NORLSAR's search dogs are highly trained - so highly trained, we call them members. With their handlers (usually their owners), they will spend about two years training to become an operational search dog, as well as needing to be obedience-trained. Handlers also have to complete all the training other operational members undertake. It takes approximately 600 hours to train a search dog and before starting handlers need to be sure they have the time and motivation to do it.

Dogs train to LSDogs (Lowland Search Dogs) standards which is affiliated to ALSAR. The tasks they are asked to complete include urban and rural work, finding by scent (smell) and sight.

NORLSAR usually holds two training sessions every month. In addition to this dog handlers must constantly practice and you may have seen NORLSAR dogs training on heaths, fields or in and around buildings, where volunteers hide and are searched for by the dogs.

Relaxing after a training session (Holt Country Park 2008)

All of the dog's training is reward based and we start by teaching the dogs the canine equivalent of hide and seek. As they get better at finding the game becomes harder but is always fun. The dogs associate this fun-work with their search coats - high-visibility jackets. When a dog sees its coat it knows it's going to work.

Because they do get quite excited, handlers will let their dogs have a few minutes' play before beginning a search in earnest to calm the dog and get it into the working spirit.

And of course the other side of a Search Dogs life is meeting people and fund raising.

Baja at the Spring Fling