A search and rescue dog has to search for humans laying on or under the surface, and than locate and indicate this place to his handler. The method used to get the dog to that point has to work with the character of the dog; by trial and error, and in particular by working into the right drives, he has to learn to search and alert.

We are of the opinion that the training of a living being never can be enforced by tightening the rules. Rather than by a rigid system, what the dog likes to do has to be worked out. Training of a search and rescue dog must be flexible, but clearly focussed on a certain goal. The biggest problem with the training of search and rescue dogs is always the handler, who, shaped by his environment, first has to understand the difference between a common dog training and training search dogs, and than switch to a new way of thinking. When the handler understands the difference, you can call them a very good team: two colleagues, each with their own speciality!

Inspiring training

Some handlers slave away to train their dogs to give certain alerts. For months they train on the barking exercise. However, it will sometimes happen that they don’t make any progress, or that the dog resists or completely refuses to search. Using that method does not take the dog into account. The question is, why don’t people choose the method that fits the dog, instead of trying to adapt the dog to the method?

Training that takes into account the dog’s own characteristics is in fact nothing more than a favorable way of making use of the hereditary characteristics of the dog. This way of training has the clear advantage that the dog, in learning to search, locate and alert, does not experience feelings of uneas and because of that, will always be a happy worker. Searching is learned and worked out with a greater reliability. Besides, this way of training is a lot more fun; yes, it will even inspire people!

A search and rescue dog is normally required to work long and intensively during a mission

‘Dog-like’

A search and rescue dog normally has to search, during an actual mission, long and intensively. So, to achieve this, he must be brought to the point during training where searching becomes a real passion. The most effective and succesful training is that based on the natural ability and drive complexes of the dog, when acts of instincts transform into the desire to work until the end. It is good to realize that hunting was the first task that mankind used dogs for, to serve us. Hunting is the dog’s strongest specialization. And hunting is searching! Besides, the hunting drive complex can be stimulated until the dog is almost physically exhausted, even in non-hunting dogs. It is easy to encourage this behaviour by using the right drives, without offering pressure or improper support. By following its own learning method, trial and error, the dog could discover by itself the right way of working. ‘Dog-like’ has to be your guideline.

The dog wants to find the toy and thus will clearly alert the handler when its substitute is found

Learning process

The learning process for search and rescue dogs has the following important steps:

1. Focussing the dog on a toy.

2. Making a conection between the toy and humans.

3. Introducing a search area with human odour.

This way we teach the dog using his natural way to search for people. A moving object stimulates certain drives in a dog; it becomes a prey. We make use of these drives to teach the dog to search with enthusiasm and motivation. First we get the dog to focus on the toy, and than we offer that toy in connection with a human. He then learns that human odour in the search area means finding his toy. The dog likes to have the toy whatever happens and becomes for us loud and clear in his alert.

To the dog, human odour in the search area means it has found its favourite toy, which is why it alerts the handler loudly and clearly

Question to Resi Gerritsen

Is the adult dog trained in the same different phases of training like the puppy?

When the dog to be trained is already an adult, then it will be important to see how his behaviour is worked out and how strong a bond the dog has with his handler. If the dog’s behaviour has become connected with a sense of frustration, or if he has not bonded well with his handler, then one can be sure that it will be a lot more difficult to train this dog, than one which has the optimal physical and mental characteristics: steadfastness, not aggressive or frightened, good endurance and strong drives (search drive, bring drive). In fact, a ‘normal’ dog. Anything that deviates from the norm must be compensated with knowledge and with a lot of patience.

As with the young dog, the adult dog follows the same different phases of training. His play and prey drive is, however, already more active, and because of that, the next phase of the training most of the time can be started after a shorter period.