L to R - Search and Rescue Dog Association of Alberta

Volume 19 Number 1-4 Annual Review 2010
www.sardaa.ca
Photo by Jim Dobie - www.jimdobiephotography.com
Active Team members - L to R - Tyndre, Parquetta & Michelle Limoges, Nikita
& Doug Steel, Paula Hale & BB, Anita Schmidt, Shady & Steve Otto, Zara Lafleur,
Aussie & Dawn Glasrud, Jake & Carlene Stabile, Mary Ann Warren & Gotta.
Absent - Kim Cardinal & Jacob, Darrell Dancause.
Scent Dog News... 1

Hill 1998-2010 by Mary Ann Warren
I don’t think anyone would begrudge me in saying that Hill was a huge part of SARDAA.
Not long after his arrival, the SARDAA team lost many members and Hill was at times the only
active dog in many of the profiles. Hill aided us with the rebuilding of the team.
Many people wondered about his name Hill. I would have to explain that his name was 'he’ll' as
‘he’ll search’, ‘he’ll come’ but since it looked too close to.... well you know I just changed the ‘e’
to ‘i’ and the rest is history.
Hill attended many searches and was successful in many incidents, from his first water search to
the Limestone mountain, he managed to give a few family’s closure.
Hill was one of the only civilian disaster dogs who took part in Canadian Task force II team multi
agency events. He was impressive to watch by others as well as me when searching in his
methodical way on rubble.
Hill was a very confident dog. Confident in knowing what to do and at times, confident in
knowing when to challenge me. Many people who have seen him but didn’t know him in the
younger years didn’t know that he actually was quite defiant at times.
Hill was very good with kids and puppies. We called him the nanny dog as he would tolerate what
most youngsters dished out or he would just walk away. He took particular exception to these
duties when it came to his roommate Gotta. Until the end he was very protective and watchful of
his young ward and got worried when Gotta was out of sight.
As with some working dogs, Hill sustained many injuries - he had a back injury, broke a toe, hurt
an ankle, got scratched by a feral cat, and later on got 'skunked'. But the worst was when we
almost lost him due to torsion. But Hill came back and it didn’t take him long to get back to work
and he worked for another couple of years.
When you bring up a working dog from a puppy, the work never ends for them actually. On Hill’s
last walk, he was still working and retrieved an old kid’s shoe he located in some tall grass and
proudly brought it to me and nudged my treat pocket. Hill always knew where the treat pocket
Scent Dog News... 2

was on everyone and wasn’t shy about asking
for something good. He had very good eye
contact to make most people give him
something.
When you have a dog for many years, they
become a part of you.
Scent Dog News... 3

Scent Dog News... 4
I miss that big guy, my partner, my
friend, my Hill.
I'm sure others will miss his gentle
confident presence. •
photos by Mary Ann Warren

2010 in Review
SARDAA members finished off 2009 with
a very successful Casino, so in 2010 we
have had a hectic time buying equipment
and offering training of all types for
our membership. The Active Members
participated in a total of 12 searches
conducted by the Edmonton Police Service,
Edmonton Fire Service or RCMP; official
mock searches were also part of our year.
SARDAA continues to attract new members
on an on-going basis - many dogs are
evaluated by our team for aptitude and if
they show potential, they are invited to
join us.
As of December 2010, we have nine
Active dog/handler teams plus six Support
Personnel. Our Friends of SARDAA
category currently has six members who
are staunch supporters and helpers whom
we value immensely! We also have five
teams working their way though our
training program; we hope they will be
ready for their final evaluations in 2011.
Highlights
Early in the year, SARDAA conducted a
K-9 First Aid course with vet tech Karen
Anderson from the Edmonton Veterinary
Emergency Clinic here in Edmonton.
We spent two separate sessions at Delta
Helicopters preparing the dogs and
handlers for helicopter transportation.
Safety protocols are very important for the
SARDAA group at chopper
training session
handlers to learn and it was beneficial to
get the dogs used to the noise, wind and
flying experience!
Wing Night in March is an annual social
night with silent auction held at Average
Joe’s in Sherwood Park; Wing Night
is an opportunity for our friends and
supporters to come out for an evening of
camaraderie. Watch the SARDAA website
for details on the 2011 Wing Night event.
SARDAA made its first appearance on
FACEBOOK in 2010 – become a friend!
January and February practice
sessions on Sunday mornings
experienced several cancellations this
year – temperatures below –15 C and
blowing snow forced us either indoors or
to cancel altogether.
However, March saw the beginning of a
hectic year ahead…
Time out to thank to Jim Dobie (www.
jimdobiephotography.com) for his
exceptional dedication and outstanding
photographs he provided of our group.
You will see several examples in this
publication.
The Active Team dog teams received
newly redesigned and printed trading
cards to pass out to friends, associates
and relatives, or small, crying children!
On the subject of Marketing – SARDAA
has a new ‘window shade’ style display
and a brochure to match, thanks to
the expertise of James Shrimpton of
Helix Design Communications here in
Edmonton. See James’s work at - www.
helixdesigns.com
Associate Member Mike Arychuk and
GSD Jaida successfully completed the
requirements for a Tracking Dog title
with the Canadian Kennel Club this year
– congratulations to you both! Jaida’s
breeder Julie Schawb generously donated
funds in recognition of the work Jaida
Scent Dog News... 5

