Training Update 2

Well, what a day Keith and I had on Sunday with SARDA LAKES and Patterdale Mountain Rescue.

William did not come up to the lakes with us. It was a training and observation day for Keith and myself.
We spent the day watching the training of SAR dogs of all ages and abilities and discussing training techniques with the lads and lasses of SARDA.

Their standard of work is second to none and the sooner William is on the callout list, the better for Southport’s coastal safety. If he makes half the dog that some of the dogs we watched work, we will all be better off.

Body Found

Handler Lead to Body

One of the main things that we learnt was that it’s not all about finding the casualty, it’s knowing that the area searched is clear and you can move on to a new area. The speed that a wind scenting SAR dog can perform was is a real eye opener.

William is now barking for his ball with increased consistency and I will soon be starting the RUN AWAY part of his training. This will involve a person to play with William and his ball then run off with it, whilst I encourage him to go off and find them. When he has found them, the person will encourage him to bark. If he does, he gets to play with his ball.

SARDALAKES member looking for a body

Laura Connolly of Cockermouth MRT Playing ball with a young dog

The main problem that I can see in the future is the one of good experienced bodies to help with the training. This was brought home on Sunday when sitting with one of the bodies whilst a young dog searched for them. A good body with a strong ‘Dog Sense’ is crucial at this stage in his training, as success is the most important thing.

One of the young dogs makes a find and indicates

SARDA have invited William and I to join them on training days. This will mean William can have the best bodies to help start him off.

Check out www.sardalakes.org.uk

In the meantime, William will be out and about around the Southport coast getting used to the sand dunes, marshland and mudflats, as well as begging for ginger biscuits in the boathouse and scrounging a ham butty in the pub after training!

Keep checking the website for an update on Williams’s progress.

Neil Rothwell, Coxswain, Chairman, but most of all William’s Dad.