Mountain Search Dog Assessment

Skye and I have been running around the mountains of Snowdonia this weekend whilst being assessed by SARDA Wales as a Novice Mountain Search Dog team. It has been really hot which is lovely for most things but a bit warm for a search dog that still has her winter coat on! Nonetheless we searched 4 areas and found all of the hidden bodies in each area and got the result we were looking for - we are now qualified for mountain searches which is great news! We have also had a busy weekend with the Llanberis team, read more on our team Facebook page. 

Skye Qualifies as a Search Dog

This weekend Skye and I were being assessed as a Search Dog team with SARDA Wales in the autumn assessment.

The assessment took place in Snowdonia over 3 days and I am very pleased to say that we both passed. Each dog and handler has to search 5 areas over 3 days. The areas varied from forest search to open hillside and each one was different. In each area was hidden a number of bodies, we did not know how many until we had searched it and obviously we did not know where they were hidden either! If we missed a body, missed any part of the area from our search or if the dog failed to indicate a find then we would have failed that area. We had to pass four of the five areas to qualify. This first assessment is made of lowland areas and we are now qualified to join call outs to lowland/rural areas. The next level of training and assessment is Mountain Searches which is what we are working towards now! 

Helicopter Training with the Dogs at RAF Valley

Skye and I have spent the weekend with SARDA Wales at RAF Valley for our annual helicopter training. The weather yesterday was stunning and we spent the day getting the dogs used to the aircraft. First off winching harnesses were fitted and then the dogs were shown in and around a stationary Sea King with all of the engines and rotors switched off. Fun was had jumping in and out of the rear door and up and down the front steps! We then repeated the exercise with the engine on and then again with the rotors on. Next we progressed to winching the dog and handler whilst the aircraft was on the ground and repeated this with the aircraft in a hover. The dogs and handlers and SARDA bodies were all then given a flight out across the bay where Skye was happy to fall asleep as I enjoyed the views.

This morning we searched a couple of small areas with several bodies in unknown locations and Skye enjoyed herself, back in her element after yesterdays excitement! Many thanks to all involved in organising the weekend, especially Biffa and Kev who worked hard to make the weekend a brilliant success. 

Searching Areas

Over the last couple of months Skye has been progressing well in her training. This weekend we were "staged" searching small areas in woodland at the SARDA Wales training weekend. (There are 18 stages through to Lowland Dog Assessment and at each stage the dog and handler have to be assessed by two qualified handlers to make sure they are upto scratch - you can view the training stages here)

We have started our Tuesday night training sessions now the daylight hours have increased and enjoyed a joint exercise with the Coastguard on Tuesday night. This was our first time searching sand dunes and they were more complicated than I thought they would be! For the next few months the main training focuses on me as the handler, Skye has learnt her bit and now I need to learn mine! 

Searching Areas

I have been away a lot this winter in search of the snow and so Skye has had less training than either of us would have liked. We missed the January training weekend but had a good couple of days in Feb and a great weekend in March with SARDA Wales. We have also been doing a fair bit with my kids and with Emmer from SARDA Wales between official training sessions.

Skye is now searching areas, these started off small with the search taking no longer than a couple of minutes and we have built that up so that at the last training weekend she did a couple of 30 minute area searches. She is like a different dog when the jacket goes on her now, super keen to get to work and is starting to range quite nicely. This means that she will cover the ground away from me and so we can be more efficient in our searching. I now have an understanding of how to direct her where I want her to be in relation to the wind and we are forming a partnership as a search team which is really exciting.

I am also starting to read her body language as she is out on the hill. I can read the difference between whether she has picked up the scent of a person or a sheep or perhaps some discarded food. She is far better at reading me and knows when we are heading out to do some training!

I am looking forward to a spring and summer of work with her so that we can both develop what we are doing and prepare for our first assessment. 

