The National Search Dog Alliance is a community of K-9 handlers committed to sharing ideas, training, and experiences. NSDA is proud to host periodic seminars and workshops with the intent of bringing in new ideas and training opportunities. The goals are to offer canine handlers from across the country an opportunity to train under experts in the field, develop their skills as searchers, and better the K-9 team who in turn make a positive difference in service to their communities. Whether you are building a foundation for your wilderness dog, preparing for certification, or focusing on advancing your skills for deployment, we welcome ina you to join us!
May 15 th — May 17th, 2025: Garden City, Utah. Multi-discipline field seminar offering instruction in Area/Airscent, Human Remains Detection and Trailing.
Click here to read about our instructors!
Zephrin Allen has spent nearly a decade involved in K-9 SAR as a member of MARK-9 Search and Rescue based in Dallas, TX. Zephrin currently serves as the Team Leader and Head Canine Trainer for MARK-9 and currently deploys a German Shepherd and Labrador Retriever. Zephrin has certified in Live Find and HRD through American Working Dog Association (AWDA) and National Search Dog Alliance (NSDA), where he also serves as a board member and Principal Evaluator for HRD and Area Search. Additionally, Zephrin is the founder and host of "Hunt-Find-Alert K-9 SAR" podcast, where he interviews experts in the SAR community.
Zephrin is a graduate of the Dick Stall online Detection/SAR courses and a student in the K9 Sensus Detection Dog Training Academy. Additionally he serves as an Assistant H.R.D. instructor at the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS). Zephrin believes that the best instruction is helping the handler evaluate and critically think about their K-9s behavior, and understanding the "Why" behind any challenges they are facing. His goal is for handlers to feel empowered to troubleshoot their K-9s behaviors and equipped to make informed decisions on how to adjust their training plan based on the needs of their dog.
Gail Collins has been serving in K-9 Search and Rescue since 2005, and has trained, deployed, and certified dogs in multiple disciplines with civilian SAR organizations (OSSA, NSDA, IPWDA). She has served as a K-9 Unit Lead, K-9 training and testing coordinator, and incident commander, and currently holds elected Board positions with search and rescue organizations both locally and nationally. Gail is a SAR K-9 Principal Evaluator for multiple disciplines (OSSA, NSDA), and has multiple certifications in search management. She is the owner of Sunflower K-9 based in Idaho and has been a seminar and workshop instructor since 2014, with a special affinity for real-world problem solving and mentoring SAR K-9 teams.
Gail continues to be deployed on missions and investigations across the West, and has had numerous live finds and recoveries with her canine partners. She has also spent her life in the outdoors and worked as a Wildlife Biologist for over 20 years, specializing in large carnivore research in some of the most remote wilderness of the US. Gail currently is deploying her fourth K-9 partner, “Wyatt”, in human remains detection.
Michelle Metzner has been involved in search and rescue (SAR) canine work since 1991, handling a wide range of breeds including shepherds, bloodhounds, mixed breeds, and retrievers. She has trained and certified dogs in multiple disciplines such as trailing, area search, HRD, article search, and disaster response. Michelle is a Lead Evaluator for NASAR in Area, Article, HRD, Trailing, and USAR K9 disciplines, as well as a FUNSAR instructor and SARTECH II Lead Evaluator. She also evaluates for NASDN, NOCDS, and NSSDN.
In 1995, she founded K9 Emergency Response Teams, and since 2016, she has served as a Canine Search Specialist with Wisconsin Task Force 1, currently holding the position of K9 Team Manager. One of her most meaningful accomplishments is co-founding a statewide mutual aid SAR group in Wisconsin in the early 2000’s. Passionate about both canine and human training, Michelle is known for her practical, problem-solving approach, and ability to adapt training to the dogs in front of her. She teaches regularly across the U.S. for NASAR and other SAR organizations.
