While dogs are typically known as playful companions and man’s best friends, dogs also have a number of roles that are not as widely acknowledged. When law enforcement is called in to find a missing person, or a natural disaster strikes, dogs are often part of the first line of defense when the time comes to respond.

Rescue dogs are typically classified as one of the following: air scenting, tracking and trailing. Air scenting dogs use airborne human scents to find targets, while tracking and trailing dogs are trained to follow scents that have been left upon the ground. The success of an air-scenting dog is largely dependent upon atmospheric conditions, while tracking and trailing dogs are at the mercy of the terrain and the age of the trail that they are following. The most common applications for search-and-rescue dogs include wilderness rescue, corpse retrieval, natural disasters such as avalanches, and drowning searches.

Labrador rescue dogs in particular, being one of the more common breeds, are generally classified as one of the following: air scenting, tracking, or trailing. Air scenting dogs are trained to follow airborne human scents, while tracking and trailing dogs follow scent trails that have been deposited on the ground. Each of these types is limited by terrain and changing atmospheric conditions.

Just as human beings do, Labrador rescue dogs develop their own personalities, quirks, body language and eccentricities as they mature. Part of the importance of training lies in the process of the handler learning the body language of their dog, and eventually becoming trusted friends. The bond that develops between dog and handler is just as important in the long run as the skills that are being learned.

During the dog’s training, it is essential the dog and the handler become comfortable with each other and learn each other’s eccentricities. This is the reason why dogs change partners very rarely because a bond develops during training.

When the dog makes a find in the field, they often have a stance that lets the handler know that they have found the target or another object of interest. This is just one example of why it is important for the handler to become familiar with their dog’s personality. A successful search-and-rescue is very dependent upon the trust between a dog and its handler.

The dog’s abilities will improve daily. As the dog gets more and more proficient with the skills, daily obedience training should be continued along with agility and socialization sessions. Over time, scent training can decrease in frequency to three to five times per week, but increase in duration to between twenty and sixty minutes each.

As the dog’s skills progress, obedience, agility and socialization training should continue with the same frequency. Scent training, however, can become less frequent with time, and should take place three to five times per week, but should increase in duration to between twenty and sixty minutes. Focus sessions, which stress very specific skills such as scent discrimination, should be added after the dog has become reliable in the primary training area.