Disaster Dog Development
We develop operationally sound disaster search dogs and handlers by pairing purpose-bred working Labradors from Dog Day Acres Labradors with science-driven training, field validation, and national response standards. This program exists to expand life-saving canine capacity by uniting exceptional genetics, rigorous development, and FEMA-aligned leadership.
Our mission is simple and demanding: identify dogs that need meaningful work, prepare them correctly, and guide them toward operational readiness for disaster response.
If you have a young working prospect, we will evaluate and work with them as well!
What Your Puppy Will Learn
The Disaster Dog Training Program is built to emphasizes drive, nerve strength, environmental soundness, and the need for real work.
Selection is deliberate. Washout is expected. Only dogs demonstrating the required mental and physical attributes progress forward.
This is not pet training. It is professional preparation for dogs bred to work and handlers preparing for high-consequence environments.
Training emphasizes skills and abilities aligned with FEMA and national USAR standards.
Since many of our clients also live with their dogs, we also focus on building dogs that are able to live in a home environment. Of course, they also must travel well.
Handler Coaching
We work with you to determine what skills you would like and at what age you want your puppy to being/finish training. We will be incredibly honest and up front about the timeline it will take.
Your Trainer
Robin has been in SAR since 2001 and working disaster dogs since 2006. She's a FEMA instructor and evaluator for both live and HRD. She's certified numerous dogs to the HRD standard, certified Moses to the live find standard and deploys with NE TF 1 and IA TF 1.
She completed the Master K9 Trainer program through the Scandinavian Working Dog Institute and continues to participate in their continuing education program.
These credentials reflect active field involvement, not honorary titles. Dogs and handlers trained through this program are prepared for real evaluation, real deployments, and real consequences.
Pricing
8 weeks to 16 weeks -- $900 per month, this includes living in a house environment, not in a kennel
Over 16 weeks old and over -- This depends on what you want, so contact us for pricing. We do a significant amount of field trips for puppies over this age so depending on your focus, we have a sliding scale. All training is catered around your dog's ability and willingness.
We will complete training for detection dogs on a case by case basis. I specialize in FEMA disaster (live/HRD) and other detection dog disciplines. Pricing depends on the skill sets and level of training desired. Reach out for more details.