Paul Bunker is the founder and principal of Chiron K9, a leading canine consultancy specializing in detection dog training, field deployment, and research. With over 40 years of global experience, Paul is widely recognized as a subject matter expert in detection canine operations across conservation, environmental, military, and scientific applications. Paul began his career in the British Army’s Royal Army Veterinary Corps, serving 22 years as a specialist canine trainer and instructor. He led high-threat detection dog programs, trained military and government teams internationally, and was awarded the NATO Joint Commanders’ Commendation for Distinguished Service in the Balkans.
After retiring from the military, Paul was requested by the United States Department of Defense to establish a specialized off-leash detection canine program. He continued his involvement with military canine training after leaving the 341st Training Squadron Military Working Dog school at Lackland Air Force Base, supporting the United States Marine Corps IED detection canine program. He was promoted to Program Manager of Research and Development, supporting the Office of Naval Research. After being promoted to Director of a large canine training academy, he decided his skills lay elsewhere and transitioned his expertise into conservation, environmental, and scientific detection, founding Chiron K9 in 2017.
Under his leadership, Chiron K9 has supported government agencies, universities, and private organizations through innovative training solutions, field surveys, and collaborative research projects. Paul is an award-winning trainer and has authored and co-authored multiple peer-reviewed scientific publications and is the author of Imprint Your Detection Dog in 15 Days, a widely respected training guide. Known for his integrity, precision, and pioneering approach, Paul is committed to advancing the field of canine detection through science-driven practices and real-world application. His core philosophy—Success Through Innovation—is the foundation of Chiron K9’s mission and daily work.
Cait Clawson started working in canine Search and Rescue in Los Angeles, CA where she certified her wilderness dog, Redford, with CARDA (California Rescue Dog Association). She and Redford deployed across the state of California to assist Law Enforcement in finding living and deceased missing persons. She and Redford were also high-altitude certified (Cal OES Type 1 search environment).
After moving back to her native Salt Lake City, she and her next partner, Swayze, certified as a Human Remains Detection team with FEMA and Utah Task Force 1. She and Swayze have deployed nationally to the Lahaina, Maui wildfire in Aug. 2023, New Mexico wildfire in June 2024, Tennessee and North Carolina for Hurricane Helene in Oct. 2024, New Mexico floods in July 2025, and locally with multiple deployments for law enforcement and fire agencies. They are also members of Northwest K9 Search and Recovery, which serves multiple states and agencies throughout the intermountain west.
Cait’s goal is to broaden handlers’ understanding of canine behavior to strengthen communication between handler and canine. She believes that learning to work efficiently with a canine partner requires a deep understanding of how they learn and how best to communicate with not only canines in general, but with each dog’s unique personality and temperament.
Sonja Nordstrom began her K-9 SAR journey in 1995 while working as an FBI Special Agent. She has completed thousands of hours of advanced K-9 Detection training with world-renowned Law Enforcement, military, SAR, and high-level K9 sport trainers and instructors. Sonja earned her Detector Dog Trainer's Certification from Vohne Liche Kennels in 2003 and is currently a Utah P.O.S.T. Detector K9 Instructor and Judge for Narcotics, Explosives, and Cadaver K9s.
In addition to training hundreds of law enforcement, SAR, and civilian sport dogs, Sonja has trained, certified, and deployed with six of her own canines: two cross-trained in area, cadaver, and water and four single-purpose cadaver/HRD K-9s. Through the years she has certified to NNDDA, NAPWDA, USPCA, UT P.O.S.T., CARDA/CA OES, and Tri-State-K9 standards. Sonja has completed hundreds of missions with her dogs as both a professional and volunteer handler to include homicide/kidnapping investigations across the Western U.S., high-threat missions in Mexico and the Middle East, disaster recoveries to include the Pentagon following the 9/11 attacks, and deployments to Europe to assist in the recovery of WWII MIA soldiers. Over the course of her 23-year FBI career, Sonja served as Case Agent for hundreds of high-stakes violent crime cases, resulting in extensive field, investigative, and courtroom experience with a proven track record in both federal and state courts.
