Alfie’s Adventures – Search & Rescue Dog

When I came across members of SARDA (the Search and Rescue Dog Association) on a training exercise in Cressbrook Dale I was so inspired and impressed by them that I decided to find out more.

I contacted Malcolm Bowyer and Alex Muller to see if there was any possibility of my joining them on a training exercise with Alfie, and I am pleased to say that we were invited to tag along with them on a training day in Biggin Dale.

It was very wet as Alfie and I set off on our early morning adventure, but other than when heavy snows make driving a problem, the SARDA members carry out training exercises every couple of weeks throughout the year in all weathers and conditions. It is essential that the dogs get used to fog, snow, ice and rain as well as sunshine. Strong winds can cause a bit of a problem though, as the dogs are trained to ‘air scent’ for missing persons or casualties.

On this particular exercise there was Malcolm with his dog Trigg, Alex with Holly and two ‘dogsbodies’ called Nick and Dick – they are the pretend casualties who patiently hide and wait for the dogs to find them. Dick’s wife Jane came along for support with her dog Ben, together with Alfie and me.

As we walked down into the depths of Biggin Dale, I was chatting to Malcolm whilst the dogsbodies went on ahead to hide.

Malcolm has been involved with SARDA for 15 years, his first dog Glyn is 16 years old now and enjoying his well-earned retirement, having worked as a rescue dog until he was 12.

Alex has over 30 years experience with mountain rescue and 10 years as a handler with SARDA.

In the Peak District area there are currently only 5 fully graded working rescue dogs, with another dog about to qualify and 2 in the early stages of training.

The Search and Rescue Dog Association was formed in Scotland in 1965. Hamish Macinnes who was a team leader of the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team attended an international Red Cross Search Dog course in Switzerland. They were training and assessing avalanche search dogs and Hamish saw the potential for using dogs to search for lost walkers and climbers within the UK, thereby SARDA was formed.

The first two dogs to be trained were two German Shepherd dogs called Rangi and Tiki who belonged to Hamish. Over the years other breeds have been successfully trained including Labradors, Collies and Springer Spaniels.

It is certainly not easy to become a member of SARDA and there would be no possibility of Alfie or me ever reaching the stage of being fully fledged members. Before the charity will accept anyone wishing to become a handler, they must have been on the callout list of a recognised Mountain Rescue Team for a minimum of one year, and have a letter of recommendation from their team. To even be on the callout list of a Mountain Rescue Team may take years of being a volunteer.

Obviously it is important that the handler is suitably qualified for extreme conditions and mountainous terrain – it would be embarrassing if they themselves had to be rescued! Then there follows the aspect of training a dog, which ideally is a puppy or very young dog.

At first the puppy is given 2 or 3 short bursts of training every day – just like a young child their attention span is very limited! Obedience is paramount together with socialisation with other dogs and people and stock familiarisation. A young dog may play games like hide and seek with his handler to amuse and encourage the dog but this then progresses to more structured training.

Any Search and Rescue Dog has to pass a ‘Registration’ and ‘Stock Test’ to prove that it has no interest in any livestock such as sheep or cattle that might be found in either training or rescue situations. After months of intense training and exercise, many dogs fail this test and are instantly classed as unacceptable, often to the frustration and disappointment of the handler. However, if the dog passes the test they are given special tags to put onto their collar, but they will have to take further Stock Tests throughout their careers.

The trainee dogs can now proceed to the ‘Find Sequence’ of tests where they are taught to seek out dogsbodies and indicate success to their handler by barking for attention. They must never touch the dogsbody or any object that they come across.

The final stage is to search without knowing the location of the dogsbody. This is over a large area which could take several hours. If the dog passes this he is given his ‘Search Dog Initial Grade’. The training is held over four continuous days in a mountainous region. All aspects of the search are assessed including the dogs hunting ability, the find as well as the handler’s ability. Only when they pass this course are the dogs given the coveted Search Dog red disc which then permits them to attend callouts. Following further assessments they reach the ‘Search Dog Full Grade’ and are continually seen working on national training weekends. Both Trigg and Holly have reached this coveted status and wear their badges with pride. Since Malcolm and Alex qualified as handlers, there has followed years of continual training and callouts demanding countless hours of commitment and dedication to the Association.

