Picking a Puppy for SAR

Selecting a good SAR dog is much like selecting a puppy for any other performance sport:

• Bold, inquisitive, people oriented
• Recovers quickly from being startled
• Good food drive and chase or retrieve drive
• Forgives easily when stepped on or hurt
• Excellent behavioral constancy- keeps trying to find and get to a hidden toy or treat
• Excellent structure to stay sound working very long days for many years
• Good social attraction- comes to people and sounds
• Strong tendency to follow people
• Tendency to be more interested in people play, but strong social skills with other puppies
• Strong problem solving skills
• Fairly dominant
• "Sniffy"- tends to use its nose

The key desired traits in the adult are going to be VERY sound sociability to everyone and everything. Excellent health. The ability to stay on task for a LONG time. Tons of DRIVE!!

Remember that like any other performance activity, lots of what makes a puppy suitable has to do with the handler- different handlers work better with different drives and personalities.