Training

Training

'Teach this to all:

a generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service

and compassion are the things which renew humanity.'

Buddha

Real world training with NATIONAL prepares you for real world responses    Consider becoming a force for good in your community by serving those who are hurting, and those who serve.

Train with us, with or without a canine partner, to develop the skills that make a difference for someone in crisis.

NATIONAL Crisis Response Canine teams are trained to provide a safe haven for people affected by crisis.

Following completion of an intensive 6 month training program and rigorous qualification practicals, only those handlers and canines that are able to demonstrate proficiency in all aspects of crisis response are recommended for certification.

 

Canis Major + Canis Minor™ mentorship   NATIONAL developed the first comprehensive mentorship for training crisis response canine teams, the Canis Major+ Canis Minor™ Mentorship program.

Before the mentorship begins, canines are first selected for temperament. NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines assesses the individual canine across a matrix of 24 core traits that indicate a high potential for working in the crisis response environment.

During the mentorship, each new volunteer is paired with an experienced and certified NATIONAL crisis response canine team. This mentor guides the new handler and canine as they develop the special skills, teamwork, temperament, stress management and field experience required to work in the complex physical environments of disasters, and to safely interact with people experiencing intense emotions in the aftermath of crisis,

 

Funny Name. What does it mean?  The name Canis Major + Canis Minor™ means Big Dog and Little Dog.

It comes from the name of the two dog constellations that follow the hunter Orion constellation in the night sky. The special relationship between humans and dogs was immortalized by the ancient Greeks when they placed the hunter and his dogs together in the heavens for all eternity.

 

Pre-requisites for the canine   The work of crisis response is not for every dog.

While most dogs are sensitive to the feelings of people, many dogs find the intense emotions 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.

In contrast, the crisis response canine truly enjoys people and actively seeks the company of people, including strangers in crisis.

The crisis response canine is healthy, mature, confident and affiliative, and intuitively moves towards the person who is distressed, grief-stricken, frustrated or angry.

As with any working canine, it’s important to know if the canine is willing and has the capacity to do the work at hand.

Before the mentorship begins, NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines are first selected for temperament. We assess the individual canine across a rubric of 24 core traits that indicate a high potential for working in the crisis response environment.

Some of these core traits are innate to the individual canine, while others are the results of it’s life experiences and previous training.

The potential crisis response canine has been a member of the handler’s household for a minimum of six months and is:

  • Willing to work

 

  • 18 months old (minimum age)

 

  • Any breed or mix breed

 

  • Tolerant or disinterested in unfamiliar dogs

 

  • Tolerant of unfamiliar dogs in close proximity (less than 3 feet away)

 

  • Walks on loose leash at the handler's pace

 

  • Focused on handler regardless of distractions

 

  • Current with rabies vaccinations (or titers per state/local laws)

 

  • Negative for Fecal Parasite Test (within past 90 days)

 

  • Microchipped

 

  • Provided health and wellness care by a veterinarian (DVM)

 

 

Training the crisis response canine team:  The curriculum    NATIONAL’s mentorship curriculum is delivered through a combination of real world practicums, online courses and technology.

This trauma-informed, evidence-based curriculum is continuously updated to include the latest research and most current emergency management forecasts.

Subject matter experts instruct on the psychological and behavioral considerations of crisis; advanced canine handling and public access skills; stress management, self-care and teamwork; FEMA Incident Command and phases of the disaster cycle; community partnering and outreach; and technology for responders.

During the mentorship, the canine team develops the special handling skills and deep partnership required for crisis response by working closely with their local fear-free, force-free dog trainer.

NATIONAL’s curriculum exceeds the requirements set forth in 'The National Standards for Animal Assisted Crisis Response' (rev2010)

 

 

Get Started    Consider becoming a force for good in your community by serving those who are hurting, and those who serve. Train with us, with or without a canine partner, to develop the skills that make a difference for someone in crisis.

Join NATIONAL's Get Started course for a better understanding of the work of crisis response, and to explore for yourself how your experience and skills can be used to help someone who's hurting.

 

CURRICULUM

'Practice what you'll do.

Do what you practiced.'

Unknown

Real world and real people   The real world practicums of NATIONAL’s mentorship include a wide variety of experiences, drills, mock disasters, public access training, working with our community partners and more.

While the canine team is developing the skills and knowledge they need to be responders, they’re also supporting their community’s efforts to be prepared to respond to and recover from crises and disasters.

Live Q+A sessions with NATIONAL responders and subject matter experts provide the opportunity to share the lessons learned from 25 years of actual deployments, as well as provide the handler in-training with specific guidance about the skills they’re working to develop.

Real world and real people combine to support the handler and the canine partner in learning the advanced skills they need in order to work safely in disaster areas.