Sonja is the owner/trainer for Sonja’s Dog Training and serves and President and Handler for Great Basin K-9 SAR. Sonja’s training style focuses on precision and a component-based approach that caters to the individual needs and working temperament of each handler / dog team. She continues to train and deploy with her own dogs, leveraging her investigative experience with decades of detector K-9 expertise. Sonja also currently sits on multiple working groups as a member of the Consensus Body and Standards Board for the American Academy of Forensic Sciences which develops national standards for canine detection disciplines.
Heather Jo Cutting has been involved with canine search and rescue since 1997 when she and her husband joined King County Search Dogs with their first Labrador Retrievers Edgar and Boston. Her interest in K9 SAR goes back to the late 1980s when she was on a snow camping weekend with Girl Scouts and volunteered to hide in the snow for Marcia Koenig and one her early SAR dogs. Heather has worked with 7 dogs and her current dog, Tika, is 4 year old chocolate lab, working in area (airscent), HRD, and water with HRD certifications through IPWDA and NSDA. To date, Heather has been on more than 520 search missions as a dog handler and also serves as an operations leader (search manager), senior trainer and instructor. She has led or assisted with SAR dog workshops throughout the Pacific Northwest and internationally in Japan and New Zealand, including for area, HRD, water, avalanche, trailing, and search management. Heather is also a Principal Evaluator for the National Search Dog Alliance.
Josh Gertsman has been involved with canine search and rescue since 1997 when he and his wife joined King County Search Dogs with their first Labrador Retrievers Edgar and Boston, and since has worked with 7 dogs in that time. Josh’s current dogs are 12 year old Natick - certified area (airscent) and HRD, and have done extensive work on water and snow - and 10 month old Erie - a yellow lab who has recently begun training for wilderness airscent. To date, Josh has been deployed on over 500 search missions as a dog handler and also serves as an operations leader (search manager), senior trainer, and public information officer. Josh has led or assisted with SAR dog workshops throughout the Pacific Northwest and internationally, including area, HRD, water, avalanche, trailing, and search management. Josh is also a Principal Evaluator for the National Search Dog Alliance.
Colette Daigle-Berg began working her first search dog in 1995 when she requested dogs to work a search in Yellowstone National Park and gave them impossible assignments! (She has since refined her outlines of search dog areas!). She spent her 33-year career as a ranger in Yellowstone working in law enforcement, EMS and SAR. Now retired from the NPS she is on her fourth search dog, an Australian Koolie named “Quasar”. Still living just outside of Yellowstone she certifies her dogs with Tri-State K9 and SARDUS in HR, Area, Avalanche, Water, Evidence and Trailing. She is a Tri-State K9 evaluator in multiple disciplines.
Colette deploys with Gallatin County SAR, Park County SAR and Western Montana Search Dogs. She has managed Jon Francis Foundation K9 searches in Mt. Rainier and Yellowstone Parks and numerous other states. Her training philosophy is you’re having an issue get as much input as you can from your training partners and seminars. Once you find something that works for you and your partner, stick with it!
Mark Holmes with a thirty-nine year career in Law Enforcement, has been a Detective in the Criminal Investigations Division for the last 27 years and is assigned to Homicide/Cold Case Homicide of the Jefferson County, TX Sheriff's Office. Mark also holds the Master Peace Officer Certification from the State of Texas. He became a Law Enforcement K-9 handler in 1994. As a K-9 handler, he has been called upon to assist the F.B.I., U.S. Marshall's Office, U.S. State Department, The U.S. Department of the Interior - National Park Service, the United States Consulates Office, the Mexican Consulates Office, National Aeronautic Space Administration (NASA - Space Shuttle Disaster), and Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Office of the Inspector General.
Mark has also worked numerous canine related mantrailing cases throughout Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida including federal and state prison escapes. As a K-9 Handler, he is recognized as an Expert Witness in both Texas and Louisiana Judicial Court Systems. He is a nationally recognized canine mantrailing instructor and Founded and is the President of both Texas Bloodhound Search and Rescue and the United States Mantrailing Association. Mark has taught well over 100 canine mantrailing seminars/ courses throughout the United States and has authored/co-authored numerous training articles relating to canine mantrailing and scent specific canine training.
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