be able to walk a minimum of one mile off-trail on uneven terrain. This might include through brush, over downed trees, or on rocky terrain. Participants must feel comfortable in a wilderness setting and not be fearful of dogs. Each participant must be able to carry the required supplies (see "Additional Details" below) into the field to maximize their own comfort and safety while out in the field. 

We will strive to make the experience as rewarding as possible for each participant, but participants must understand that the primary goal of the day is to train search dogs or to keep them at their optimum peak performance, so they are at the ready for a mission. While your experience may last four to five hours, the team may be out that day for much longer.

The fees for your experience go directly to the TSAR K9 Unit to purchase much-needed equipment and supplies that keep our handlers and dogs at optimum readiness to respond when the need arises.

Additional Details

• The day before you go into the field, you will be required to participate in a 1.5-hour Zoom session with K9 Unit Leader Delinda VanneBrightyn, who is a master dog trainer. Delinda will explain how search dogs work and how we train them. She will describe what you can expect when out in the field during your time with the search dogs/handler teams, and then she will answer any questions you may have.
  
• We will give you the exact meeting place for the next day, from which you will follow us in your vehicle to the training location. We will let you know whether a high-clearance or 4-wheel-drive vehicle will be required to reach the training location. If you do not have access to such a vehicle, we will do our best to accommodate you with a more accessible training location.
  
• Bring a daypack, plenty of water, and food/snacks for a five-hour excursion in the woods. After you register, we will provide a more detailed list of what you need, which will be dependent on weather and the time of year. Such items might include extra layers of clothing (NO COTTON!), spare socks, rain gear, etc.
• We will give each participant a 10-essentials kit, which you can take home with you as a memento of your experience with the TSAR K9 Unit and for use on future wilderness excursions. You will also receive a signed postcard of each dog-and-handler team with which you worked.
  
• A medical information form must be signed by each participant or a legal guardian at least 36 hours before the K9 Experience date.

A minimum of two persons must register for the experience to proceed.