 

How crisis response canine training benefits local communities    NATIONAL Crisis Response Canine teams help our own communities to be better prepared for disasters and crisis.

NATIONAL identifies the community coalitions that respond to people in need, and extend our support and collaboration to them.

Some of the community coalitions we partner with include CERT and CISM teams, United Way agencies, regional American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

We also partner with children & family services, domestic violence shelters, special needs schools, faith-based ministries, fire-rescue, law enforcement and employers, to name a few.

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 residents how to be prepared for and respond to disasters.

Through collaborative efforts amongst community agencies, we build working relationships and knowledge of local resources in advance of a disaster. This allows better coordination of community volunteers to avoid duplication of services and help recognize unmet needs.

 

Get Started    Consider becoming a force for good in your community by serving those who are hurting, and those who serve. Train with us, with or without a canine partner, to develop the skills that make a difference for someone in crisis.

Join NATIONAL's Get Started course for a better understanding of the work of crisis response, and to explore for yourself how your experience and skills can be used to help someone who's hurting.

 

Certify

'When you make a commitment,  you build hope.

When you keep it,  you build trust.'

Unknown

Commitment   Being there for someone on the worst day of their life takes trauma-informed training, practice, preparedness, readiness, skills, knowledge, and a deep personal commitment.

NATIONAL Crisis Response Canine teams are committed to providing a safe haven for people affected by crisis.

Following completion of an intensive 6 month mentorship and rigorous qualification practicals, only those responders and canines that are able to demonstrate proficiency in all aspects of crisis response are recommended for certification.

The crisis response canine team consist of one human and one canine. 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.

Handlers are deployed only with the canine partner they certified with. Likewise, canines are deployed only with the handler they certified with.

Certification requires continuous training, skills and knowledge building, demonstrated teamwork, community partner support, and active deployments for both the handler and their canine partner.

Every 3 years, certified canine teams repeat the rigorous qualification practicals to renew their certification.

 

Certification Requirements   Each crisis response canine handler must earn the following certificates:

  • Psychological First Aid (NCTSN National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
  • Suicide Prevention and Intervention (ASIST or ICISF)
  • First Aid (American Red Cross)
  • CPR/AED for Adult/Child/Infant (American Red Cross or American Heart Association)
  • Canine First Aid/CPR (Pet Saver)
  • FEMA Incident Command System ICS-100c
  • FEMA Incident Command System ICS-200c

 

Each crisis response canine team must successfully complete the 6 month curriculum and practicums, and the qualification practicals.

They must demonstrate proficiency in safely and effectively delivering psychological first aid, advanced handling skills, public access skills, navigation and driving skills, technology and communication skills, and team work and chain of command (ICS).

Certification requires the handler to have a verified criminal history background clearance.

Certification also requires that the handler completes a two hour instructor-led training on confidentiality and ethics, and signs a Confidentiality and Code of Ethics Agreement signifying their commitment to protecting those we serve, and those we serve alongside.

Certification requires continuous training, skills and knowledge building, demonstrated teamwork, community partner support, and active deployments for both the handler and their canine partner.

Every 3 years, certified canine teams repeat the rigorous qualification practicals to renew their certification.

 

Get Started    Consider becoming a force for good in your community by serving those who are hurting, and those who serve. Train with us, with or without a canine partner, to develop the skills that make a difference for someone in crisis.

Join NATIONAL's Get Started course for a better understanding of the work of crisis response, and to explore for yourself how your experience and skills can be used to help someone who's hurting.

 

 

RESPOND

'Being a responder means

being there for people on the worst day of their lives -

sometimes on the day their lives end.' 

Brian K. Rice

Preparedness   Bad things happen to good people every day, at all hours of the day and night.

Being a NATIONAL Crisis Response Canine team means being prepared to immediately respond, to provide a safe haven for someone who’s hurting, no matter when the call comes in.  It means being fully present for someone for however long you’re needed.

 

Community response   In hometowns across the country, NATIONAL Crisis Response Canine teams are prepared to respond to critical incidents like the child or family overwhelmed by personal crisis, a neighborhood coming together after a disaster, or a community touched by tragedy at school.

 

Incident Command response   When authorized to mobilize by Incident Command, NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines is ready to respond with self-provisioned strike teams to mass casualty incidents.

 

Self-Provisioned strike teams   We work alongside responders, community organizations, law enforcement, NGO’s and counselors without charge.

Each canine strike team is deployed with its own strike team lead, provisions, water, food, travel, transportation, lodging, logistics and safety, for the duration of the deployment.

 

Get Started    Consider becoming a force for good in your community by serving those who are hurting, and those who serve. Train with us, with or without a canine partner, to develop the skills that make a difference for someone in crisis.

Join NATIONAL's Get Started course for a better understanding of the work of crisis response, and to explore for yourself how your experience and skills can be used to help someone who's hurting.