In the third step we make the connection for the dog: Searching an area for human (odour) means getting my toy. Now the dog is brought to a search area, which can be a rubble-filled or snowy area, as well as a wood or heath.

By repeating step two often, the dog learns that he will always find his toy (under the rubble or in a wood) at the helper. The final goal of training is worked out in the third step: connecting the search field and a human with the dog’s toy. In the third step, the surroundings and the missing or buried people also become a deciding factor in the hunting drive. This is the result: a search and rescue dog that already in specific surroundings (rubble, wood, snow) comes to have a very strong search passion.

In the first sessions do not use such a large area, so that the dog is succesful in a reasonable time; later on a larger search area or more ‘victims’ can be offered step by step to the dog. By building it up this way, he comes to know that locating a human also means locating his toy. Because this method works from the dog’s natural talent, he will search enthusiastically to be succesful.

Individual training

When the dog knows these exercises, we can strengthen these achievements by offering the dog increasingly more difficult circumstances. For instance, he must search longer to get results or he must do more work in the rubble to find the helper. This will make the drive to get the toy stronger. This building up process has to be adapted to every individual dog. Some dogs have more physical strength and stamina than other dogs. Particularly in rubble, the materials with which the hole is closed must be adapted to the strength, stamina and training of the dog.

Heavier terrain and more difficult circumstances now mean that the dog will sense more excitement during search actions. He must go through the larger search area and/or a heavier covering on the helpers, he has to do more to get to his toy. Or he encounters totally new circumstances, which he has to endure to be succesful. For instance, he can encounter blackberry bushes, ditches, thick impenetrable bushes or dark corridors and cellars with obstacles, all which he has to endure before he finds the human with his toy.

No frustrations

In training search and rescue dogs, nothing can be left to chance. The handler has to have a clear idea about every part of the search action, and then help his dog progress in accordance to his character. In order for a search and rescue dog to hold up under the strain of missions lasting several days, the training has to be optimal from the beginning and the dog should experience no frustrations. Frustration happens when the dog is not treated the right way, or when he cannot work out his drives. Of course, it should be said that sporadic frustrations will do less damage to a more experienced dog than to a dog in training. For learning dogs these are disastrous. But even for more experienced dogs, frustrations can lead to a decrease in capabilities.

The training of a dog must, if we really want to let the dog come to full development, always be oriented on his own character and his peculiarities. If we work by stimulating a particular drive, then the dog knows immediately what to do. When he has found the scent clue, he will always make a furious effort to reach the person. When it becomes difficult, he will try by digging, biting or scratching to clear up the debris. When that doesn’t work fast enough, he will become annoyed and bark because of that.

What should the handler do if he wants his dog to search a certain place better?

Search and rescue dogs must constantly decide between the human odour we want them to search out beneath the debris and all the other background odours, which also contain human odours. After that, they have to point out the scent clue, the place with the highest odour concentration. The handler has to learn to understand the ‘dog’s characteristic way of searching’ and not disturb the dog by unnecessary commands. The handler leads the action by searching himself with his eyes and his ears, and keeps in mind where the dog has searched and where he hasn’t. A handler who wants his dog to search a certain place a bit better, a so-called fine search, doesn’t have to use another command. It is mostly enough for him to stay in place and make movements with his arms to show the direction. It works also if the handler sniffs deeply a few times at the spot, as if he himself wants to pick up the odour better. The curiosity of the dog, who sees his handler as a searching colleague, will be stimulated directly and he will search that place more intensively.