K-9 UNIT

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Dogs in Training: a 30 minute "Down Stay"

K-9 UNIT The TSAR K-9 Unit, a relatively new unit of TSAR, was formed in February, 2003 and has been officially training since August, 2003. TSAR currently has one Level I Mission Ready K-9/handler team and is training others. K-9 Unit Members Unit Leader - Delinda VanneBrightyn, handler for K-9 Zatoichi Secretary - Andi Garcia, handler for K-9 Claire & K-9 Lizzy Navigations Leader - Joel Larson, handler for K-9 Ashley Location Scout - Larry McConnell, handler for K-9 Ruby PR & Rec Leader - Lynn Wilkinson, handler for K-9 Sasha K-9 Base Operations - Jerome Nickerson, handler for K-9 Max New Applicants:

TSAR K-9's:

Zatoichi ... is a registered White (German) Shepherd aka Celestial Skye Walker Von Tasz. His primary search modality is Air Scent (both generic and scent specific) but is also cross-trained in Tracking/Trailing & Human Remains Detection. Handled by Delinda VanneBrightyn (a sculptor working in kiln-cast glass & bronze), Zatoichi is named after a legendary blind samurai from Japanese literature & a series of Japanese films. He is presently 4.5 years old. Zatoichi loves agility work, like climbing up & down ladders and going through tunnels. His favorite thing in the world is searching. If Delinda gets dressed for search or picks up his search vest or any other search equipment, he will not eat or leave his handler's side until they load up and go. He has high drive and his reward is vigorous stick-play...or shall we say tree-play, as a 6-8 foot tree seems to be the most desirable stick for Zatoichi!   Breed: White GSD, Male DOB: 2003 Weight: 92# Color: White Delinda & Zatoichi are a Level I Mission Ready K-9 team.

K-9 Zatoichi Photo Journal

Ashley... is handled by Joel Larson, an artist, writer and printer doing off-set letter press printing. Ashley is a 1 1/2 year old Pyranese-Husky mix and is full of energy and herself. She is currently training in air scent and is learning the ropes of agility by watching Zatoichi. Her favorite reward is stick play. She is currently working on her find/refind. Ashley learns a new task very quickly and loves the cold weather due to a thick double coat. She is showing good potential thus far and some valuable temperament qualities, including good drive and that she loves all people. Good luck, Ashley and Joel!   Breed: Great Pyranese/Husky Mix, Female DOB: 2005 Weight: 70# Color: White & Cream w/ Brown Tips Joel & Ashley are an Intermediate K-9 Team in Training.

K-9 Ashley Photo Journal

Claire... is a Yellow Lab Mix. Her handler, Andi Garcia, looked for an appropriate K-9 candidate for search and rescue and found Claire at the Los Alamos Animal Shelter. She had been given up twice because she had way too much energy and she ran all over the place grabbing all the toys...perfect qualities for a search dog! Andi Garcia runs the offices of Garcia Underground in Guadalupita. Claire is starting her training in Air Scent and shows a lot of promise. Her favorite toy is a rope bone. Her level of obedience, drive, and quickness to learn new skills are all excellent. She has good temperament qualities and is currently training in Air Scent. Good luck, Andi and Claire!   Breed: Lab Mix, Female DOB: 2005 Weight: 63# Color: Gold & White Andi & Claire are an Intermediate K-9 Team in Training & have passed their Pre-Eval 1 Test.

K-9 Claire Photo Journal

Ruby... is a Labrador, aka Ruby Star. What is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Ruby?...that she is fast, fast, and faster! Ruby has excellent drive and wants to get the job done at lightening speed. We are working to slow her down a bit, so that she doesn't overlook the obvious, but she is a very promising Air Scent candidate thus far with a fierce work ethic. Her handler, Larry McConnell (a retired commercial fisherman from Alaska), is a wonderful adition to the unit and handles Ruby with patience and focus. His beautiful daughter, Anna, often helps us train too, inspiring an new generation of SAR volunteers. Ruby's favorite toy is a long rope with which she will engage any friend or stranger with equal ease (ok, so its not exactly easy...she gives you a really good workout). Good luck, Larry & Ruby!   Breed: Labrador, Female DOB: 2006 Weight: 65# Color: Chocolate Larry & Ruby are an Intermediate K-9 Team in Training & have passed their Pre-Eval 1 Test.

K-9 Ruby Photo Journal...coming soon!

K-9 Sasha: Photo and Journal to appear soon! - Please check back!

Sasha... is a male German Shepherd with a deep dedication and love to his handler, Lynn Wilkinson (a clothing designer and owner of Aventura in Taos). He already has a natural refind, although he has only been training a few months. Lynn rescued Sasha...he had been found dumped and running with other dogs as a pup. He was almost shot by a rancher when the pack killed one of his sheep, but the rancher spared Sasha and took him to a rescue. There, he met Lynn and the rest is history. Lynn has truned his life around, giving him love and purpose. He loves his search work and he and Lynn are progressing very quickly toward their goal of being a mission ready search K-9 team. Good luck to Lynn & Sasha!   Breed: GSD, Male DOB: 2005 Weight: 90# Color: Black & Tan Lynn & Sasha are an Intermediate K-9 Team in Training & have passed their Pre-Eval 1 Test.

K-9 Lizzy: Photo and Journal to appear soon! - Please check back!

Lizzy... is a Great Pyranese/German Shepherd mix and our newest trainee! Lizzy is 12 weeks old and a ball of fire. She has already exhibited strong drive and gumption, as well as being smart as a whip. Although her journey has just begun on the road to mission readiness, she brings back so many memories to Delinda of Zatoichi beginning to search at her age! Her handler, Andi Garcia, chose her for her drive, independant nature, and hardness. She has good potential, but only time and hard work will tell! Good luck to Lizzy & Andi!   Breed: Great Pyr/GSD, Female DOB: 2007 Weight: 25# Color: Black & Tan Andi & Lizzy are a Beginning K-9 Team in Training.

K-9 Max: Photo & Journal to appear soon - Please check back!

Max... is a black & tan German Shepherd who is just under two years old. He and his handler, Jerome Nickerson, have been training with the team since last summer. Max shows a wonderful sense of drive and is good at problem solving. He picked up the basics very quickly, but we are still focussing on laying the foundation of his search. The foundation should never be rushed, even with a prosect as promising as Max, and so we are taking him slow and sure, as with all our dogs. This builds a strong base to which the dog will turn in times of long and stressful situations.   Breed: German Shepherd, Male DOB: 2006 Weight: Color: Black & Tan Jerome & Max are a Beginning K-9 Team in Training.

A Special Thank-You to Rio Grande Ace Hardware in Taos! Rio Grande Ace Hardware gave a generous donation for the TSAR K-9 Unit to build an agility course for training their search K-9's. The course is still underway, but we have several elements finished and the dogs are really enjoying themselves: learning to overcome fears, building trust for their handlers in challenging situations, and staying agile and fit so they can be ready for obstacles and dangers they may encounter while doing their job. Stay tuned...pictures of the completed agility course will be coming to the site in the Springtime!