Search and rescue dog

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Red Cross Collie, Italy, 1909 Red Cross collie.jpg
Red Cross Collie, Italy, 1909
Austro-Hungarian sanitary dog in WWI, 1914 BASA-1221K-1-48-34.jpg
Austro-Hungarian sanitary dog in WWI, 1914

A search-and-rescue dog is one trained to find missing people after a natural or man-made disaster. The dogs detect human scent [ citation needed ] and have been known to find people under water, under snow, and under collapsed buildings. [1]

Contents

A dog and handler search for survivors of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake John Ball with rescue dog Darcy in Chautara, Nepal (17127450669).jpg
A dog and handler search for survivors of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake

Training

Riley at World Trade Center post 9-11-2001 attack Rescue dog.jpg
Riley at World Trade Center post 9-11-2001 attack

Training of a search dog usually begins when the dog is still a puppy. Typically training takes two to four years before the dog passes the required tests. [2] Common dog breeds used for search-and-rescue work include German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever. [3] Individual dogs are selected and trained for behaviours related to successful field work. In training, dogs must demonstrate a willingness to work despite distractions, proper command control, and the ability to learn through positive reward reinforcement. [4] Cadaver dog training requires regular and repeated exposure to target scents. Training aids can include a combination of mock scent chemical formulations, animal remains and human remains. [5]

Cadaver dogs

A cadaver dog searches for human remains at a plane crash site in Greenland. US Navy 040807-N-0331L-002 Rudy Hutchinson and Susan Frank are led by cadaver dog, Tucker during the recovery of a Navy P-2V Neptune aircraft that crashed over Greenland in 1962.jpg
A cadaver dog searches for human remains at a plane crash site in Greenland.

Human remains detection dogs (HRDDs) or "cadaver dogs" are specially trained search and rescue canines used to detect the scent of buried or concealed deceased human remains, body parts and biological fluids. [6] In Croatia such dogs have been used to find burial sites almost 3000 years old. [7] More recently, HRDD's have been used in Canada and the United States to locate unmarked graves of Indigenous children around former residential school sites. [8] Police, death investigators and anthropologists may work closely with cadaver dogs and their handlers. [9]

Organizations

Rescue dog waiting at actual disaster site (2014 Hiroshima landslides) Heavy rain disaster in Hiroshima-20140823 184255.jpg
Rescue dog waiting at actual disaster site (2014 Hiroshima landslides)

Numerous countries, cities and regions have search and rescue organizations using dog-and-handler teams that can be mobilized in an emergency or disaster. Here are a few organizations.

Notable dogs

In fiction

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guide dog</span> Assistance dog trained to lead blind or visually impaired people around obstacles

Guide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind or visually impaired people around obstacles. Although dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are red–green colour blind and incapable of interpreting street signs. The human does the directing, based on skills acquired through previous mobility training. The handler might be likened to an aircraft's navigator, who must know how to get from one place to another, and the dog is the pilot, who gets them there safely. In several countries guide dogs, along with most other service and hearing dogs, are exempt from regulations against the presence of animals in places such as restaurants and public transportation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labrador Retriever</span> British breed of retriever gun dog

The Labrador Retriever or simply Labrador is a British breed of retriever gun dog. It was developed in the United Kingdom from St. John's water dogs imported from the colony of Newfoundland, and was named after the Labrador region of that colony. It is among the most commonly kept dogs in several countries, particularly in the European world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assistance dog</span> Working dog trained to aid or assist an individual with a disability

An assistance dog, known as a service dog in the United States, is a dog trained to aid or assist an individual with a disability. Many receive training from an assistance dog organization, or by from their handler, often with the help of a professional trainer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retriever</span> Dog type

A retriever is a type of gun dog that retrieves game for a hunter. Generally gun dogs are divided into three major classifications: retrievers, flushing spaniels, and pointing breeds. Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and return them to the hunter without damage; retrievers are distinguished in that nonslip retrieval is their primary function. As a result, retriever breeds are bred for soft mouths and a great willingness to please, learn, and obey. A soft mouth refers to the willingness of the dog to carry game in its mouth without biting into it. "Hard mouth" is a serious fault in a hunting dog and is very difficult to correct. A hard-mouthed dog renders game unpresentable or at worst inedible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gun dog</span> Hunting dog type

Gun dogs or bird dogs are types of hunting dogs developed to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game. The term hunting dog is broad and includes all breeds and skills of hunting canines, but "gun dogs" refers to canines that are trained to work alongside a loud firearm while hunting or retrieving game. Gun dogs are divided into three main categories: pointers and retrievers, setters and spaniels, and water dogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Police dog</span> Dog trained and used for law enforcement

A police dog, also known as a K-9, is a dog that is trained to assist police and other law enforcement officers. Their duties may include searching for drugs and explosives, locating missing people, finding crime scene evidence, protecting officers and other people, and attacking suspects who flee from officers. The breeds most commonly used by law enforcement are the German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Bloodhound, Dutch Shepherd, and Labrador Retriever. In recent years, the Belgian Malinois has become the leading choice for police and military work due to their intense drive, focus, agility, and smaller size, though German Shepherds remain the breed most associated with law enforcement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog aggression</span> Behavior in dogs

Dog aggression expressed by dogs is considered to be normal behaviour and various types of aggression are influenced by a dog's environment and genetic predisposition. Dogs commonly display possessive aggression when defending resources or themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detection dog</span> Dog trained to detect certain substances

A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones. The sense most used by detection dogs is smell. Hunting dogs that search for game, and search and rescue dogs that work to find missing humans are generally not considered detection dogs but instead under their own categories. There is some overlap, as in the case of cadaver dogs, trained to search for human remains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracking (dog)</span>

