January 1, 2026 • 10 mins
When every minute counts, search-and-rescue dogs can help locate disaster victims far faster than humans alone. Learn about how they're trained in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/sar-dog.htm/printable
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Brainstock, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey Brainstuff Lauren
bogobaum here. In the wake of disasters like earthquakes, when
people may be injured and trapped by debris, there are
often international search and rescue efforts. Teams include structural engineers, doctors,
(00:23):
logistics personnel, technical search specialists, and dogs. Today, let's talk
about how search and rescue dogs and their human handlers
trained to help these teams save lives. Experts estimate that
a single search and rescue dog can search the same
area as about fifty people on foot could, and in
(00:45):
far less time. Time is always an issue in search
and rescue. In an avalanche, for instance, statistics show that
more than ninety percent of people buried in snow can
be rescued alive if they're dug out within fifteen minutes. However,
after forty five minutes, only twenty to thirty percent of
victims will be found alive, and after two hours almost
(01:07):
no one will. That means search and rescue dogs are
invaluable in locating people alive when time is critical. A
trained dog can locate a human being within a five
hundred meter radius that's some sixteen hundred feet find a
dead body underwater, or locate evidence like a human tooth
or an article of clothing at crime scenes, all by
(01:29):
focusing on the smell of a human being. We humans
are smelly creatures. We're constantly shedding a combination of dead
skin cells, molecules of hygiene products, dried sweat, the bacteria
and fungi that live with us, and various hormones and enzymes.
This combination makes up tiny flakes called rafts, which smell
(01:51):
distinctly human. Everyone's skin rafts smell unique, which is how
a search and rescue dog can smell an items of
clothing and look specifically for the last person who wore it.
While some dogs exhibit a stronger desire to track scent
than others, every canine out there has a powerful sense
of smell. Some handlers have a breed of choice, but
(02:15):
any medium to large dog in good physical health, with
decent intelligence, good listening skills, a non aggressive personality, and
a strong play or prey drive that is an intense
and enduring desire to retrieve a toy can potentially go
into search and rescue. Search and rescue dogs need to
be big enough to successfully navigate treacherous terrain and push
(02:37):
debris out of the way, and yet small enough to
transport easily. German Shepherds are a popular search and rescue breed.
They're typically smart, obedient, and agile, and their double layered
coat insulates against severe weather conditions. Hunting and herding dogs
like labrador and Golden retrievers and border collies tend to
be good at this work too, because they have a
(02:59):
very strong prey drive. Many people consider bloodhounds to be
the best breed for tracking. Their giant ears and facial
folds collect and concentrate scent particles right at their nostrils,
making their sense of smell extremely discerning. But not all
search and rescue dogs perform the same type of searches.
(03:19):
Some dogs are tracking or trailing dogs, and others are
air sent or area search dogs. Tracking dogs work with
their noses to the ground. They can follow a trail
of human scent, typically heavy rafts that fall quickly to
the ground or onto bushes, through any type of terrain.
These dogs are not searching, they're following. Tracking dogs need
(03:44):
a last scene starting point, an article with the person
sent on it to work from, and an uncontaminated trail.
They work best when called in to follow a person
sent immediately after a disappearance, say that of a child
from a school playground, before other search groups and law
enforcement personnel contaminate the scent trail. Air scent dogs, on
(04:06):
the other hand, work with their noses focused toward the air.
They pick up human scent anywhere in the vicinity. They
don't need a starting point where tracking dogs follow a
scent trail. Air sent dogs pick up a smell carried
in air currents and seek out its origin the point
of greatest concentration. Air sent dogs might be called in
(04:28):
to find a missing hiker located somewhere in a park,
or someone trapped an avalanche or a collapsed building. Different
air sent dogs can be trained with different specialties, like
urban rescue or evidence finding. Dogs can also be trained
to search specifically for human remains and even drowning victims.