Mike, Jaida and
CKC Tracking Judge, Greg Martin
and Mike have done.
Training sessions of note this year
– radio protocol, search report writing,
scent and search theory, navigation with
compass/GPS, SAR Basics, Evidence/
Courtroom Procedures, Disaster search
theory, Wilderness Survival. I believe the
year’s most interesting and most relevant
to many of our members was the daylong
course offered at the Edmonton
Medical Examiners office. It was highly
educational and an eye-opener for many!
May 8 Emergency Preparedness Day
Scent Dog News... 6
Doug with Nikita and Mascot at Get Ready in the Park
– Get Ready in the Park – is always a
pleasure to participate in along with other
SAR groups from the City of Edmonton.
Even though she was not the final
recipient, Mary Ann Warren was
nominated by another SARDAA member
for the "CBC Champions of Change"
competition. Hundreds of volunteers from
across Alberta were nominated and each
was sent a certificate of recognition.
Three SARDAA members and their dogs
made a presentation to a grade-school
class at Bertha Kennedy School – from
the mountain of thank you cards they
received, the dogs were a hit with the
kids!!! Thanks Kim, Mike and Dawn for
your time in educating the kids!
Michelle Limoges made a 2-hour
presentation to the Alberta Shorthand
Reporters Association in Red Deer
September 11. ASRA members are a
delightful group and eager to learn as
much as they can about as many topics as
they can which will enhance their ability to
record information accurately. They asked
many insightful questions and later braved
wind and rain to watch an article search
demonstration – that’s dedication I say!
Wilderness Survival training took place
for several of our new members in the
middle of May – you can read a full report
elsewhere in this publication.
As a result of excellent cooperation from
Explorer Industries in Edmonton, our
jet boat was delivered and has exceeded

our expectations. Thank you to Explorer
for your help getting the boat designed for
our particular use. This boat is designed
to accommodate our water search dogs
work, and goes into our repertoire of
water search craft.
Several SARDAA members took a course
on jet boat operation as a result of our
new purchase. Steve Otto, Paula Hale,
Anita Schmidt and Zara Lafleur are now
accomplished boat operators!
Congratulations to former SARDAA dog
handler, Jody Lyons, on her marriage this
past summer!
Further congratulations to one of our truly
most dedicated Active Support Personnel
members, Zara Lafleur on the birth of
her daughter Violet on October 4; Zara
and husband Neil are proud parents!
Zara continued to come out to practice
and searches where possible almost right
up to the last minute; and then she was
back at practice soon after Violet’s birth –
do you think she was trying to get some
sleep???!!!
Violet Lafleur
Steve Otto, Heather Mycholuk and Kim
Cardinal attended a SAR dog training
session conducted by National Search
Dog Alliance in Colorado in June. They
presented a PowerPoint summary of some
of the techniques they learned following a
general SARDAA meeting.
Special note – after 20 some years,
SARDAA’s membership fees increased
from $35 for the Active Team and $40
for Associate to $50 for all; Friends
of SARDAA fees remain at $25! Our
philosophy is that people spend
enough on equipment, training and
traveling to training plus their time, that
membership should remain reasonable.
Shadie and Steve
Scent Dog News... 7

