Two Legs Good, Four Legs Better…
Or, to be more accurate, one highly trained nose. At the end of January, BSARU gained a new member, and one that will prove to be a huge asset over the next few years. For the past couple of years, BSARU member Rob Hume has been putting his four-year-old border collie, Cairn, through a very rigorous training programme, and following a very demanding assessment in snowy mountain terrain, Cairn and Rob became fully qualified members of SARDA, the Search and Rescue Dogs Association.
Border Collies are universally reckoned to be about the smartest and most trainable dogs around, and alongside their worldwide use as sheepdogs, they are routinely used in search and rescue work, alongside German Shepherds, retrievers and a few other breeds.
Search dogs are typically used in dense woodland, thick undergrowth and on steep hillsides that humans with only two legs apiece struggle to navigate at speed. An air-scenting dog will move quickly across the search area, often zig-zagging until they pick up a human scent, which it will then follow to the source. Having located the target, they will signal their handler, usually by barking, sitting or returning and leading the handler back. Having a search dog available also has particular advantages in night searches, adverse weather conditions and large open areas. A search may last many hours, and physical and mental endurance are absolutely vital for man and beast alike.
Smart as they are, dogs don’t work in isolation, and it’s very much a team effort. The handler must learn to read and interpret subtle signals, such as a change in the dog’s movement or body language. Mutual trust is essential, especially in dangerous environments and difficult conditions.
Before Cairn and Rob’s success, BSARU team leaders have been required to call upon whatever dogs might be available from the South of Scotland SARDA. Qualified dogs and handlers are pretty thin on the ground, and often a dog would need to be brought in from Stirlingshire or Fife to help with a search in the BSARU territory, with the inevitable delay that travelling from north of the central belt involves.
Team leader Scott Thompson commented, “Rob and Cairn have worked extremely hard on this. Success is by no means guaranteed, and it’s testament to the effort they have both put in. Having our own dog and handler in the team gives us immediate access to an incredibly useful tool, and gives neighbouring teams another point of call. Hats off to Rob and Cairn. We’re really very proud of them, and grateful for the work they’ve put in over the past couple of years.”