(04:49):
When a body is underwater, skin particles and decomposition gases
rise to the surface, so dogs can smell a body
even if it's completely immersed. Due to the movement of
water currents, dogs can seldom pinpoint the exact location of
a body. Instead, a more than one search and rescue
team will search an area, and divers will use each
(05:09):
dog's alert point, along with water current analysis, to estimate
the most likely location of the body. No matter what
their specialty, both search and rescue dogs and their handlers
must train extensively. On average, a search and rescue handler
spends about one thousand hours to become field ready. They
learn how to properly train a dog to find an alert,
(05:32):
and train themselves in things like land navigation, weather patterns,
radio communications, map and compass skills, wilderness survival, advanced first aid,
and various physical fitness certifications. Most search and rescue dogs
live and train with their handler and will spend about
six hundred hours to become field ready. Sometimes search and
(05:53):
rescue associations adopt dogs from shelters to be trained at
a special facility and then paired with a handler. The
central job of any search and rescue dog is to
find a human scent, that is, find it an alert
to its location, no matter what weather conditions or other
distractions there may be. Depending on the dog's specialty area,
(06:15):
their core training may also include the recall, find or
show me, in which they find an objective of a search,
return to their handler, and lead the handler back to
the objective, or what's called victim loyalty, in which the
dog stays with a found person and alerts their handler
by barking. The general approach to training a dog for
(06:36):
search and rescue is no different from any other dog training.
The first step is to figure out what reward the
dog will work for, perhaps a treat or playtime with
a favorite toy, and then always immediately reward the dog
for correct behaviors. The training starts out with very simple
tasks and gets progressively more complex as the dog completes
(06:58):
each level. Obedience, focus, and confidence are crucial. Search and
rescue dogs must be able to think for themselves, a
working off leash and away from their handlers in chaotic conditions.
The ideal search dog can solve problems on their own,
but also always be aware of their handler. Search and
(07:18):
rescue teams are on call all day, every day. Dogs
often accompany their handlers to work and on vacation in
case a call comes in from law enforcement authorities. Typically,
a law enforcement unit will alert a search and rescue
organization to a case, and the organization then alerts its
team members. The case might be a missing child, a
(07:39):
group of hikers who never arrived at their campsite, a
collapsed building, an earthquake, or a new tip. In a
crime investigation, the places a victim's body in a particular lake.
The team loads up its equipment, which may include severe
weather gear, ropes and harnesses, radios, compasses, maps, food, and water.
(08:00):
Depending on the dog and handler's specialty, they have to
be prepared to travel by helicopter or boat, or perhaps
to hike and repel to an area. Once at the scene,
the dog's training is fully tested. Distractions are everywhere a
people in dogs, searching reporters, floodlights, bullhorns. The search and
(08:21):
rescue unit leader is in charge, reporting to the head
authority at the scene. That leader gives each dog and
handler team a location to clear. If a dog shows
interest in a particular spot but doesn't do a full alert,
the handler will note the location. If the dog gives
a full alert, everyone mobilizes while human searchers dig or
(08:44):
dive or clear rebel to find the missing people. The
dog in their handler may be off to the side,
playing tug of war or whatever the dog's reward of choices,
so that the dog knows that they won the game,
even if the missing person turns out to be deceased,
the handler will discreetly play with the dog. As long
as search and rescue remains a game, the dog will
(09:06):
happily do their job until the handler decides it's time
for retirement. Yes, search and rescue dogs do retire, often
when the physical rigors of the work start to get
to them, when they're around eight to ten years old,
depending on the dog and its specialty. Urban disaster work
in particular is hard on dogs and handlers due to
(09:27):
the physical and mental stress of dangerous, unstable terrain. In
the saddest news you'll hear today, some of the three
hundred dogs that assisted in the search following the collapse
of the World Trade Center on nine to eleven became
too depressed to continue working. So few people were found
alive and there was such an overwhelming smell of death
(09:48):
that the dogs were affected. When a search and rescue
dog does retire, they usually live out their retirement with
their handler. If the handler can't care for the dog,
there are organizations that specialize in finding adoptive homes for retirees.
In either case, the dog enjoys a life of fun,
(10:09):
games and leisure, a much deserved reward for a career
of fun games and public service. Today's episode is based
on the article how search and rescue dogs work on
HowStuffWorks dot com, written by Julia Layton and Sarah g Lyme.