This article first appeared in the
[December 2009] AKC Gazette and is
reprinted with permission. To subscribe
to the Gazette please go to:
www.akc.org/pubs/index.cfm
Vaccination Protocols
by Jeff Grognet, D.V.M.
Jeff Grognet is a veterinarian with a
practice in British Columbia, and the
regular nutrition and health columnist for
AKC Family Dog
Thirty years ago, vaccines were simple.
Every year you took your dog to the vet,
and every year he received the same
vaccines. But only two vaccines were
available back then – rabies and fiveway.
Things soon changed.
In 1981, three years after the first
devastating parvovirus outbreak,
vaccines to curb the epidemic entered
the market. Shortly after, we saw
vaccines against bordetella, coronavirus,
and Lyme disease. We now have
vaccines that protect against giardia,
new strains of leptospirosis, and even
dental disease and rattlesnake bites.
With all these to choose from, many dog
owners are confused. They don’t know
which ones are truly needed or even how
often they must be given.
The American Animal Hospital
Association (AAHA) made headlines in
2003 when it published its vaccination
recommendations. They suggested
that a number of vaccines are
absolutely necessary, but some are
only required in unique circumstances,
and others should not be given at
all. They also recommended moving
the ‘annual’ vaccine to every three
years. In 2006 they reconfirmed these
recommendations.
Scent Dog News... 8
The AAHA panel agreed that four core
vaccines should be administered to every
dog – parvovirus, distemper, rabies, and
adenovirus vaccines. They also assigned
parainfluenza, bordetella, and Lyme
disease to the noncore group. These are
only to be used where exposure to the
disease is likely.
If there weren’t controversial enough,
they stated that some vaccines are not
recommended. For example, too few
dogs succumb to coronavirus to justify
vaccination. Even when the disease does
occur, it is mild and self-limiting.
Leptospiral vaccines have a low efficacy
(less then 75 percent), and most do not
provide protection against the strains that
currently cause disease in dogs. Giardia
vaccines are also not endorsed by the
AAHA. Though they may prevent shedding
of the organism in the urine, they do not
prevent infection.
The vaccines that protect against dental
disease and rattlesnake venom are new to
the market. The AAHA takes no position on
them.
To decide which vaccines to give your dog,
you must assess his risk of picking up each
disease. One way to accomplish this is to
ask your vet when the last time was he
saw a case of the disease in question or
when it last occurred in your area.
Another aspect is physical risk of exposure,
for example Lyme disease (Borrelia) is
only a hazard if your dog is going to be
exposed to Lyme-infested ticks. Similarly,
bordtella is only picked up with direct dogto-dog
contact. If your dog does not see
other dogs on his walks and never goes
to kennels, a groomer or daycare, this
disease is not a concern.
If your dog walks in areas were he can
drink water out of ponds, lakes or streams,
or go swimming, the giardia vaccine
continued on page 9

Vaccines... from page 8 Create a pet emergency
might be justified. As well, leptospirosis
originates from contaminated urine and
can be picked up from water.
The vaccine against rattlesnake venom is
designed to protect against bites of the
western diamondback rattlesnake. It may
protect against the bite of the eastern
diamondback, but there is question about
the Mojave rattlesnake.
The vaccine to fight periodontal disease
is very new and many vets are unsure of
when to use it.
Frequency of revaccination has been a hot
topic for several years. The requirement
for rabies has not changed. They are
usually given once to puppies, boosted a
year later, and then administered every
three years. The booster frequency is
sometimes modified to confirm to state
regulations.
The distemper combination vaccines are
different; some vets are uncomfortable
extending the vaccine interval past the
traditional one year. Others embrace the
AAHA recommendation to give the vaccine
every three years.
Protection from bordetalla only lasts 9 to
12 months so it should be done annually
or more often if there is a high risk (such
as attending dog shows).
When creating a vaccination program for
your dog, discuss with your vet what is
recommended. Make a reasoned decision
based on what your dog truly needs.
See the complete AAHA vaccine
guidelines, visit - aahanet.org - and click
“Resources” and look for “2006 AAHA
Canine Vaccine Guidelines Revised”.•
survival kit
Adapted from information provided by the Ontario
SPCA Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
This kit would be very handy to have on
hand in case you find yourself and your
family and pets in the midst of any type of
natural or man-made disaster. Emergency
preparedness officials advocate preparing
an emergency kit for humans so one for
pets is a great idea. Keep your pet’s kit
with your family’s emergency survival
kit for quick and easy access (preferably
on the top shelf of a closet near your
front door, away from the reach of small
children). Some things to include are:
•72-hour supply of food, bowls, water
•blanket and towels
•small toy
•leash, muzzle, harness
•for the cat - litter pan, litter, plastic bags
and scooper
pet carrier for transportation
•copies of medical records, especially
•proof of vaccinations
•medications and pet first aid kit
•current photo of your pet in case he/she
gets lost
•information on your pet’s feeding
schedule, behavioural/medical concerns,
and special instructions in case you have
to board your pet
•list of boarding facilities in your area,
hotels/motels that accept pets and friends
and relatives that you and your pet could
stay with (pets are generally not allowed
inside emergency shelters designated
for people, with the exception of service
animals such as guide dogs)
•ID tag (microchip number)
•Flashlight
Replenish your kit twice a year! •
Scent Dog News... 9

