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It was a simple sightseeing hike in the woods for the family, that's all. But the fall day in this part of the Arbuckle Mountains in southern Oklahoma turned ugly-wet and cold. They became disoriented. The father knew they were lost. Rather than subject his wife and six-year-old son to more wandering, he built a lean-to for them under a tree, then headed out on his own. He got out; problem was, he couldn't remember how to get back in. Several hours later, John Randall, a search and rescue volunteer, zipped up his coat and took Gunner, his Rottweiler, off the leash. Gunner turned his nose to the task, heading into the trees with Randall in pursuit. Two hours later, Gunner's head jerked up, he made a right turn and bolted. When he came back, he bumped Randall's left hand, a sign he'd found someone. Again, he raced ahead, then returned with something in his mouth. He sat in front of him and dropped a pair of gloves. Randall said, "Show me Gunner." Snatching up the gloves, Gunner took off. As Randall rounded a tree, he heard a voice, "Mommy, there's the dog that stole my gloves." What do you imagine when you think of Rottweilers–big, powerful, aloof, mean? The first two are true. Gunner dispels the rest. If you're lost or trapped, you'll welcome the sight. If you're visiting Randall at his home in Harrah, OK, Gunner will welcome you; he's genuinely glad to see you. But you still have to deal with the bulk–a 100 pounder who thinks he's a lap dog. He'll climb on the couch and cuddle up just so you can pet him. Who could resist? Half because you're thinking, this can't be a fearsome Rottweiler snuggling with a total stranger? He must be a big ole lovable Teddy Bear in disguise. Half because, well, the guy's a hero. He saves lives. How many can say that? He's got press clippings, awards and ribbons. And the other half of Gunner is Randall. It does, after all, take a team. "Gunner is a wonderful representative of what the breed is, rather than what people perceive it to be," says Randall, sitting down in an easy chair while asking him to be polite–Gunner takes up a lot of couch. "I've owned the breed since 1977, and it's phenomenal to me what they can do." Randall, with sandy red hair and matching mustache, is 47, and it's easily evident where his sentiments lie. His living room, among others, is filled with dog figurines, little ones, big ones, dozens, maybe hundreds. Gunner is six. Already, the next generation is waiting in the wings: Indy, a happy-go-lucky fuzz ball, is 13 weeks old. But he has a lot to learn yet from the "old pros." Randall has been doing search and rescue (SAR) in one form or another for a long time. It started when he was an Army Ranger, rescuing downed pilots in Vietnam. He planned on making the military a career until he became the one needing rescue–injuries from a 1979 helicopter crash in Europe were so severe, he had to leave the service. But he left with three purple hearts. Gunner might qualify, too, if there were purple hearts for dogs. He received 40 stitches (front and back leg) after toiling through the night in south Oklahoma City following 1999's massively destructive F5 tornado. In spite of the injuries, he never stopped working, credited with six finds, three deceased and three living. With his first Rottweiler in the late 70s, Randall got into the sport of Schutzhund, a form of competition involving obedience, protection and tracking. He learned a lot and began to see the potential of a four-legged partner in his rescue work. He became acquainted with police officers through the sport and occasionally did tracking for them. A turning point came at another terribly destructive juncture, the 1995 bombing of the federal building. He worked it with a dog named Baron. "That was rough," he says, slowly shaking his head. "I'm a combat-wounded soldier, so I learned to deal with the job verses emotion. I had to focus on it as a job. But one thing the bombing did was serve as a catalyst. There wasn't much here in the way of canine search and rescue. People saw all these dogs coming in from out of state. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) brought in their dogs. And it sparked an interest in the community for volunteer organizations. Now we have several." Working in turmoil, though, does take a toll. "As awful as the Murrah Building was, I didn't know the people." he says. "The tornado was harder on me. It was in an area I know, with people I know. I was standing in front of their houses, and I could put faces with the trauma. When the sun came up the next morning, I just sat down and cried. Plus, it was the first time I've had a dog hurt. I understand being hurt, but I didn't expect it for him." Randall sees the problem and feels the need to help people in trouble. But how do you get a dog to cooperate in that effort? First, you look at the make-up. "Temperament is very important," he says. "That was the first thing I looked at when I got Indy. They have to love people and have the desire to be with them. I look for outgoing, inquisitive ones. Inquisitiveness and persistence help build desire to find something. They must have a disposition to work." The latter should come naturally for Rottweilers, which have always been