Brain Stuff is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with
(10:31):
how Stuffworks dot Com and is produced by Tyler Klang.
Four more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Welcome to Brainstock, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey Brainstuff Lauren
bogobaum here. In the wake of disasters like earthquakes, when
people may be injured and trapped by debris, there are
often international search and rescue efforts. Teams include structural engineers, doctors,
(00:23):
logistics personnel, technical search specialists, and dogs. Today, let's talk
about how search and rescue dogs and their human handlers
trained to help these teams save lives. Experts estimate that
a single search and rescue dog can search the same
area as about fifty people on foot could, and in
(00:45):
far less time. Time is always an issue in search
and rescue. In an avalanche, for instance, statistics show that
more than ninety percent of people buried in snow can
be rescued alive if they're dug out within fifteen minutes. However,
after forty five minutes, only twenty to thirty percent of
victims will be found alive, and after two hours almost
(01:07):
no one will. That means search and rescue dogs are
invaluable in locating people alive when time is critical. A
trained dog can locate a human being within a five
hundred meter radius that's some sixteen hundred feet find a
dead body underwater, or locate evidence like a human tooth
or an article of clothing at crime scenes, all by
(01:29):
focusing on the smell of a human being. We humans
are smelly creatures. We're constantly shedding a combination of dead
skin cells, molecules of hygiene products, dried sweat, the bacteria
and fungi that live with us, and various hormones and enzymes.
This combination makes up tiny flakes called rafts, which smell
(01:51):
distinctly human. Everyone's skin rafts smell unique, which is how
a search and rescue dog can smell an items of
clothing and look specifically for the last person who wore it.
While some dogs exhibit a stronger desire to track scent
than others, every canine out there has a powerful sense
of smell. Some handlers have a breed of choice, but
(02:15):
any medium to large dog in good physical health, with
decent intelligence, good listening skills, a non aggressive personality, and
a strong play or prey drive that is an intense
and enduring desire to retrieve a toy can potentially go
into search and rescue. Search and rescue dogs need to
be big enough to successfully navigate treacherous terrain and push
(02:37):
debris out of the way, and yet small enough to
transport easily. German Shepherds are a popular search and rescue breed.
They're typically smart, obedient, and agile, and their double layered
coat insulates against severe weather conditions. Hunting and herding dogs
like labrador and Golden retrievers and border collies tend to
be good at this work too, because they have a
(02:59):
very strong prey drive. Many people consider bloodhounds to be
the best breed for tracking. Their giant ears and facial
folds collect and concentrate scent particles right at their nostrils,
making their sense of smell extremely discerning. But not all
search and rescue dogs perform the same type of searches.
(03:19):
Some dogs are tracking or trailing dogs, and others are
air sent or area search dogs. Tracking dogs work with
their noses to the ground. They can follow a trail
of human scent, typically heavy rafts that fall quickly to
the ground or onto bushes, through any type of terrain.
These dogs are not searching, they're following. Tracking dogs need
(03:44):
a last scene starting point, an article with the person
sent on it to work from, and an uncontaminated trail.
They work best when called in to follow a person
sent immediately after a disappearance, say that of a child
from a school playground, before other search groups and law
enforcement personnel contaminate the scent trail. Air scent dogs, on
(04:06):
the other hand, work with their noses focused toward the air.
They pick up human scent anywhere in the vicinity. They
don't need a starting point where tracking dogs follow a
scent trail. Air sent dogs pick up a smell carried
in air currents and seek out its origin the point
of greatest concentration. Air sent dogs might be called in
(04:28):
to find a missing hiker located somewhere in a park,
or someone trapped an avalanche or a collapsed building. Different
air sent dogs can be trained with different specialties, like
urban rescue or evidence finding. Dogs can also be trained
to search specifically for human remains and even drowning victims.