The Publicity Hound
(The Most Dangerous Dog)
by John William Grima; 2009
Reprinted with the author's permission.
We have all read the news articles
regarding Search and Rescue and other
Detection Dog handlers, being charged
and convicted of Fraud and other crimes.
Let’s see now, oh yes, the Michigan
woman, for planting evidence. This
compromised several prominent
investigations, gave false hope to
numerous people and left egg on the
faces of many reporters and television
producers.
Then there was the World Trade Centre
hero, who defrauded FEMA while staying
in a New York luxury hotel. He set up a
trust fund for his poor tired old dog that
eventually succumbed to the hazards of
ground zero, when in fact the old dog
wasn’t even a trained search dog.
Finally the president of a national
detector dog organization for fraud. He
put military lives in danger by selling
untrained explosive detection dogs to
the government for thousands of dollars.
When these dogs were finally tested
by experts, “they couldn’t find elephant
droppings in a bird cage!”
These people are the ones that have
been caught and convicted so far.
These cases have given a black
eye to the professional and unpaid
professionals, who have legitimate wellrun,
standardized programs.
However they can be a blessing in
disguise if we all learn by them.
It is the uneducated and
assumption of expertise that these
fraud artists rely on. The authorities
Scent Dog News... 10
and the media are the main targets of
these individuals.
The purpose of this article, is to bring this
discussion to the forefront and to provide
some simple warning signs, so that with a
minimum amount of due diligence these
menaces will be exposed.
ONE PERSON SHOW -
This is a dead giveaway. All good Search
and Rescue teams are organized with a
structure similarly run like a professional
emergency service. They are mandated by
the authorities to be utilized as a resource
and consider themselves as “unpaid
professionals” not volunteer searchers.
They function as a team.
In all the above noted fraud cases, all their
publicity was geared to just the individual
and their wonder dogs.
To this day one can still find the articles
on the internet and watch the television
shows, profiling them and their dogs.
CERTIFICATION -
Remember this statement. “Certification
is only as good as the person or
agency that is certifying”.
Make sure the certification is authentic and
not self serving. I certify all my students,
based on my own qualifications and the
above statement applies to me also.
All good trainers and dog handlers will
welcome and achieve certifications with
many other agencies.
This is a testament to their training
and also allows them to work in multi
jurisdictions. For example; the dog team
that is certified by the State of Florida
cannot work in the state of New York under
their standard. However if both teams are
also certified by the United States Police
Canine Association or North American Police
Work Dog Association, they may be able to work
across the U.S.A or even Canada.

