These kids want to tell you what it is like to live with search dogs and their handlers.  They know about it because their mom, dad or other family member is a search dog handler.  It can be very fun to have a search dog in your house.  But, other times they can be pesky dogs that like to play all the time, and hiding for your dog can get old after you have done it for a very long time.

Its really fun when you get to play with the search dog when it is a puppy.  As the dog grows up you can play fun games with it.  You can even help your parent to train the dog by hiding for them.  When you are real young, like Nathan is, your dog can be as close to you as a brother or sister.  Nathan's canine big brother watches over him while he sleeps.  "Nathan feels really comfortable around his friend, Eiger, and he always has someone to play with.", says Nathan's dad, Mark.

Some kids say that the problem with having a search dog in your home is that It can get boring.  It can get tiring when you are asked to hide all the time or if you have to wait in the car while the dogs and handlers do dog problems.  Sometimes you can hide for a hour or more while the dogs search for you.

"Whenever I say I am bored my mom says 'Want to go hide for me and the dogs?'  I didn't mean I was that bored!", say Brice, son of a search dog handler.   The search dogs are part of the family first before they are search dogs, so everyone in the family gets to pitch in and help.

"Our dogs are not the kind of dogs that just want to curl up and go to sleep on your feet.  Oh no, they have to be playing fetch or something else all the time.  They are always busy!", says Cassie, who's mother trains two search dogs.   "And you will have more pictures of your dogs than you have of yourself.......mom says its because they hold still and I don't".

"When we take camping, hiking or travel trips, you can be sure the dogs will come too.  I don't mind anymore.  When we do leave them at home for some strange reason, I keep looking around for our dogs and I really miss them." , says Cassie.

"When I was little my mom and dad would take me on trips for a dog workout weekend.  Me and my brother kept ourselves busy, but boy did we get tired of waiting sometimes." says Garrett, who's mom and dad were search dog handlers when he was growing up.

Generally, the kids of search dog handlers say they like it when they know their dogs helped to find a lost person, and they sure love having them around everyday because they are really great dogs.