The team is always looking for new lands to train on! We prefer areas that are 80 or more acres. Our trainings usually take place on Sundays, however, we train some Saturdays, and some evenings. There will be anywhere from 8-20 vehicles parking on a training day.

 

How we use the land: We train with the dogs off lead, and we hide people and “training aids” for the dogs to find.

 

Some desirable aspects of property which we keep in mind when considering land to use:

• Between 80 and 250 acres

• Land borders

• Access to water

• Hunting access

• Weekend access

• Trails and unimproved roads

• Structures, such as barns

​

Some undesirable aspects of property

• Ranch land with farm animals

• Hazards, such as open wells and random barbed wire

• Major roads bordering the land

• The area will conflict with hunters or is near active hunting

 

Considerations for interested parties:

• There are usually 5-10 members at any given training and each member has their own vehicle.

• We usually train 1-2 times a week, alternating between a handful of training locations.

• Trainings are generally on Sundays, at 08:00 am, or on weekdays starting at 5 pm. We usually know the date and location a few weeks in advance.

• Each member has anywhere from 0-5 dogs, but only handles one at a time.

• Our dogs each must pass a state behavior, agility, and obedience assessment, prior to being allowed to train off-leash.

• Many of the dogs practice “bark alerts” to alert their handler when they've made a find.

• VSRDA has liability insurance to cover K9s and handlers.

• We bring our own supplies, pack out all materials/trash, and clean up after our dogs at all training locations.

​​

​​