I know these are police agencies and
most unpaid professionals are civilians,
however, there are plenty of police
run standards out there for civilians to
certify in. If the team is not certified by a
credible police or government agency, it
is because they can’t do it!
Finally consider this - there are numerous
dog teams out there, still working,
that are certified, personally, by the
aforementioned fraudsters, themselves.
How good is their certification now?
SUPER SUCCESS -
When I see or read about these teams,
they have made some kind of find at
every call out they have been to.
Sure we all brag about our finds, I have
done it myself, but a good dog handler
will brag about how his dog worked
more than his finds simply because they
rarely find anything including the missing
persons.
A dog is a tool and its value is not just
finding a victim.
A team more than likely will find clues,
evidence, direction of travel and finally
more often clear a search area thus
contributing to the possibility of detection
report at the search end.
An actual find of a missing person
is likely to be a once in a career
experience!
SELF INVITATION -
Every Search and Rescue has a protocol
which should be followed. The authorities
usually work in phases and there is a
specific phase to call in the search group.
The publicity hound calls or shows
up uninvited.
My search group was called to assist a
Police Homicide unit in a body recovery.
As we sat in the office the detective took
a phone call from a certified graduate of
one of these fraudsters. The detective put
the call on speaker-phone and we listened
to this person bad mouth our group and
say he was far more qualified.
I have seen the media talking to the
search commander. A car will pull up
and the publicity hound and his wonder
dog get out for a pee and the reporters
stampede to get a picture. Later, on the
news broadcast or paper they just blindly
report it is a “POLICE SEARCH DOG”
without even checking.
Unpaid Professional Search and Rescue
groups have a Memo of Understanding
with the authorities and are mandated by
policy that can be checked by calling the
jurisdiction in charge.
At the World Trade Centre many dog
teams just showed up that had no
business or experience.
The problem this created was that there
were many professional teams waiting
for a call to be utilized that never came
because of the number of teams already
on the pile.
Now what you have is a bunch of Search
and Rescue dog teams that claim that
they were there at the World Trade Centre
which now gives them false credibility.
EXCUSES, EXCUSES -
Either a dog works or it doesn’t.
A well trained search dog will spring into
action with his nose down, tail wagging
fast and can’t seem to suck in enough
looking for air scent or cover ground fast
enough.
Compare this behaviour with the dog
that sniffs mouse holes, looks around at
everything else, rolls and scratches and
just goes for a walk.
Then listen for the excuses. “This area is
too contaminated!” “The wind isn’t
Scent Dog News... 11

ight!” “Jupiter is not aligned with Mars!”
Ask to see the dog work. Ask someone
who knows and compare dogs. You don’t
have to be a dog expert to know which
dog is working and which one is just
going for a walk.
TRAINING METHODS -
The methods of training search dogs is
pretty standard throughout the world.
This especially applies to detector dogs.
There are only three basic principles.
Detect odour, indicate odour and get the
reward.
Dogs can be trained to find numerous and
different odours, however the indication
will always be the same. An explosives
Detection dog can indicated on up to
14 different odours, but will always
indicate by sitting or some other passive
indication.
If a Search and Rescue dog handler tells
you his dog barks an indication for a live
person and whimpers for a dead person
or a Detection dog handler tells you his
dog downs for explosives/weapons and
sits for narcotics, please run away as fast
as your legs can carry you.
Think about the complexity of this type of
training.
A drug dealer on his way to make a deal,
with a 9mm handgun in one pocket and
some methamphetamine in the other or a
live victim lying on top of a dead person
trapped in a collapsed structure, are two
serious and possible scenarios.
Yes, dogs are a valuable tool. Dogs can
be taught a variety of amazing tasks.
However they are simple animals that
I cannot communicate with specifically,
therefore, I do not want to depend on
them to pick the proper indication in both
of these potentially lethal situations.
These publicity hounds usually have
Scent Dog News... 12
training “Secrets” they will not share with anyone.
I was invited as a trainer to a seminar
hosted by one of these fraudsters. I
questioned the wonder dog’s capabilities.
I asked if I could test the dog on a few
scenarios. Well! This person flipped out
and started to scold me in front of the
students. The person was appalled and
offended that I had the nerve to even ask.
This person then reminded me of their
publicity exploits and it was clear from all
this exposure that they had to answer to
nobody and demanded an apology for even
suggesting it.
Good trainers are not afraid to share
their knowledge with anyone.
They will not hesitate to challenge their
dogs or test them. Good trainers welcome
mistakes because it gives them an excuse
to train.
BILLBOARD CANINES -
I attended a Search and Rescue Dog
seminar with two of my students just
to see how our training faired with
other standards. The instructor asked
all the teams to group into beginners,
intermediate and advanced. Out of about
20 teams, my two students went to
intermediate. The rest of the group went to
the advanced.
I told my handlers that I didn’t believe any
of those teams were advanced and after
evaluations, our members were moved
up to advanced and the others had been
bumped down to beginners.
They later asked me how I had known. I
wanted to impress them with some wise,
sage guru-type skill that I possessed
but I simply told them that all the other
teams had outfitted themselves and their
dogs with waterproof camouflaged vests,
patches and other SAR decorated badges,
of the brightest and reflective colours so
that I thought I was in the pit lanes with a

