Search dogs

Specialist skills. Shared purpose.

DSRT Tavistock has four operational search dog teams on its call-out list. Becoming a handler takes exceptional commitment: handlers first serve as fully operational team members, then choose to take on the additional role.

Alongside regular team training, handlers spend many extra hours each week training and keeping their dogs fit, including on Sundays. Candidates must have served at least 12 months on the call-out list and have the full support of the team’s management committee.

Handlers train together once a month, travelling to locations around the country, including the Lake District, Northumberland, the Peak District and the Yorkshire Moors. Search dog teams can be requested at incidents anywhere in the country, not only on Dartmoor.

Each dog belongs to its handler, who is responsible for the dog’s veterinary bills.

Find out more about the national organisation: Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England

Every specialist is part of the wider rescue team. Regular training helps volunteers bring their skills together when a call-out takes them into challenging terrain.