Search and rescue dogs are the absolute cream of the crop when it comes to canines. These fearless pooches are called on when the stakes are at their highest and lives hang in the balance.<\/p>\n
Performing search and rescue is a dangerous and difficult job. The dogs that do this task must be rock-solid, trustworthy, dependable animals with impressive athleticism, intelligence, and work ethic.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no list of eligible dog breeds for search and rescue. Any dogs that meet the requirements and pass the training and examinations can work in search and rescue.<\/p>\n
So, can Rottweilers do search and rescue?<\/p>\n
Yes, Rottweilers can do search and rescue, and they\u2019re one of the breeds best suited for this work since they possess all the necessary traits like strength, a calm disposition, and impressive intelligence. Moreover, they\u2019re highly trainable dogs with the stamina to work all day, which are vital characteristics for a search and rescue dog. <\/strong><\/p>\n Even though there aren\u2019t exactly rules about what breeds can become search and rescue dogs, there are certain qualities that are necessary for these dogs to possess, which we\u2019ll discuss momentarily.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll also determine how many of those traits Rottweilers typically display, and touch on how you can get started in search and rescue with your Rottie.<\/p>\n\n The traits a dog needs to be good at search and rescue are vastly different from the characteristics that create a good service dog<\/a> or farm dog<\/a>.<\/p>\n As mentioned, there are no rules about what breeds can become search and rescue dogs. Rather, any dog that meets the requirements and can pass the necessary tests is eligible to become a search and rescue canine.<\/p>\n But what traits do search and rescue dogs need?<\/p>\n The IRO<\/a> is a worldwide organization that saves lives with the help of search and rescue dogs. More importantly, they\u2019re a certifying body that creates the tests and training that search and rescue dogs must pass to prove their competence.<\/p>\n Remember, the jobs that search and rescue dogs perform are high stakes and time-sensitive. These dogs must remain calm in stressful situations while still performing their job to a very high level.<\/p>\n SAR dogs, short for search and rescue, have to search for missing people that are often buried.<\/p>\n Accuracy is essential, as workers can\u2019t waste time digging through rubble in the wrong area when lives hang in the balance. This means that SAR dogs must have a keen sense of smell to seek out humans hidden in the debris.<\/p>\n SAR dogs track scents in one of three ways.<\/p>\n Air-scent dogs can cover large areas quickly, searching for airborne scents. Tracking dogs will seek and follow scents on the ground, and trailing dogs will follow scent trails left behind by missing people.<\/p>\n Aside from an incredible sense of smell and a calm disposition in high-stress situations, SAR dogs also must be in peak physical condition.<\/p>\n Often, these dogs are in dangerous areas with hard-to-manage terrain. They must be agile and sure-footed enough to be able to traverse such areas.<\/p>\n Furthermore, these dogs must possess outrageous work ethic and stamina to continue performing their SAR tasks for many hours at a time. Sometimes, rescue efforts require multiple days of all-day work, and not every canine is capable.<\/p>\n It takes a ton of training to prepare a SAR dog. These dogs are valuable assets that can\u2019t be replaced, so it\u2019s essential that they\u2019re built to withstand such conditions and have the wherewithal to think quickly when situations change in an instant, which is likely to happen in the conditions that SAR dogs work in.<\/p>\n SAR dogs are performing dangerous and focused jobs. Naturally, this requires highly intelligent animals that can be trained to perform such jobs, which can be quite difficult for a dog.<\/p>\n Intelligence is vital, but without the proper training, even the smartest dog won\u2019t perform well. That\u2019s why SAR dogs must also undergo substantial training to help prepare them for the jobs they\u2019ll be performing in the real world.<\/p>\n This means that SAR dogs must learn to follow every command, remaining completely calm and focused, even when there\u2019s a ton of exciting activity going on around them and their handler, you, is nowhere to be seen.<\/p>\n There are three levels of training tests that SAR dogs must complete to demonstrate their advanced training and abilities. Once they\u2019ve performed these basic tests, prospective SAR dogs must then pass a practical test that mimics the work they\u2019ll do in the field.<\/p>\n The first level that a SAR dog must pass is basic obedience training. For this, your Rottie must demonstrate that it can follow basic commands and walks properly on a loose leash.<\/p>\n SAR dogs need more than just basic obedience. Level two testing requires your Rottweiler to obey basic commands consistently, even in a stressful situation.<\/p>\n During this test, your Rottie will be in the care of another handler among a group of search dogs. Your Rottweiler must demonstrate that they can perform all basic commands when you are out of sight, at least 30 feet away.<\/p>\n SAR dogs must be advanced both mentally and physically. During level three testing, your Rottie will get a chance to show just how adept they are.<\/p>\n For this phase, prospective SAR dogs must complete an obstacle course to test their navigation skills.<\/p>\n Additionally, your Rottie must remain calm while riding in a boat or being lifted 10 feet in the air in the bucket of a tractor.<\/p>\n After demonstrating that they possess all the necessary abilities and traits in the classroom, your Rottie will have to prove that they can do the same in the real world with a practical test.<\/p>\n For this test, a SAR dog will have to accurately follow a scent and locate an item within a given time frame while traveling across an urban area.<\/p>\n After passing this exam, a dog is finally eligible for search and rescue work.<\/p>\n As we\u2019ve disclosed, quite a bit of training is required to turn a pooch from a pup to a certified search and rescue dog.<\/p>\n Of course, not every dog is going to pass these requisite tests. The question is: do Rotties have the natural abilities necessary for this kind of work?<\/p>\n The answer is a definitive yes.<\/p>\n In fact, Rottweilers have been successfully performing search and rescue operations for many years!<\/p>\n As mentioned, SAR dogs need to have athletic bodies with exceptional stamina to work all day in dangerous conditions that require agility and strength.<\/p>\n Rottweilers are incredibly strong dogs with stamina that\u2019s hard to match in the canine world. These dogs have long been used for hard work, all the way back to the days of the ancient Romans when Rottweilers were used for guarding livestock.<\/p>\n Despite their large stature and rapid growth, Rottweilers are surprisingly agile canines that excel in agility sports<\/a>. Thanks to their muscular physiques, Rotties are obviously strong, but their impressive agility is less obvious.<\/p>\n Need visual proof of how agile Rottweilers are? Check out this video showing a Rottie named Wizard crushing an agility course at a dog show.<\/p>\nWhat Does It Take to Be a Good Search and Rescue Dog?<\/h2>\n
Scent Tracking<\/h3>\n
Physical Fortitude<\/h3>\n
Intelligence and Training<\/h3>\n
Standards for Search and Rescue Dogs<\/h2>\n
Basic Obedience Training<\/h3>\n
Professionalism<\/h3>\n
Advanced Abilities Demonstrations<\/h3>\n
Practical Testing<\/h3>\n
Can Rottweilers Do Search and Rescue?<\/h2>\n