Buxton team are lucky to have two search dogs – and handlers. It has been calculated that a dog is equivalent to about 20 searchers in good conditions and many more in poor conditions.

The dogs are trained to ‘Air Scent’ rather than track the missing person. Air scenting is a very efficient method of searching large areas quickly and does not require items of clothing or effects of the missing person. In ideal conditions a dog can pick up a human scent from about 500 metres. The dogs react to a human scent being blown towards them by wind or air currents. They work equally well in the dark or in poor visibility and use their senses of smell and hearing to their fullest under these conditions. If there is no wind or it is storm force human scent will not carry as far, and the handler compensates by shortening the blocks of area swept.

We use Search Dogs primarily for locating missing hill walkers or climbers. Our dogs are also deployed to assist the Police in searches for missing persons, such as children, the elderly and confused, or victims of crime. All handlers are trained in the protection of crime scenes.

This BBC article and sound interview of Buxton dog team, Zak and Nick, might interest you. Otherwise check out the SARDA website for more details.

Our dogs

Dog – Megan (Border Collie) | Handler – Dave “Swampy” Mason
Megan graded to novice search dog status in June 2007 and upgraded to full search dog in January 2009 at the early age of 4. Megan can often be found licking anyone who’ll tolerate it.

Dog – Zak (Blue Merle Collie) | Handler – Nick Smith
Zak registered as a trainee SARDA dog in January 2008. He completed his assessment in the Lake District in January 2010, with distinction. This duo won the Novice Team Shield, last awarded back in 2001 – an exceptional achievement.