Tracking refers to a dog's ability to detect, recognize and follow a specific scent. Possessing heightened olfactory abilities, dogs, especially scent hounds, are able to detect, track and locate the source of certain odours. A deeper understanding of the physiological mechanisms and the phases involved in canine scent tracking has allowed humans to utilize this animal behaviour in a variety of professions. Through domestication and the human application of dog behaviour, different methods and influential factors on tracking ability have been discovered. While tracking was once considered a predatory technique of dogs in the wild, it has now become widely used by humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guiding Eyes for the Blind</span> School for training guide dogs

Guiding Eyes for the Blind is a non-profit school based in Yorktown Heights, New York that trains guide dogs to aid people who are visually impaired. It also operates a canine development center in Patterson, New York, and a training site in White Plains, New York. It was the first guide dog training school to be accredited by the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake (rescue dog)</span> Search and rescue dog following the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina

Jake was an American black Labrador who served as a search and rescue dog following the September 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina. Jake served as a rescue dog from 2001 until his retirement because of cancer in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Service animal</span> Animal to assist people with disabilities

Service animals are working animals that have been trained to perform tasks that assist disabled people. Service animals may also be referred to as assistance animals or helper animals depending on the country and the animal's function. Dogs are the most common service animals, having assisted people since at least 1927.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Retriever</span> Scottish breed of dog

The Golden Retriever is a Scottish breed of retriever dog of medium size. It is characterised by a gentle and affectionate nature and a striking golden coat. It is commonly kept as a pet and is among the most frequently registered breeds in several Western countries. It is a frequent competitor in dog shows and obedience trials; it is also used as a gun dog and may be trained for use as a guide dog.

International Search and Rescue Dog Organisation

The International Search and Rescue Dog Organisation (IRO) is the worldwide umbrella organisation for search and rescue dog work and partner of the UN organisation INSARAG. It unites more than 250,000 people worldwide with about 4,000 certified search and rescue (SAR) dogs. The headquarters are in Salzburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nosework</span>

Nosework, also known as scent work or scent detection, is a dog sport created to emulate tasks performed by professional detection dog. In the sport, one dog and one handler form a team where the dog must find a hidden target odor, often ignoring distractions such as food or toys, and alert the handler once the target odor is found.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">12 South African Infantry Battalion</span> Military unit

12 South African Infantry Battalion was a horse, dog and motorbike assisted infantry unit of the South African Army, which provided horse-mounted infantry and dog handlers to the army for defence purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program</span>

The National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program is a program administered by the Transportation Security Administration which uses law enforcement and TSA-run explosives detection dog teams to detect explosives in transportation environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Canine Regiment</span> Kenyan Army regiment

The 1st Canine Regiment's mission is to provide dogs as a force multiplier at times of war and peace to the Kenya Army. The unit was established in 2012 and is based at Embakasi Garrison. Kenya is the only country in East Africa with a fully formed and independent canine unit within its military. The unit is trained in explosive detection, patrolling, search and rescue and road and building clearing. The regiment relies on a variety of dogs from the Belgian Malinois and Labrador Retriever to the German Shepherd depending on the range and type of mission assigned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worldwide usage of police dogs</span>

In law enforcement work, police dogs are used worldwide for a variety of purposes that include apprehension, detection, and search and rescue.

References

  1. Lockett, Michael S. (November 4, 2019). "Keeping a nose out: SEADOGS takes guesswork out of searches". Juneau Empire .
  2. "Training Dogs & Handlers". Canadian Search Dogs. Archived from the original on 1 May 2006. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  3. Hare, Elizabeth; Kelsey, Kathleen M.; Serpell, James A.; Otto, Cynthia M. (2018-06-05). "Behavior Differences Between Search-and-Rescue and Pet Dogs". Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 5: 118. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00118 . ISSN   2297-1769. PMC   5996094 . PMID   29922685.
  4. Hare, Elizabeth; Kelsey, Kathleen M.; Serpell, James A.; Otto, Cynthia M. (2018-06-05). "Behavior Differences Between Search-and-Rescue and Pet Dogs". Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 5: 118. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00118 . ISSN   2297-1769. PMC   5996094 . PMID   29922685.
  5. Dargan, Rushali; Samson, Clifford; Burr, Wesley S.; Daoust, Benoit; Forbes, Shari L. (2022). "Validating the Use of Amputated Limbs Used as Cadaver Detection Dog Training Aids". Frontiers in Analytical Science. 2. doi: 10.3389/frans.2022.934639 . ISSN   2673-9283.
  6. Martin, Clément; Diederich, Claire; Verheggen, François (2020-07-17). "Cadaver Dogs and the Deathly Hallows—A Survey and Literature Review on Selection and Training Procedure". Animals. 10 (7): 1219. doi: 10.3390/ani10071219 . ISSN   2076-2615. PMC   7401519 . PMID   32709097.
  7. Dogs show a nose for archaeology by sniffing out 3,000 year old tombs The Guardian, 2019
  8. Lowrey, Sassafras (May 10, 2022). "What are Cadaver Dogs Teaching Us About History?". American Kennel Club. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
  9. Rebmann A., David E. (2000). Cadaver Dog Handbook. Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN   978-0-8493-1886-3.
  10. "Strong Partners". International Rescue Dog Organisation . Archived from the original on 2022-01-26. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  11. "Community Involvement". Canadian Search Dogs Association. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
  12. "Orión, el perro rescatista en la tragedia de Vargas (Orion, the rescue dog in the Vargas tragedy)" (in Spanish). December 11, 2014. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014.
  13. "DOG A FAKE HERO.; Pushes Children Into the Seine to Rescue Them and Win Beefsteaks". The New York Times. 1908-02-02. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-01-19.