Search And Rescue Dog Training

       Search and rescue dogs have one of the toughest jobs in the dog world. It's not surprising, then, that their training has to begin when they are only pups.

       Search and rescue dog training actually starts by choosing the right kind of dogs for the training. SAR dogs need to be outgoing and confident. Some amount of confidence can be built up through socialization but it helps if a dog is naturally confident, curious and friendly toward people. Trainers will try to choose pups who are not shy. They may not be the boldest pups in the litter but they will be intelligent and curious. They need to show signs that they will enjoy training. And, a confident pup is always a plus.

       Socialization is extremely important for the puppies chosen to be search and rescue dogs. It helps dogs become more confident and well-adjusted. SAR dogs need to be able to adapt to many different environments when they're working. Socialization at a young age helps prepare them to handle the different things they will encounter when they're adults, whether it's working in strange places, being surrounded by unknown people, searching in rubble or noisy city streets, or handling emotional scenes. The more different kinds of socialization a dog has as a puppy and young dog, the easier it will be for him to handle these things when he's a working SAR dog.

       SAR dogs also need to learn basic training, such as obedience skills and how to work with their handler. In addition, the dog and handler work from a young age on "hide and seek" games where the young dog will practice finding the handler. At first these games can be very simple and easy. As the dog gets better at finding the handler the games can become more complicated to challenge the dog. Hide and seek can move from a simple indoor game to hiding in the backyard or a field. The dog is always learning and becoming better at "finding" the missing person, in this case his handler. As the dog progresses, the handler can ask the dog to find another person and make the game even more complex.

      Treats and rewards play a big part in training a dog for search and rescue. Positive reinforcement is always a very important part of the training to encourage the dog and reward him.

       Different dogs will search (or hunt) in different ways, depending on the breed of dog. Some dogs will scent by air and some will use ground scent. Sporting dogs are often more likely to use air scent while hounds are usually more likely to use the ground to track. However, most dogs will pick up scent where they find it. For instance, if you are searching with a Labrador Retriever he won't ignore scent on the ground just because he is a sporting dog. He's still a dog with a dog's excellent nose, capable of finding scent wherever it lies.

      As the dog becomes more proficient he will learn the subtleties of searching. There are some differences in training for SAR depending on what the dog will specialize in searching for: live victims, cadavers, missing persons, etc.

     The handler will also need to learn the different ways of searching. These can vary depending on the area searched - urban, rural, disaster setting, and so on.

      Search and rescue dogs perform a very difficult job and often risk their own lives to save others. It can take years for a dog to become a fully-trained SAR dog. Hats off to these brave dogs and their handlers!

      Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN where he helps people train and solve problems of all types with their dogs. Wayne has also been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network.