To ensure our search and rescue, detection, and therapy dogs are entirely safe and reliable prior to deployment, they must successfully pass at least one of the following three rigorous behavioral evaluations:

• Schutzhund BH-VT: A strict trial where our dogs must demonstrate absolute focus while heeling through a dense crowd and remain completely unfazed by real-world chaotic stimuli like passing cyclists, loud vehicles, and strangers.
• AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC): A foundational test confirming our canine partners can handle supervised isolation, greet unfamiliar people politely, and accept close physical handling without fear or aggression.
• Independent Behavioral Assessment: A comprehensive evaluation conducted by an expert trainer that replicates a real-world deployment site, testing the dog’s resilience against sudden loud noises, unstable surfaces, and heavy machinery.
• NAPWDA Behavioral Assessment: A strict obedience test for working dogs, testing the handler and dog on heeling and distance control.