Training - the story so far

Since my last post Skye has been doing well with her training and we have now come to the end of her first 12 months of Search Dog training. She is still very puppyish but with that she is extremely keen to work which is brilliant. Over the last few months of SARDA training we have been concentrating on extended run outs and C Searches, getting the find sequence well and truly nailed. This weekend we were staged at C Searches and given lots of help in moving onto searching small areas. This is where I come in as I now have to learn how to efficiently move my dog through the search area, maximising the wind. This next stage feels exciting and I look forward to the next 12 months of training!

Training Weekend

Skye and I have been with SARDA Wales this weekend for the May training. We spent both days in the Llanberis Pass under blue skies and sunshine, with a reasonable breeze both days. At the start of the weekend Skye was being cocky and not running all the way into the body when she found it. She would run until she saw the body and then turn back and come and get me. We worked on getting the bodies better hidden and this solved the problem nicely so that by the end of today she was doing run outs and pop ups properly. A great weekend of playing with the dogs in the sunshine.

SARDA Weekend

It is a SARDA Wales training weekend this weekend. Unfortunately Skye managed to reopen her wound having been spayed last month. This has meant she has missed this months training whilst resting at home - I am sure she is as frustrated as I am! I have spent the day yesterday bodying for the other young dogs who are coming along really well. I am heading off to Scotland later for a couple of weeks work so Skye should be fully fit by the time I get back.

Training in Llanberis

This morning Skye and I joined Helen with her dog Cluanie for a couple of hours training. I have been easing Skye back into some short run outs after her operation. Yesterday we did half a dozen with the kids and today we did another half a dozen with Helen. Skye was very keen and worked well, giving a good indication each time she came back to me.

Skye is One!

I have been working in Scotland since New Years day so Skye has been at home with Kate and the boys. We decided to coincide this period with getting her Spayed so Kate took her to the vets on the 4th Jan. She gets her stitches out today, which is also her first birthday! I will be easing her back into training over the next week and will report back on progress! SARDA Wales were out this week on a search of avalanche debris on Snowdonia. Thats the first time that has happened for a few years and indicative of the massive amounts of snow we have had.

More playing in the snow

I was working in Scotland last week so Skye had a week at home relaxing by the fire and chewing things she shouldn't be chewing! The week off seemed to increase her enthusiasm for training and we headed out 3 times this week with the kids playing hide and seek. We are still doing run outs and I have bought a camouflage net to hide the kids in to make her work a bit harder. We have done some in the dark as well this week. We are doing run outs over about 20-25 metre distances and she is now giving a good indication (bark) when she comes back to me. She is also starting to show a keenness to repeat the shuttle after she has gone back into the body which is good. The photos were taken this morning on our normal morning walk above our cottage. For snow conditions reports visit my main blog.

Skyes First Time in the snow

I went out for a walk today to check out the snow conditions, Skye came along and enjoyed her first time out in the snow.

SARDA Wales Training Weekend

I have been in bed for the majority of the week gone by with some sort of flu virus which has been a real nuisance. I took Skye along for training yesterday afternoon for an hour with SARDA Wales and did some run outs. Today we headed along again and spent the morning in the Llanberis Pass. We increased the distance on the run outs and also added some obstacles in the dogs way, such as wet boggy ground on one occasion and a dry stone wall on another. This kept the dog thinking and allowed me to push her a bit. The longer runouts showed me where her comfort zone currently is and I finished the day on a high with a couple of shorter ones. The video shows what a run out is and was taken at the start of the day today.

This weekend has been an assessment weekend and congratulations go to all of the handlers and dogs that have passed and many, many thanks to the bodies.

Getting the sequence

The early stages of search dog training are quite exciting because things are moving quite quickly. This week Skye has progressed with her game of hide and seek to the point where she is now coming back to tell me she has found - with a bit of prompting.

