# Minimum height requirement for sar dogs



## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

I was reading a newspaper article and ran across this statement: 

"Any dog, provided it meets the height requirement, can work for MISAR."

So being a curious person, I checked their site and they have a minimum shoulder height of 15 inches for dogs on their team. 

Does anyone know of other teams that have a stated minimum height requirement? And the second question is does anyone have a dog working on their team that is under 15 inches?


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## Kimberly Grimm (Aug 23, 2013)

Nothing stated that I'm aware of. Don't know that we've had anyone with a small dog even try to join the team.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

We do not have a requirement; we do have a small dog training in HRD.

We do not say "any dog"; it must pass a screening test for drive and temperament and be healthy


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## Carraig Stanwyck (Jan 15, 2014)

The training officer on the our team here in MO picked up a border collie as a pup that turned out to be a runt and is smaller than 15" at the shoulder. It is about the size of a corgi, however the extreme drive and energy level have still allowed it to excel. Its specialization is HRD.

I am still new at SAR, but it seems logical that drive should trump size, and that in some cases, the smaller size can even be beneficial. That little border collie or hers can walk over rubble the other team dogs could only dream of, and it seems to cover ground faster than even the GSDs on the team when it comes to wide area HRD.

-C


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## Jim Delbridge (Jan 27, 2010)

Never heard of an official height requirement. I can think of some human members that this would have been handy. I taught at one seminar with a JRT that would have failed this test, but was crackerjack on the scenarios.
Early on there was a breeder that had multiple Skipperkees (sp?) that she swore each had a search specialty. Many of us enjoyed making jokes of what to do with 1001 Skipperkees. I saw the house shoe joke used with cats recently in a TV commercial.

Over the years, I've come to the opinion that most US domestically conformation dogs don't have what it takes as the work ethic is being bred out of them for a kindler, gentler creature. Many of what is brought from overseas is no better, but if it comes from Germany or the surrounding slavik states, owners swear it must be good.

As long as the dog can physically do the work required, it's what is in the head that's important, both nose and brains.

Jim Delbridge


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## mel boschwitz (Apr 23, 2010)

Theres a gal in Florida uses a basset hound for HR.

Several years ago I heard that Japan certified a chihuaha as a Disaster dog.

We dont have a height requirement either. Drive and ability should trump size


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

I know the basset hound lady. Had the opportunity to watch it work. Nice Dog even if it can't leap tall buildings in a single bound.


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## Meg O'Donovan (Aug 20, 2012)

We've had two Schipperkes. The current dog is, in all the good ways, a mini-Belgian. He equals my Malinois in drive and tug-craziness. It is hilarious to watch them play because she towers over him, but he is as fast as she is. I see the potential in him to do more than be a pet, but haven't given him the time & effort to develop it (he's my teenage daughter's dog). He has the same focus and persistence and enjoyment in using his nose that I see in my Malinois SAR dog.

The size requirement might depend on what kind of SAR. For the wilderness air-scenting, size could be a factor because the bigger dogs can just leap over the deadfall and climb up the rock faces. For the little dogs, they would tire sooner because they would have to double the effort to get places. 

For HR, where the pace is more painstaking, a Schipp would be fine.I wonder if smaller dogs are also okay for disaster? (I don't know, so I'm asking).


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I don't know. I can see some issues with small - such as harder to get nose to water on a boat (but a whole lot easier to pull back in if they fall) and some issues on higher up for building search - but -

They can fit into a fox den which may be a plus and could sure work around inside a car and get up under it better.

It seems to me they could be a complement. I agree on the wilderness - it would depend on how well they could cover the terrain.

At some point, I don't know just how much difference the smaller surface area of the nasal epithelia would make. Does a dog with a big snoot actually have better scent detecion? The bloodhound folks would argue they did.


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## mel boschwitz (Apr 23, 2010)

Nancy Jocoy said:


> Does a dog with a big snoot actually have better scent detecion? The bloodhound folks would argue they did.


Hey now Nancy, I'm a bloodhound folk and don't agree with that. It's not the size of the snout that matters, it's the hunt in the dog.  I just like that scenthounds have been bred just about exclusively to hunt scent, and in particular, bh's have been bred for hundreds of years to hunt human scent (let's not get into recent years and the AKC aberation. Lol. ) I think the way they are shaped makes it easier for them to do the job asked of them. And I enjoy their pigheadedness. ](*,)

On the other end, those big monster hounds and other dogs are frequently just too darn big to be able to maneuver in rough terrain. My current prospect is almost undersized for a bh, but he's one of the most agile dogs I've worked with, bh or otherwise.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Carraig, may I ask what team your talking about in Missouri?


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## Carraig Stanwyck (Jan 15, 2014)

Bob Scott said:


> Carraig, may I ask what team your talking about in Missouri?


Sent PM


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Got it. Thanks!


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