working dogs. Ancestors can be traced to Roman times, perhaps from the Italian mastiff. When the Romans helped themselves to Germany, the dog came along and was bred in the town of Rottweil, with some European hunting and fighting blood mixed in. Farmers used them as herd dogs, valued for courage, strength and ability to protect them and their livestock. Not all muscle, they're also known for intelligence, versatility and loyalty. Though they've done police work, their primary use has been as watchdogs and bodyguards. Despite the reputation, they win praise as companion dogs. Only play occupies Indy's mind, tripping over himself on his way to dad. Randall chuckles as he pets him. "For the first year, he's just going to learn that being with people and other animals is the best thing there is. Puppies are like children, short attention spans. You have to let them grow up. But during that time, you bond. At about a year, I start teaching obedience, how to use his nose, about recall–that's important because his work is done off-leash. You have to be able to control him. We play games. Someone will hold him, we hide, and he has to find mom and dad. Then he finds others. And you just keep increasing the distance and the time that the person is gone. Then we teach him to alert, which is his way of telling us he's found what we asked him to look for. With Gunner, if it's a body, he'll get as close as he can to the origin of the scent and bark. If the person is alive, he'll bump my left hand with his nose, lick it, then lead me in." Training isn't limited to the dog. Randall has been through extensive courses with FEMA and other groups and passed rigorous tests in searching, map and compass reading, survival and first aid. He and Gunner can work in an urban setting or the wilderness. For all his assets, Gunner's most important one sits between his eyes. He's nationally certified in two disciplines, air scent and cadaver. "Air scenting is just that, nose up, sniffing the air," explains Randall. In deference to the sensitive, we won't describe training for the cadaver scent. He uses several methods which, obviously, work well. But he does offer a good tip. "When we're searching for someone, we'll ask for an article of clothing or a pillow case, something the person has been in contact with. If you get it for us, don't pick it up with bare hands. Use a paper or plastic bag or a stick so it won't be contaminated with another scent. The dog is scent discriminatory; he can look for a specific scent even in a high traffic area. But if he detects two scents, he might come back to you." Volunteers work under the direction of law enforcement and emergency services agencies at no cost to the authorities. As Randall points out, the expense is on the volunteers. "We buy our equipment, pay for the training we attend." Since SAR with dogs is relatively new here, his goal is for more authorities to be aware this valuable resource is available. "There's a national data base; I'd like to see one on the state level, especially for the smaller communities. They don't have resources like the big cities. For instance, Oklahoma City doesn't call often. They have lots of police canines, but small towns don't." Randall volunteers through the Red Cross, police and fire departments and county agencies, but he has to spend time getting to know community officials, building trust, proving that local rescuers are professionals who can be depended on. "Earning respect," he says. "I offer to respond whether Gunner is needed or not. There's still a need, and I want them to know I don't just talk the talk. I'll be there for them. I go to small towns, give demonstrations, and Gunner serves in a therapy role too. If we just had a central register, an agency or police chief would know where to find qualified people instead of wondering who to call. They wouldn't have to check backgrounds. They'd know these volunteers can do the job. They hit a number, a page goes out, we call in, and they can have a number of certified dogs there in a certain amount of time." And, he adds, it would be nice to have the state's backing. "If we could get them to see the need. I think there's some reluctance, because they feel it would be costly, but it wouldn't. We don't need funding, just support. These are volunteers who want to help." The question is, what compels these volunteers, considering the sacrifices–the expense, the long hours away from home and family, often in miserable weather, in circumstances that could even be dangerous? "Remember the mother and son?" asks Randall. "Serving people in need. Returning someone to their family. How can you top that? It's what's important in life." He smiles at Gunner. "Besides, I get to spend time with my best friend. We've traveled all over the country, shared food, rode out storms together. I held him while he got the stitches. And a year ago when I was sick and bedridden, he stayed by my side. I'm proud of the work he does and how he represents the breed." Read A WEEK IN HELL–John and Gunner at ground zero in NYC. If you would like to communicate with Randall or ask him how SAR can help your community, he can be reached by e-mail at rangerrandall@yahoo.com. Back to Archives |
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