Dogs from all over the country were in the Ozarks this weekend working on their skills. Dogs and their handlers came from Nebraska, New Mexico, and Indiana to join Missouri dogs in the FEMA Canine Functional Skills Assessment at a training site at Conco Quarries in Willard. It's a serious test of skills, but to the dogs, it's all a game.Donna Black and her Border Collie, Expert, came hundreds of miles to participate in the Functional Skills Assessment. Dogs are expected to climb ladders, walk over unstable debris, and most importantly, find the human scent."Our mission is to find people who are trapped and get them out. The fastest way for us to to that is to use K-9s, because they're agile. They can move across collapsed buildings very quickly," explains John Huff of Nebraska Task Force 1.If the dogs pass this test, then they'll have six months to pass the FEMA Certification Evaluation and join a search dog task force. read more