All SARDA dogs are given extensive training with helicopters and must be happy to wear a special harness to winch them up from the ground if necessary. This definitely rules Alfie out as a rescue dog – I only have to switch on the Hoover or hairdryer and he runs for cover!

Search and Rescue Dogs come under the operational control of several different organisations but generally it is the police who will ask for their assistance. This can be for numerous reasons to include lost walkers and climbers, missing children or possible victims of crime or suicide.

There are approximately 30-40 callouts in the Peak District each year which involve the need for SARDA. Both Holly and Trigg have been successful in finding genuine casualties and fatalities, but Holly really excelled herself on one mission which involved the search for an injured person. She discovered the proceeds from a robbery which was a totally separate incident. The culprits had hidden a stash of jewellery over a wall, presumably with the intention of recovering it later. But they had not reckoned with the amazing ability of Holly to sniff out something hidden! Holly has got another claim to fame as well – she featured for several seconds in an episode of Peak Practice!

On another occasion Trigg was able to locate the body of a woman which was lying on the bottom of a river. It was not even known that she was in the water as the search teams had been initially called to cover the surrounding area. Frogmen were then brought in to recover the body.

Although Trigg and Holly have not worked abroad, some SARDA dogs have been used in situations like the Mexico earthquake. The only problem with this though is the 6-month quarantine laws which apply on their return.

We reached the deepest part of the dale which to all intent and purpose was deserted, but I knew otherwise. Somewhere up the steep embankment two dogsbodies were hidden among the scree, scrub and rough ground. There was a bit of healthy competition between Alex and Malcolm as to which dog was first to search, resulting in the tossing of a coin.

The excited dogs were fitted with their protective jackets and their ears pricked at the prospect of a search – they obviously enjoy what they do! Holly was the first to set off in an organised and systematic sweep of the hillside. I had not been aware of how important a part the air current plays in any search situation. The handlers monitor this and command the dogs in such a way as to search into the wind whenever possible. The dogs are then drawn toward the scent of humans which can either be from a person or object.

Holly was on to Nick’s scent first and found him lying in a hollow on the top of the hill, we could hear her barking to alert Alex to her find, she then went on to find Dick lying beside a wall. Meanwhile Trigg, Ben and Alfie were all waiting down in the bottom of the valley and looking excitedly up the hillside to what was going off. Alfie was begging to be allowed a turn.

After Trigg had carried out his training exercise and been praised for also finding both the dogsbodies, Malcolm allowed Alfie to take a turn of sorts. Without any previous training or stock test it would not be possible to allow Alfie to run lose around the countryside, even though there was not much change of him actually going far from his mum! Unknown to Alfie I had brought one of his favourite squeaky toys in my rucksack, which Malcolm hid under some stones by the side of the path whilst I covered Alfie’s eyes. He was even allowed to wear the coveted rescue dog jacket very briefly. I then told him to find his squeaky and pointed him in the right direction. Having seen the other dogs working He was bright enough to know what to do, and sure enough he sniffed out his little toy! I was overwhelmed with pride and the little group clapped and cheered as Alfie jumped for joy, his tail wagging madly. Trigg and Holly had doggy smiles on their faces, but I’d love to know what they were really thinking of Alfie’s little trick!

It was now time to go home, and as we walked back up the dale, all the dogs were socializing and playing together. It had been a most enjoyable morning and I thoroughly appreciated being allowed to tag along. I am now full of admiration for Malcolm, Alex, Trigg and Holly as well as the dogsbodies who also give up their valuable time to assist this worthwhile cause.

SARDA is a registered charity, funded by sponsorship and donations, and they are always looking out for new sponsors to help finance them. The handlers are totally voluntary, even in the event of a callout. They also have to fund themselves for travelling to national training events which can be as far away as Dartmoor! ‘SARDA’ are also looking for new locations to hold training exercises so that the dogs do not get used to the same settings.

This article was written by Sally Mosley a few years ago as part of a series of articles about dogs involved in charities or working dogs in the Peak District.Sally is available for public speaking, one of the talks being about her experiences whilst researching and writing these articles. For further information please visitwww.sallymosley.co.ukor emailmail@sallymosley.co.uk

Sally Mosley