His training started with guidance from a unit doing disaster and wilderness air scent work called Dogs East.  Due to the distance I had to travel while still working full time as a police officer I did not join the unit, but they were all extremely gracious allowing me to train with them as long as I wanted until I decided my path.  Max did very well with his disaster and area search training, and had progressed to doing 20-acre areas easily.  We did some rubble pile work starting as well.  The lead trainer there located a local unit for me, which I did join.  This unit responded to searches in the greater tidewater area, which worked better for me because I could not be away from the area due to my job.  We left disaster work, but used what he learned to finish his air scent work and cross-trained him for scent specific area search off leash, then trailing.  That was the first cross-trained dog for that unit and was not as accepted back then.  We were all pleased with the results.  Sadly he got ill, and we found out about a stomach muscle tumor.  Even after removing it with invasive surgery it came back.  He was retired early and due to pain was put to sleep.  He was an incredibly good dog.   

 

His training and career included:

• AKC Canine Good Citizenship “CGC”

• AKC JR Courser Title.The JR title is the first level that shows the right drive for the discipline.This is a Lure Coursing field-hunting event for sight hounds that simulates hunting dogs hunting rabbits and other small game.It takes a high degree of prey drive and a training/conditioning element. Year 1996

• AKC Lure Coursing Senior Courser Title 1997

• Half way to his AKC Lure Coursing “Field Championship” title. I stopped showing and coursing him to do search and rescue, which takes a lot of time training.

• Therapy Dog International. “TDI” certification

• Six points towards AKC conformation championship

• SAR K9 for Area Search and Man Trailing, and trained for light disaster working under “Tidewater Trail” search and rescue unit in the Tidewater area.
   

Personal Stories:

 

Accordion

Max was a nice size young male when we brought him home at six months old.  His old home was unfenced and surrounded by swamps as a natural boundary.  I had just bought my house and it did not have fencing up yet.  We had to keep him on the leash most of the time.  The day the fencing was done he was turned him loose in the yard.  I had fenced in maybe half an acre for the yard leaving the rest for the horses. He started to run around and have fun and took off full speed toward the front of the yard.  I am thinking he is going to slow and stop when he gets to the fence.  Instead he ran head long into the chain link fence.  As I watched his body kind of folded like an accordion I started to run to his aid, but he just shook it off.  He went back to where he was and started running again and ran right back into the fence again.  He hit it even harder as if to make a even more valid attempt to get through it.   Thankfully the fence was pretty giving in nature or I am sure he would have ended up with some kind of injury, but that was the last time he challenged the fence.