BLOG: Oscar's Weekend With SARDA
I've been luckily enough to spend a weekend with our sponsored charity the England Search and Rescue Dog Association (SARDA), during one of their many Training Weekends, this time in the Lake District. During my time with SARDA England I have been taken back by the sheer commitment, time and dedication each handler puts into training their dog. As this blog will make clear; for most handlers, this isn't a hobby it is a life style choice which they are passionate about.
SARDA England and Wales are registered charities dedicated to searching for missing people in mountainous, rural and urban environments. They are called out by the Police and also work closely with Mountain Rescue teams and the Coastguard.
Training to qualify as a ‘graded’ search and rescue dog is lengthy process which requires daily one on one training as well as weekly training with the local search and rescue team. There is no set period of time it takes to become a graded handler with a search dog, but I’m told it can take between 18 months and 2 years. SARDA England support their handlers by running monthly training weekends, where the handlers have the opportunity to train with the experienced SARDA handlers and progress through the different assessment stages. These weekends also provide opportunity for dogs to be assessed and progress through each stage of training. Needless to say then, such weekends can be stressful and nail biting for handlers keen to have their dogs graded.
Before we look at the stages involved, it’s worth explaining about something called ‘DogBodies’. During training, SARDA dogs need bodies. It’s a bit harsh to provide real bodies for them to find so ‘willing’ volunteers agree to be bodies for the day / night. Wrapped up safe and warm it’s their job to hide themselves away out of site from the dogs and settle in till rescued. While on this subject; SARDA are always on the lookout for volunteer DogBodies. Take a look at our site for info. (http://www.oscars.co.uk/about/sarda-sponsorship)
Now lets take a brief look at the stages involved in becoming a graded SARDA dog.
- Puppy Class
For the weekend I attended, Puppy Class was run by Jacquie Hall from the Northumberland Canine Center. Jacquie has over 30 years experience in training and instructing dogs and is Honorary Training Advisor for SARDA England.
Puppy class starts for dogs aged one year old and onwards. This is to ensure the dogs are fully developed and is able to cope with the agility involved in training.
The aim of puppy class is to socialise the dog with other dogs and people. To prepare the handler and dog for the registration test by training basic obedience. The obedience which is taught by Jacquie includes;
-Focusing the dog on the handler
-Heel work on and off the lead
-Stay
-Down, stay
-Recall
Teaching the handler how to play with their dog so that it is fun and rewarding for the dog is important not only to keep dogs amused and emotionally happy but also plays a vital roll in the find sequence training later. Teaching the dog to ‘speak’ (bark on command) is also an important aspect of puppy training and is a integral part of the search and rescue sequence.
Once Jacquie feels the handler and dog have the skills to proceed to Stage 1 of training, they are put through the registration test. The registration test, examines the basic obedience of the dogs and the handling skills of the handler. Once the handler and dog have passed the registration test, a stock test is carried out to ascertain that the dog show no interest to stock.
- Stage 1
During stage 1 the handler teaches the dog the 'find sequence'. This is when the dog is taught to find the DogBody and to indicate to the handler by running back to them and barking. The dog then leads the handler to the DogBody by running between the two and barking. Once the dog has taken the handler to the DogBody, the dog is rewarded with a fun game of tug with its favourite toy. During this stage the dog will be taught to find DogBodies in various situations and in different terrain. This is to build up the dogs confidence and ability to indicate. Once the 'find sequence' is established the dog and handler are put through an indication test. Once passed, they then move onto stage 2.
- Stage 2
During stage 2 the handler is taught how to search an area with their dog. The way a handler and dog search an area is effected by landscape, wind and other conditions. The handler at this stage knows the position on the DogBodies in the search area. This is to help the handler understand how their dogs search and build on training.
- Stage 3
The handler in stage 3 is taught to search areas without the knowledge of where the DogBodies are situated in a search area. The handler is given smaller areas to search with their dog and over time the search areas are increased in size. From stage 3 the handler and dog are ready for their assessment; becoming a graded handler and search dog.
So the steps are lengthy. The training is hard work, cold, wet and exhausting. Not all dogs are suitable and sometimes this is only apparent during a later stage meaning that if you want a graded dog you may need so start again with a puppy from scratch!
- Diet & Nutrition
The primary concern for Oscar Pet Foods is nutrition. We believe that what goes into your dog is important; so you need to know what is in your food. A clear to read ‘nothing hidden’ ingredient label is vital. The link between good nutrition and balanced behaviour is well known for humans and pets. SARDA only feed Oscar food and we’re very proud to support SARDA in this way.
Oscar Pet Foods feed all graded dogs free of charge. We believe that good nutrition is essential for stamina and fitness. SARDA dogs need to be at peak condition to be able to perform at there best. Any one of us may need their help and by feeding the very best food we hope to support the excellent work that SARDA perform. Would you like to contribute too? SARDA handlers give up their own time in order to be there for us. Donations are vital, however large or small. Contact SARDA England or SARDA Wales to make a donation or find out about fund raising.
For further advice please contact Oscar Pet Foods Pet Behaviour Counsellor; Shelley Aspden BSc (Hons) MSc* on:
- Call: 0800 195 8000
- email: helpline@oscars.co.uk.
- twitter.com/oscarstwelpline
- facebook.com/OscarMuchMoreThanPetFood
Full details of this FREE service can be found at www.oscars.co.uk/helpline
Shelley is a provisional member of the APBC (Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors)