I have had a few days off and also been practising in the evenings on the days that I have been working. This weekend saw the whole family (we have 4 kids) plus Skye heading off to Warwickshire for a family wedding. Skye slept in the van and we enjoyed some training in the grounds of Ettington Park, a fine manor house that is reputedly the most haunted hotel in England!

The game has now progressed so that when Skye arrives at the body they ignore her and I hang back. She began to get frustrated at this as she wanted to get on and play with her toy and so started barking at the body. I praised this as it is no bad thing, continued to hang back and then recalled her to me. Once she arrived I prompted her to speak and then ran with her to the body asking her to show me.

A couple of days of this and she is getting the idea. This is the really important part of the training so I will continue at this for a while now to get it nailed. I am doing the run outs into the wind to get her subconsciously scenting for the body and I am varying the distance and location as much as possible.

Wild camping and daily training

I took Skye wild camping with some clients of mine last weekend, we had heavy rain and 80mph winds - typical rescue weather! As you can see from the photo she got very wet but was very well behaved in the tent, sleeping quietly in the porch all night.

This week we have been continuing with the very early stages of the search dog training. We have been making the most of my kids each evening doing short 10 metre runouts. This weekend we have progressed the game so that Skye now has to wait until I am at the body with her until the game starts. This very early stage is really important as we are teaching Skye that finding a body means a great game with her toy. She is having lots of fun although we do get some funny looks from other dog walkers!!

Stock & Obedience Test

The last few weeks have been pretty busy for Skye as I have been preparing her for her obedience test and stock test which we did yesterday.

The obedience test has to be done first and all dogs that are to be trained as SARDA search dogs must pass it. I was nervous, especially as the test took place at the end of a training day so I had a big audience of 4 qualified dog handlers and about 6 bodies all watching us intently! The test comprises:

1- Dog to walk to heel on and off the lead. Remains next to heel with the minimum of commands.

This was fine, we did not manage a Crufts special with the dog glued to my hip but she did walk to heel on and off the lead.

2- Dog stay 10 minute, handler to walk up to Dog to remain at stay position until recalled. 25m from dog 5 minutes with handler out of sight of dog.

This was the part of the test that I was dreading most of all and we had practiced every day for a month. Once the first minute had gone by I knew she would be fine. To be out of sight I went and hid behind a wall. Some of the other handlers joined me and giggled with me at the longest 10 minutes of the year!

3- Dog recalled whilst mixing with other dogs /handlers. Dog returns on recall.

I have trained Skyes recall using a whistle as well as voice commands and for this part of the test I used the whistle. We did this element twice and she came straight back both times.

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4- Dog put into down position away from handler. Dog responds to commands, and remains stationary until recalled.

To do this test one of the other handlers ran off calling Skye. She ran off towards him whilst another handler stood next to me and told me when to drop the dog. Again I had trained Skye on the whistle for this and she dropped straight on command from full flight so I was chuffed!

Skye passed and so we then moved into a field of sheep to do the stock test which has two main elements:

1- Dog will be recalled through a number of sheep in a controlled area. Dog returns on recall showing no interest in sheep

2- Dog will be given a stay command and Dog to remain at stay position until recalled showing no interest in sheep. Sheep are herded within 5m of the dog

Dogs will fail if they attack or show interest in sheep during the test. It is quite acceptable for dogs to break their stay if subjected to pressure provided they retreat or go to their handler. The assessor must be satisfied that each dog can be controlled in the presence of stock.

Skye broke her stay on the second part of the test but came straight to me so all was well. I was also asked to let her run freely near the sheep and walk close to me into the sheep to make sure she showed no interest.

Again Skye did really well and so was accepted as a trainee search dog! The hard work starts here!

Today we did our first day of search dog training in Beddgelert Forest in the rain. As well as helping other people with their dogs I did lots of short training bursts with Skye. To start with we are working on "run aways". This involves a "body" running away with her toy, shouting and then hiding. I let Skye go and she runs into the body. I run in after her and then she gets a game with her toy. A good excuse for being a big kid and playing with my dog!