unch of sponsored NASCAR racing drivers.
Real trained dogs don’t wear all that get
up because it’s not practical and can
be dangerous on a rubble pile or in the
woods.
Publicity hounds want to bring all the
attention to them and away from the fact
that the dog is not trained.
This stems from the fact that these people
have a dog and gosh darn it they are
going to use “Fifi” for Search and Rescue
come hell or high water (no pun intended).
They won’t go and get a suitable dog and
train it properly because they don’t care
about saving peoples’ lives. They simply
want to belong to an egotistical social club.
CHECK IT OUT -
Wise old saying, “When you shine a
light…The Diamonds will sparkle and
the Cockroaches will run."
Ask around; do some legwork. In every
one of the cases mentioned in the first
paragraph, there were people who had
already exposed the fraudsters long before
they were charged.
The whistles were blown but nobody
wanted to hear them.
Another wise old saying; where there is
smoke there is fire.
John William Grima is a retired Police
Dog Trainer and handler for the largest
Municipal Police Service in Canada and
former Agriculture Detection Dog handler
with the Canadian Government.
He now handles a Human Remains
Detection Dog for the Ontario Volunteer
Emergency Response Team.
He can be reached at recruitk9@rogers.
com or http://www.overt.ca/
&& RESCUE
RESCUE
SEARCH
SEARCH
OO DD GG AA SS SS OO C. C.
ALB E RTA ®
ALB E RTA ®
Scent Dog News... 13

Chance
Ed & Jean Wilson
Chance was a dog lost, he was found by a kind soul and needed a home. When
we were looking for a dog, Mary-Ann Warren found Chance and brought him
to us where he lived out his years as our most beloved dog and companion.
Chance helped us get up in the morning and gave our life routine. He had a lot of
training and we could never understand why he was lost in the first place.
We are making a $500.00 donation to the SARDAA team not because you rescue
lost dogs but because you help look for lost and missing people.
We will miss Chance very much but feel better by being able to help others
through his memory. •
Emergency Expo 2010 –
Cochrane, Alberta May 1 – 2, 2010
by Dawn Glasrud, Kim Cardinal and
Heather Mycholuk
This year’s trade show in Cochrane
was reported to be one of their best
yet. Celebrating their 25 th anniversary,
Emergency Expo 2010 Cochrane, played
host to more than 190 exhibits, welcoming
140 local companies, and 35 volunteer
organizations, as well as 16 safety
organizations, of which SARDAA was one.
The Emergency Expo was organized
and presented by the Cochrane Pipeline
Operators Association, and all safety
related exhibitors were given the hockey
arena to display and demonstrate.
Representing SARDAA were Dawn Glasrud
& K9 Aussie, Heather Mycholuk & K9
Chase, and Kim Cardinal & K9 Jacob. All
three went down on Friday to get settled
for the two big days that followed. Upon
arrival Saturday morning, we were greeted
and introduced to a number of other safety
exhibitors that shared the floor with us.
One organization we were particularly
interested in meeting was Cochrane
Scent Dog News... 14
Dawn and Aussie
Search & Rescue (CSAR). They welcomed
us to their community with open arms,
and asked if SARDAA would be interested
in participating in some of their mock
searches in the future. Cochrane is such
a beautiful and picturesque place to get
lost in (figuratively, not literally). We told
continued on page 15

