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By CHRISTINE WOLFE November 2002
Thanks to the GM Today Newspaper


A.J. Marhofke, Canine Search
Specialist, with his dogs Molly and Zip.

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The bond many of us have with our family dog is one of trust
and love. But the relationship that develops between a search and
rescue handler and dog is intense, emotional and professional.

"It’s absolutely incredible," said A. J. Marhofke, canine search, recovery, and forensic evidence instructor and founder of Waukesha County’s 911BC K-9 Search & Recovery Unit. "Dog and handler work as one unit, in good and bad conditions, for one cause, hopefully to save a life or to give closure to a family.

"Developing this bond and trust between dog and handler is crucial," said Marhofke, who partners with two Border Collies, Zip and Molly Mae. "The benefits for both the K-9 partner and handler are enormous — building self-confidence, trust and teamwork." The close bond is also essential for a team’s safety. "It makes the difference between life and death when on
a search."

SAR dogs and handlers are constantly perfecting and using the dog’s natural and ingrained instincts. Marhofke interprets and communicates the search agenda to Molly or Zip — possibly to search a vacant lot for clues to a child’s disappearance — as well as interprets his canine partner’s natural body language when a scent is picked up so that no clue remains uncovered.

Since the field of canine search and rescue has become sophisticated and specialized depending on the particular mission, to be good at SAR work takes time, at least 500 hours of initial training for both handler and dog.

Many SAR dogs are cross-trained for different types of searches such as wilderness where dogs work off leash to search dense places like open fields or wooded areas; urban where dogs work on leash within a city block or building; disaster like the 9-11 site, an earthquake or flood; and water recovery where the dog works from a boat and to detect underwater human presence to assist search efforts.

"9-11 educated people about what K-9 SAR is all about and what it takes to commit to doing this," said Marhofke. "But along with this rising interest comes a rise in unqualified SAR teams. Look around for a creditable team. Unfortunately, Wisconsin has no state standards and anyone can say they do SAR, so request appropriate references." For more information about 911BC K-9 Search
& Recovery contact their Web site at www.911bc.org.