I am really pleased to start search dog training and many thanks to all of the other handlers that have given up free time to offer advice and training to get us off to a good start.

2 days training at Northumberland Canine Centre

Skye and I have had a great few days away in Northumberland this week. We joined Jacquie Hall at the Northumberland Canine Centre for a two day course specifically put together for SARDA trainees. Jacquie has been training dogs for over 25 years and instructing for over 20 years. Jacquie regularly competes in Working Trials with a Golden Retriever and a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

Her other canine credentials are:

• Working Trials Reserve Ticket winner.
• A Member of The Canine Behaviour Institute.
• John Rogerson Associate.
• Hon.Training Adviser to Search & Rescue Dogs Association (England)
• Founder member / Senior Instructor - North Northumberland Dog Training Club.
• 15 years experience as a dog groomer & pet shop owner.

Thankfully the facilities include a large indoor arena as it was persisting it down all day on Wednesday!

There were 6 of us trainee handlers with our dogs ranging in age from 4 months old to 3 years old, 5 Collies and 1 Australian Cattle Dog. Skye was plumped nicely in the middle at 7 months old.

During day 1 Jacquie put time into training us as handlers, the dogs are the easy bit! We looked at some basic dog psychology including how dogs interact with each other and with humans, how to understand their body language and how dogs learn. Dogs are not too much different to humans in this respect and this part of the day was fairly similar to the coaching courses that I have been on in my work as a Mountaineering Instructor. The same basic rules of showing what is required, breaking it down into workable chunks and then joining it all together again were demonstrated nicely when we were all asked to teach our dogs to run an agility course. With dogs the reward element is a little less complex than with humans - we just tell them how good they are and feed them - the dogs that is!

One of the components of the SARDA Wales obedience test is a walk to heel on and off the lead. I have been struggling for weeks with this with Skye but with 2 minutes Jacquie had her looking like a Crufts champion and had showed me how. Its all in the timing! We also looked at loose lead walking, the importance of the dog recognising its own name (its amazing how many of ours were indifferent!) and the recall.

The beauty of this sort of training is that you benefit from all of the mistakes that someone else has made over 25 years and get an instant answer - rather than relying on trial and error.

The second day dawned bright and sunny so we spent a good part of it outside. Practical sessions were again complimented by some theory sessions including dealing with aggressive dogs. We looked at how to train the down stay position keeping the dog calm, relaxed and happy and repeated the exercises we had done the day before in the paddock with the additional distractions of new sights and smells.

The course ended with each of us recalling our dogs past all of the other dogs, walking them to heel through the other dogs off the lead and finishing with the dog lying down. We were all beaming like kids in a sweetshop!

The two days have given me new found confidence in my dog, answered all of the questions that I had about training a puppy that I want to use as a Search and Rescue Dog, corrected the mistakes I had been making and given me some new practical skills to develop my dog. They have also given me the knowledge to read other dogs and understand their interaction a little bit more - but I am by no means an expert!

Jacquie can help anyone with any dog - you don't need to be training a Search Dog so if you are struggling with your own dog have a look at her website, I can't recommend her highly enough. I also wish all of the other handlers the best of luck, especially Stuart and Jasper who have their Stock & Obedience test coming up in a weeks time after such a successful two days.

BBC One Show

SARDA Wales were on the BBC One Show at 7:00pm this evening - I have embedded it here in case you missed it:

Helicopter Training Day

I have been with SARDA Wales this weekend on a training weekend. Yesterday was spent on Anglesey whilst today we were in the Llanberis Pass. We were joined today by the BBC who made a short piece for "The One Show" so keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks. We spent the day doing helicopter training with the dogs - I have put together a short film to tell the story.

Skye heads out Land Rover Training

This month Skye managed to tag along on a Llanberis team Land Rover Training Day. I was helping to run the driver training for the team and Skye spent the day in the back of the Land Rover with occasional runs behind!