Breeding and Training Search and Rescue Dogs for Disaster Response

Abstract

Efficient use of time is crucial for the successful extraction of people trapped under debris, buried in avalanches and landslides, or stranded in water during search and rescue operations. The equipment used in search and rescue operations must be functional. Equipment should include concrete breaking tools, motorized handsaws, portable toilets, food, water, shelter, power sources, medical supplies, seismic listening devices capable of detecting faint sounds in rubble piles, digital cameras, and highly trained dogs. When evaluating search and rescue teams established by trainers and handlers, the performance of the dog, the performance and knowledge of the handler, and the performance of the dog and the handler as a team are taken into account. The performance of dogs is the result of training that can last up to two years. Most of the dogs used come from shepherds or hunting breeds. They must be physically, mentally, and anatomically healthy. Dogs are tested in both wilderness and urban environments. In Turkiye, the initial goal should be to reach the presence of at least three search and rescue-cadaver and blood dogs in each district, totaling up to three thousand dogs. Then, we need to quickly increase this number of trained animals to ten thousand. In the earthquake centered on Kahramanmaras, thirteen million four hundred twenty-one thousand people were affected in ten provinces, with thousands killed or injured. Naturally, in cities like Istanbul where earthquakes are expected, more people are at risk. Considering that procurement and training take at least two years, it is crucial to establish search and rescue teams without delay. © 2025 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.