Sawyer County Search And Rescue

10/10/2026

Last night some of the team members gathered at the Green Lake/Sissibagama trail head to conduct a mock search for a missing hunter. We were able to start with a little daylight but that faded into total darkness quickly. Teams worked quickly finding tree markers and "sign" left behind, and located the tree stand while a second team was able to cut track, leading across the roadway. K9's were brought in to narrow down the search area and our hunter was located by a simple shout out. All teams worked well in harmony with the others along with steady direction from our operations team.

09/19/2026

08/30/2026

8/29/26 The SCSAR K9 teams gathered for a training day. They started with Area Search, utilizing a fog machine to learn more about air/scent movements. After that it was the Trailing K9's turn, working both fresh trails, and one's laid the previous evening. And to make things more interesting, there were multiple HRD sources placed along the aged tracks, and the fresh tracks were laid over top of old tracks for contamination. Everyone had a good day, learned new things and had an enjoyable day.

08/19/2026

Lessons from the Lead – Part 4
Leadership Isn’t About Being in Charge – It’s About Being Worth Following

“You’ve got to show the dog who’s boss.”

I’ve heard that more times than I can remember.

But leadership isn’t about being louder, stronger or more intimidating.

Some of the best leaders I’ve met, in the military, search and rescue, business and dog training, weren’t the loudest people in the room.

They were often the calmest.

Dogs don’t care about titles, qualifications or how many followers you have.

They respond to:

🐾 Clarity
🐾 Consistency
🐾 Fairness
🐾 Confidence
🐾 Predictability

You can demand obedience. You cannot demand respect. Respect is earned.

That’s why I often say:

“Be the leader, not the litter mate.”

That doesn’t mean being harsh or dominating your dog. It means accepting responsibility, setting clear boundaries and making good decisions so your dog doesn’t have to.

Calmness isn’t weakness.

It’s control.

And consistency matters. If the rules change every day, how can we expect our dogs to understand what we want?

Good leadership also means admitting when we get things wrong. Every experienced trainer has made mistakes. The important part is recognising them, learning and becoming better.

Because ultimately…

Fear might produce compliance.
Trust produces commitment.

Your dog doesn’t need a drill sergeant.

It needs someone who is fair, calm, consistent and worth following.

So ask yourself:

Am I trying to control my dog… or am I giving my dog a reason to trust me?

One can create obedience.

The other creates a partnership. 🐾

08/19/2026

Lessons from the Lead – Part 5
You Can’t Pour from an Empty Bowl

Somewhere along the way, being exhausted became a badge of honour.

“I’ve only had four hours’ sleep.”
“I haven’t stopped all week.”
“I haven’t got time for myself.”

Yet somehow, we still find 45 minutes for a “quick look” at Facebook!

Dogs understand something we often forget.

Recovery isn’t laziness. Recovery is preparation.

Watch a working dog.

It works.
It learns.
It plays.
Then it rests.

No guilt. No apology. No checking emails first.

And perhaps we should learn from that.

Because being busy isn’t the same as being productive.

Ten focused minutes of training can achieve far more than an hour when you’re tired, distracted and frustrated.

Your dog needs you present.

Calm. Clear. Patient. Focused.

And you can’t consistently be those things when your own tank is empty.

Looking after yourself isn’t selfish.

It’s responsible.

Protect your time. Protect your energy. Spend it on the people and dogs, who matter.

Your dog doesn’t need a perfect handler.

It needs you at your best.

Work hard.
Play hard.
Rest properly.
Repeat.

Because if you never stop to refill your own bowl…

eventually there’ll be nothing left to pour.

🐾 Food for Thought

“You cannot give your best to others if you’ve stopped giving anything to yourself.”

So put the phone down. Take the dog out. Be present.

The emails can wait.

Facebook will still be arguing with itself tomorrow.

Your dog just wants your time. 🐾