The Nose Knows By Alanna Parke Kvale

After the devastating attacks of September 11, 2001, it wasn’t just police officers, EMTs, and firefighters who were heroes. There were hundreds of search and rescue dogs and their handlers working alongside them, both in New York City and at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The dogs were able to help locate bodies for removal and identification, and worked in areas of shifting debris that would have been much too dangerous for the human rescue workers. What makes the Search and Rescue (SAR) dogs better able to do the job than their human counterparts? It’s all in the nose. All humans constantly slough off microscopic particles of skin cells that contain their scent. The wind can carry millions of these particles for considerable distances. While the human olfactory sense cannot detect these particles, a dog’s sense of smell is fifty times more sensitive, making it possible for him to target even a single individual’s scent.

There are many different types of search and rescue dogs.

1.  Air scent dogs
2.  Tracking or trailing dogs
3. Cadaver dogs
4. Water search dogs
5. Avalanche dogs

Air scent dogs are used most often and are trained to pick up human scent and follow it to its most concentrated area. These dogs work off lead, sniffing the air and following the search pattern indicated by their handler. Even if human searchers have been in the area, air scent dogs can still catch the scent of the victim and follow it straight to them. These dogs are invaluable when used in searches of collapsed buildings after natural disasters, since they can find the scent of the victims even through ash.

 Tracking or trailing dogs work on the lead and can follow a scent trail even if it’s mixed with other smells. Bloodhounds make the best tracking dogs, because of their long ears, which drag the ground, forming a scoop that brings the scent right up to the dog’s nose. If given an article of clothing belonging to the victim, a tracking dog can follow that particular scent, making the search remarkably quick and successful. It takes human searchers ten times as long to search the same area as a good tracking dog. When the clock is ticking and lives are at stake, bring in the tracking canines!

A Cadaver dog is trained to locate human remains, both above ground and buried. As horrible as it sounds, this is a necessary job not only after natural disasters such as hurricanes, monsoons and tornadoes, but also in the war against crime. Locating bodies gives closure to the victim’s family and aids law enforcement in crime solving.

A Water Search dog can detect human scent even under the water, since the body gases rise up to the surface. While the human searchers cannot detect such a scent, the SAR dog can, despite changes in the water.

The Avalanche dog is trained to search for human scent even under as much as fifteen feet of snow. Many winter sports enthusiasts owe their survival to well-trained Search and Rescue canines.

What kind of dog is best suited to this type of work?

There are many breeds especially good for search and rescue. Bloodhound German Shepherd Rottweiler Golden Retriever Border Collie And that’s just to name a few. Larger dogs are best when it comes to searching through debris after natural disasters, or climbing over fallen trees in the forest. Climbing stairs or up ladders would be difficult for the smaller breeds too.

What kinds of skills does a good SAR dog need for this type of work?

1. Obedience training is a necessity for all SAR dogs. Listening to their handler and responding quickly could make all the difference during a search and rescue operation. 
2. Good socialization with other dogs and handlers is also necessary for the SAR dog. For some searches, many teams will be called into service. 
3. The SAR dog must be in good shape physically and able to run, jump and climb with agility.
4. He must know how to retrieve items for his handler, even in the water.
5. He must have patience. Search and rescue can involve lots of waiting with the other teams, sometimes in confined spaces, such as trucks or vans, until they are needed.
6. He must be unafraid of heights and have the ability to balance carefully.
7. He must be able to remain calm even in stressful situations and around loud noises.
8. Most of all, he must have the ability to focus on the task at hand and not give up.

Each breed brings its own skills to the task of search and rescue. “The breed isn’t critical, the attitude is,” says Sarah Stuart of SWOSAR-Southwestern Ohio Search and Rescue.

Who can a SAR dog find?

Anyone—lost children, hunters or fishermen, accident victims, lost campers, even Alzheimer’s patients who’ve wandered away and become lost. Gina Flannery, head trainer for Southern Ohio Search and Rescue Dogs (SOSARD) says, “As long as it remains a game, they’ll work until they drop. When it becomes work, they’ll quit.” It’s best to begin the dog’s training early in his life starting with obedience lessons. Search and Rescue training can take almost two years before a dog and his handler are allowed to join in a search., however, additional training and practice is a life long pursuit. Handlers must go through rigorous training along with their dogs. It goes without saying that they must be able to read their dog’s signals, whether he’s confused, or tired, or close to his quarry. The handlers must earn certification in CPR and if they intend to work in the wilderness areas, they will need survival training as well. Handlers must be in top form physically and of course, should love the outdoors. They must find the time for all the training necessary. And, because they are volunteers, they must also foot the bill for all their expenses, whether it’s for equipment or seminars and training camps. They must be ready to travel and take up a search at a moment’s notice. Equipment costs can add up fast, since the dog needs harness, vests, long-lines and the handler must have weather appropriate clothes and boots, radios, flashlights, and food. And that’s just for starters.

Think you and your canine buddy might be candidates for this type of job?

Contact your town or city’s government offices for information about your local Search and Rescue organization. It’s easy to see what the human half of the search and rescue team gets from this arrangement. Helping their fellow human when there’s danger, saving another’s life, re-uniting families. But what about the dog half of the team? Dogs enjoy the work, because it plays right into their strengths, it’s what they love to do.

So, what does the SAR dog get from this arrangement?

He gets hugs, treats, and lots of praise for a job well done and some one on one play time with his handler. He may not understand exactly what’s happening, but he knows when the humans around him are happy and that’s what dogs live for-love and affection from their humans. “If these dogs only knew what a difference they make, there’s nothing that can replace the precision of a dog’s nose and absolutely nothing that can replace a dog’s heart.”-Bob Sessions, rescue worker, FEMA.

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What you see here is the new face of Whole Earth Pets! 

We have a series of netradio programs on BlogTalkRadio/whole-earth-pets, which we hope to add many more to, and we have a series of articles written by our star feature writer: Alanna Parke Kvale.  All of these will be re-released through this blog.  A much more liquid and more easily updated venue.

And one that doesn’t require me to write in complete sentences… fragments are acceptable.  LOL