Expo... from page 14
them that we would be more than happy to
ally ourselves with their organization, and
join in on some mock searches. Let’s face
it, there isn’t a better way to meet new
people, and experience new adventures
than joining in on some of their activities.
Along with meeting exhibitors, the dogs
were an absolute hit with parents and
children alike. The dogs received more
attention during those two days than most
exhibitors did collectively. Dawn, Heather
& Kim answered many questions relating
to K9 search & rescue. Everything from
how to get involved, to what does it take
to have a search dog. It was wonderful to
see parents bring their children out (of all
ages), and expose them to this Emergency
Expo. It is fantastic to see the genuine
interest that the public shows in supporting
the dogs as a valuable part of search and
rescue.
I’m almost positive, that after the whole
whirlwind of the weekend’s activities, all
three dogs slept solidly on the drive home.•
Survival Weekend – May
2010
by Carlene Stabile
One of the training requirements for Search
and Rescue Dog Association of Alberta is
Survival Training. After an intense eighthour
day of training in the classroom,
several members of the SARDAA team
- Kim, Heather, Mike, Janet, Audra and
Carlene, together with dogs Chase, Flick
and Jake - were ready for field training.
The preparation for the training required
good organizational skills and a lot of work,
making sure that we each had proper gear,
including backpacks, proper clothing for
rain or shine, sleeping bags, mattresses,
first aid kits, toiletries, pots, food and of
course enough water.
The field training took place in the Boreal
forest, about 200 km west of Edmonton.
Some of the team members arrived Friday
afternoon, with the remainder arriving
bright and early Saturday morning. Our
Kim Cardinal - pretty proud of her
handmade abode
day together was action packed. We
learned how to collect various types of
tinder, depending on the weather, including
birch, grasses, and how to make twig
bundles to start a fire, using a variety of
fire lighting equipment including matches,
lighters and strikers. Each member of the
team was required to make a bow saw
using a blade, wire and a flexible sapling.
We also learned proper use of a Moro knife,
the magic of a baton and how to make a
continued on page 18
Scent Dog News... 15

New Active Members in 2010 -
Doug Steel and Labrador Nikita
Heather Mycholuk and Chesapeake
Bay Retriever Chase
New Support Personnel in 2010
A warm welcome to new members -
• Kayla Gardiner
• Sam Hofmeyer
• Jeremy Wilson
who have all completed the requirements to
move to Active Support Personnel; well done!
Scent Dog News... 16
Kim Cardinal and
Golden Retriever Jacob
Carlene Stabile and
Labrador Jake

New Associate Members in 2010 -
Lisa Irving and Chesapeake Bay Retriver,
Zane, joined SARDAA in January 2010 as a
Supporting Associate members; this team
recently passed the requirments to move
to the Associate level. Frederique Pivot and Australian Cattle Dog,
Eikichi, joined in February 2010 and they
recently moved to the Associate Level.
Mike Arychuk and GSD Jaida
joined in May of 2009 when Jaida
was just a puppy; they achieved
Associate level in May 2010 and
will soon be ready for Active level.
Janet Hahn and Border Collie Flick
joined in December of '09 and attained
Associate Level in July of 2010; they will
be ready for Active level soon.
Scent Dog News... 17

Survival...from page 15
variety of notches.
Once each of us was equipped with
our bow saw, Moro knife and baton, it
was time to learn about shelters and
build our “Chalets”. We learned about
the importance of choosing real estate
(level and facing the sun if possible,
with a minimum of tree roots/rocks)
and to watch out for widow makers
(dead trees above). Everyone got their
accommodation for the night ready, and
headed back to the base camp to begin
preparing dinner. Using “cooking tubs”,
meals were prepared and soon, it was
time to enjoy. It must be the outdoors,
or maybe the hard work but, I for one,
had worked up an appetite. We spent the
evening, around the campfire, watching
demonstrations on elaborate cooking
systems, including the tripod and hanging crane.
Daybreak came early, and once we all
had a good breakfast, it was time to
break camp and take the “green mile”
hike back to our vehicles and head home.
It was an incredible experience, and great
to spend some time with Kim, Heather,
Mike, Janet and Audra. Our guide Bruce
was exceptional and while I hope to
never need the skills we learned, I am
grateful to SARDAA for the opportunity to
be better prepared. •
Scent Dog News... 18
Tyndre
BB
Aussie

Happy New Year from all the SARDAA
Members!
All the best for a happy, healthy 2011!!!
Mary Ann and Hill
SARDAA 2010-2011 Executive
Steve Otto ........................................... President
Anita Schmidt ...................................... Vice President
Michelle Limoges .................................. Secretary
Darrell Dancause .................................. Treasurer
Mary Ann Warren ................................. Training Director
Scent Dog News is produced quarterly by the Search and Rescue Dog Association
of Alberta. All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced for any
purpose without written permission from the editor.
All correspondence pertaining to the newsletter should be sent to - Michelle Limoges,
editor, SARDAA, c/o PO Box 68098, 162 Bonnie Doon Mall, Edmonton, AB T6C 4N6
Phone - 780/468-6245; E-mail - udcdoberman@shaw.ca Web site - www.sardaa.ca
Articles, news, other information will gladly be considered for publication; we reserve the
right to refuse or edit any material submitted.
Hill
Scent Dog News... 19