(04:49):
When a body is underwater, skin particles and decomposition gases
rise to the surface, so dogs can smell a body
even if it's completely immersed. Due to the movement of
water currents, dogs can seldom pinpoint the exact location of
a body. Instead, a more than one search and rescue
team will search an area, and divers will use each
(05:09):
dog's alert point, along with water current analysis, to estimate
the most likely location of the body. No matter what
their specialty, both search and rescue dogs and their handlers
must train extensively. On average, a search and rescue handler
spends about one thousand hours to become field ready. They
learn how to properly train a dog to find an alert,
(05:32):
and train themselves in things like land navigation, weather patterns,
radio communications, map and compass skills, wilderness survival, advanced first aid,
and various physical fitness certifications. Most search and rescue dogs
live and train with their handler and will spend about
six hundred hours to become field ready. Sometimes search and
(05:53):
rescue associations adopt dogs from shelters to be trained at
a special facility and then paired with a handler. The
central job of any search and rescue dog is to
find a human scent, that is, find it an alert
to its location, no matter what weather conditions or other
distractions there may be. Depending on the dog's specialty area,
(06:15):
their core training may also include the recall, find or
show me, in which they find an objective of a search,
return to their handler, and lead the handler back to
the objective, or what's called victim loyalty, in which the
dog stays with a found person and alerts their handler
by barking. The general approach to training a dog for
(06:36):
search and rescue is no different from any other dog training.
The first step is to figure out what reward the
dog will work for, perhaps a treat or playtime with
a favorite toy, and then always immediately reward the dog
for correct behaviors. The training starts out with very simple
tasks and gets progressively more complex as the dog completes
(06:58):
each level. Obedience, focus, and confidence are crucial. Search and
rescue dogs must be able to think for themselves, a
working off leash and away from their handlers in chaotic conditions.
The ideal search dog can solve problems on their own,
but also always be aware of their handler. Search and
(07:18):
rescue teams are on call all day, every day. Dogs
often accompany their handlers to work and on vacation in
case a call comes in from law enforcement authorities. Typically,
a law enforcement unit will alert a search and rescue
organization to a case, and the organization then alerts its
team members. The case might be a missing child, a
(07:39):
group of hikers who never arrived at their campsite, a
collapsed building, an earthquake, or a new tip. In a
crime investigation, the places a victim's body in a particular lake.
The team loads up its equipment, which may include severe
weather gear, ropes and harnesses, radios, compasses, maps, food, and water.
(08:00):
Depending on the dog and handler's specialty, they have to
be prepared to travel by helicopter or boat, or perhaps
to hike and repel to an area. Once at the scene,
the dog's training is fully tested. Distractions are everywhere a
people in dogs, searching reporters, floodlights, bullhorns. The search and
(08:21):
rescue unit leader is in charge, reporting to the head
authority at the scene. That leader gives each dog and
handler team a location to clear. If a dog shows
interest in a particular spot but doesn't do a full alert,
the handler will note the location. If the dog gives
a full alert, everyone mobilizes while human searchers dig or
(08:44):
dive or clear rebel to find the missing people. The
dog in their handler may be off to the side,
playing tug of war or whatever the dog's reward of choices,
so that the dog knows that they won the game,
even if the missing person turns out to be deceased,
the handler will discreetly play with the dog. As long
as search and rescue remains a game, the dog will
(09:06):
happily do their job until the handler decides it's time
for retirement. Yes, search and rescue dogs do retire, often
when the physical rigors of the work start to get
to them, when they're around eight to ten years old,
depending on the dog and its specialty. Urban disaster work
in particular is hard on dogs and handlers due to
(09:27):
the physical and mental stress of dangerous, unstable terrain. In
the saddest news you'll hear today, some of the three
hundred dogs that assisted in the search following the collapse
of the World Trade Center on nine to eleven became
too depressed to continue working. So few people were found
alive and there was such an overwhelming smell of death
(09:48):
that the dogs were affected. When a search and rescue
dog does retire, they usually live out their retirement with
their handler. If the handler can't care for the dog,
there are organizations that specialize in finding adoptive homes for retirees.
In either case, the dog enjoys a life of fun,
(10:09):
games and leisure, a much deserved reward for a career
of fun games and public service. Today's episode is based
on the article how search and rescue dogs work on
HowStuffWorks dot com, written by Julia Layton and Sarah g Lyme.
Brain Stuff is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with
(10:31):
how Stuffworks dot Com and is produced by Tyler Klang.
Four more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
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