The National Search And Rescue Dog Association
Maple Barn, Canterbury Road, Molash, Kent CT4 8HF
Water Search Dogs
They can be found working offline on or along water margins or from a small boat. Directed by the handler, they can search streams, ditches, dykes, ponds, lakes, reservoirs, rivers, estuaries and even the coastline. These dogs will detect and alert at any human scent emanating from the surface of the water. If you scroll down the page you will see how the water dog teams work in a search scenario and the steps in the find sequence.
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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 our 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
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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 MoreDownload GuideWater Search Dogs - Non Scent Discriminating
These are the search dogs that can detect scent emanating from the surface of water. They do not know the person they are looking for but are invaluable for finding missing drowned persons.
Equipment Our Search Dogs wear a harness or floatation jacket whilst they are searching. There are various types of harness or floatation jacket used, which are brightly coloured, with hi-vis and may have lights and bells attached. We often work in the dark so we need to be able to see our dogs and, if not, hear them. 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 told search for scent for a Missing Person on command. They are good to go 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 search for a Missing Person along the margins of bodies of water or on water from a boat. If a dog team are searching by water such as the the edge of a river, canal or reservoir, the handler guides the dog to search along one or both sides. Some dogs will enter the water and sometimes swim when they have located human scent. When searching on a body of water such as a pond, stream, dyke, river, canal, lake, reservoir, estuary or even a beach the handler needs to workout a a search strategy so that they can place the dogs noise to strategically search the area. This involves a good understanding of the effects of wind. The Handler's secret weapon might be currents, flows, eddies and the wind ! The dogs secret weapon is their amazing nose !
Where They Search ALL NSARDA Dog Handlers can be qualified to work land and/or water-based. A Dog Team can effectively work anywhere they can do so safely offline or in the confines of a boat or other water-based platform. The Handler is usually an operational member of their local Search And Rescue Team or similar agency
Working the Water Search Dog On land the handler will guide the dog along the bank and take note of all / any indications given by the dog. On a boat or similar platform, the handler will ask the dog to search and the dog will usually move around the craft looking for human scent. The dog has the freedom of the boat and the Handler and boat helm will accommodate the dog as best they can. The handler will direct the boat helm as to where to move and position the boat to align with the strategy they have decided to search the area of water.
Locating a Missing Person When a Water Search Dog locates human scent they will indicate by barking, laying down, sitting, jumping at or nudging the handler, or even a combination of these. Some dogs will also mouth or paw at the water and some may even jump in. After years of training all dog handlers know how to read their dog's posture, body language, tail position, movements and will usually know when their dog is working scent.
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. 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 and training is constant and regular so it is not long between finds.
Rescue the Missing Person Unlike air scent dogs, the dog and handler do not usually find a physical body as it will often be submerged or deep under water. This is of course unless it is on the surface or partially on land. Otherwise the task of the dog handler is to give the best positional information they can of the potential body location, determined from any indications given by the dog, taking into consideration the wind and geographical features. The handler needs to make this footprint as small as they possibly can to aid with the body recovery. At this stage the Water Search Dog Team we have completed the Search element and the job of the water dog is done. Now comes the Rescue element. The Police or other agencies, may use this information to assist with their body recovery process.
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 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 the family, loved ones, colleagues and friends 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.