The National Search And Rescue Dog Association
Maple Barn, Canterbury Road, Molash, Kent CT4 8HF
Air Scenting Search Dogs
Working off line, they are directed by the handler and hunt for airborne human scent. If you scroll down the page you will see how the dog teams work in a search scenario and the steps in the find sequence.
you can help us in so many ways
How ?
Donate Online, Leave a Legacy In Your Will, Become A Friend, Fundraise, Sponsor, Provide Access to Large Areas of Land.
We need access to land for training.
We also need dogs bodies who are willing to hide out for the dogs to find.
Find Out MoreAsk Us How ?our dog profiles
Meet the Dogs
We have profiles for our wonderful dogs with interesting information, a story, some image and videos.
Whether they are in training, operational, retired or fallen, they are our absolutely amazing fluffies!
Find Out MoreOur Dogswhere are we ?
Member Associations
We have profiles for our Member Associations with details and contact information.
Our Associations are integrated with Lowland & Mountain Rescue Teams.
Find Out MoreOur Member Associationswhat search dogs do
Types of Missing Person Search Dog
We have lots of information to explain the different types of missing person search dogs we train and qualify.
Find Out MoreTypes of Search DogGifts in Wills
Your legacy will save Lives
We will send you a guide to explain how to update your Will to support the amazing work of the NSARDA Search Dogs.
Find Out MoreDownloadAir Scenting Search Dogs - Non Scent Specific
People are often surprised to find out these search dogs do not know the person they are looking for ! They will find any person picking up their scent. They are adept at finding one or many people.
Equipment Our Search Dogs wear a harness or jacket whilst they are searching. There are various types of harness or jacket used, which are brightly coloured, with hi-vis and often have lights and bells attached. We often work in the dark so we need to be able to see and hear our dogs to know where they are and have been. The harness is also a trigger for the dog to tell it when it is a 'search dog' as opposed to a 'pet dog'.
Go Search Our Search Dogs are sent to go search for a Missing Person on command. They are ready to be sent once they have their harness or jacket on. Every Handler has their own commands to use with their dog. You may hear a dog handler say "Go Search", "Go to Work" or something similar.
How They Search Our Search Dogs are sent to go search for a Missing Person. If a dog team are searching a Route, Path or Track, the handler needs to guide the dog to search both sides up to a distance of 25-30m. When searching an Area the handler needs to workout a a search strategy so that they can guide the dog to search the whole area as effectively as possible and to ensure it is all covered. The Handler's secret weapon is the Wind ! The dogs secret weapon is their amazing nose that can detect scent in the wind ! Hence they are referred to as 'Air Scenters'
Where They Search Regardless of their qualification ALL NSARDA Dog Handlers are trained and qualified to search routes, paths, tracks as well as areas, whether open, moorland or wooded. A Dog Team can effectively work anywhere they can do so safely offline. Whether in a Lowland or Mountain situation, these search dogs do the same job but they are used to operating in the terrain they were trained in. Hence we have qualification paths for Lowland and Mountain to distinguish where they operate and to reflect the training and risks involved in either terrain. The Handler is usually an operational member of their local Search And Rescue Team or similar organisation.
Working the Search Dog Our Search Dogs, often dictated by their breed, will utilise all manner of circular or elliptical search patterns when they are 'hunting' for human scent. Handlers utilise the ability of the dog to range away from them and to use these natural search patterns along with directional control, in order to send the dog wherever they need to achieve 'coverage' of the route or area being searched. Directional control comes from a combination of body signals, movement, commands and sounds. The key is to use the wind direction (sometimes there is no wind!) and to place the dogs nose most effectively to be able to detect any human scent along the search route or in the search area.
Locating a Missing Person When a Search Dog locates human scent they will work the 'scent cone' to find the person, wherever they are located. Some Dogs will make physical contact and others just need to get up close. If a search dog cannot get to that person, due to a physical barrier preventing them, they will usually let the handler know there is someone there. After years of training all dog handlers know how to read their dog's posture, body language, tail position, speed, movements and will usually know when their dog is working scent.
Search Dog Returns to the Handler Our Search Dogs will tell the handler when they have found a missing person. Once an NSARDA dog 'finds' the missing person, they will immediately return to the handler. Not all missing person search dogs are trained this way. They Handler may be close by or far away when the dog finds. This depends on many factors such as where the dog first located the human scent in proximity to the Handler and how far the scent has travelled. Fortunately our dogs have the amazing inherent ability to remember exactly where the handler is and can always find them again quickly, even if they have moved. For the dog, time is of the essence as they know they have to go and fetch their handler.
Search Dog Alerts the Handler to Their Find Our Search Dogs will return to the handler so that they can tell them that they have found a person. Hopefully it is the missing person - remember they do not know who they are looking for so it could be another person that happens to be in that location ! This 'Alert' is very clear and definitive and usually a bark, series of barks or a jump at the handler (there are other methods but barking is preferred).
The Refind & Shuttle Our Search Dogs will now take the Handler from where they are to where the person they have found is. If this is a short distance the handler can simply follow the dog. The speed depends very much on the nature of the terrain. Where this is a long distance and the handler is unable to keep up, the dogs will shuttle back and forwards between the person and the handler. Sometimes where the distance is long or the route difficult, the dogs will refind the person by their scent. The dog will do this without the handler possibly knowing.
Missing Person Located - Reward the Search Dog What an amazing job. Our search dog deserves a reward and loads of praise for finding the missing person and taking the Handler to them. The Handler will 'Reward' their search dog. This involves lots and lots of praise and play with their favourite ball, rope, tuggy , special food or treats - whatever is very special to that dog. This reward process is ingrained at the start of training and is always the same in training or for real every time the dog makes a find. Qualified, operational dogs can undertake several searches one after the other and receive no reward if they have not had a find. This is normal and down to years of training. This will cause no harm but the next training session where they will find is likely only days away. This is why we only train very high drive dogs and certain breeds that are capable of this once they are qualified. In training we will always ensure they have a find.
Rescue the Missing Person As a Search & Rescue Dog Team we have completed the Search element. Now comes the Rescue element. Immediate treatment, first aid, observations and casualty care is the new priority. Also coordinating support of the Search & Rescue Team and getting the missing person to a Helicopter or Ambulance and on to a place of further specialist help and safety, or home back to their loved ones. Once that is done the job is complete, even though the search dog has already fulfilled their role.
Home to Rest or Back to Work ? The Search Dogs will now return to being a pet dog and be fully rested. Before long they will be ready to go again. Many handlers have a job and may have to return to their place of work, which they possibly abandoned sometime earlier. Or they have been out much of the night and will get little or no sleep before heading back or off to work. If they are lucky they can go home and rest. Being an NSARDA Dog Handler is NOT A PAID JOB. THEY ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS AND RECEIVE NO EXPENSES OR REWARD FOR WHAT THEY DO apart from the satisfaction of having made a difference to someone that was vulnerable and missing or their family and loved ones hoping for them to be found.
We're here for you and your loved ones, every day of the week, every week of the year
We rely completely on public donations to keep this invaluable service running.