Search and Rescue Dogs

Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team has two operational Search Dogs …

Abbie is a Blue Merle Border Collie born in 2005. Her handler Ken Sloan is a long serving member of Woodhead Team and Abbie is his 3rd Search Dog. They passed their assessments in January 2010 in particularly difficult conditions in the Lake District.

Dodge is a Black and White Border Collie born in 2006. Dodge and his handler Wayne Thackray graded in the Brecon Beacons in October 2008 and  have been credited with 3 finds. Dodge is Waynes first Search Dog.

Listen to Dodge making a ‘find’ during a training exercise »

It has been calculated that a dog is equivalent to about 20 searchers in good conditions and many more in poor conditions

Listen to a Radio interview from Penistone FM about why we use dogs »

Our Search Dog Teams are members of SARDA (England).

SARDA(E) is an organisation set  up to oversee the training and assessment of search dog teams, assuring that high standards and competency are achieved and maintained throughout the dog’s working life.

All SARDA handlers have to be full members of mountain rescue teams for a minimum of 12 months prior to starting training their dog.  All SARDA training is in addition to whatever training requirements their respective teams have.

The dogs are trained to ‘Air Scent’ rather than track the missing person then return to the handler repeatedly and bark to ‘indicate’ the find. Air scenting is a very efficient method of searching large areas quickly and does not require items of clothing or effects from the missing person.

In ideal conditions a dog can pick up a human scent from about 500 metres.

More information can be found at www.sardaengland.org.uk