Bill Dotson is well known throughout the Search and Rescue (SAR) community as a Search Manager and Trainer/Instructor. In this episode, however, we'll chat with Bill about his early days in SAR with his Belgian Shepherd Lys, traveling for testing to Switzerland, and forming CARDA (California Rescue Dog Association.) With deployments close to home in Northern California and also throughout the world responding to disasters, Bill shares his stories of searches with his dogs, the relationships he had with his dogs, and a wealth of knowledge gleaned during 42 years involved in K9 SAR. 

Introduction

02:00 Starting the K9 journey, obedience, and Schutzhund

06:20 Who wants to do SAR?

17:40 Lys's first find

22:20 Starting CARDA (California Rescue Dog Association - www.carda.org)

24:40 Working with Davis City PD and the Golden State Rapist/Killer

32:40  Yosemite Rockslide of 1980 (https://www.sfchronicle.com/chronicle_vault/article/Chronicle-Covers-The-deadly-Yosemite-rock-slide-10592494.php)

34:40 Water find with Lys

39:00 International Deployments

47:40 Moving to Virginia/Dogs East

58:20 Best Advice

1:01:00 Best piece of Gear - Get the right DOG!

1:02:00 SDONA (Search Dog Organization of North America -  www.sdona.org)

1:06:00 Dedication to K9 Handler Cindy MacArthur

Your host, Sonja Nordstrom, is the owner and trainer of Sonja's Dog Training (https://sonjasdogtraining.com) providing SAR/Detection and Nosework/Scentwork workshops and seminars as well as one-on-one personalized pet dog training and Heimdallr K9 Services (https://heimdallrk9.com) a provider of top level personal, executive, and family protection K9s.