| | High on the slopes of Glen Etive, in | | | | |
| | the Scottish Highlands, a distant figure | | | |
| | in a bright yellow jacket moves across | | | |
| | the foot of a sheer rockface. Below him, | | | |
5 | | leaping and weaving from side to side, | | | |
| | harder to spot against the background | | | |
| | of boulders and heather, is a dog in | | | |
| | search of the scent from another human | | | |
| | hidden somewhere on the hillside. | | | |
10 | | Policeman Kenny Lindsay | | | |
| | and Shadow, an 18-month-old German | | | |
| | shepherd, are taking part in the annual | | | |
| | trials of the Highland section of the | | 60 | | ago, he points out. |
| | Search and Rescue Dog Association | | | | ‘For rescue work you have to look |
15 | | (SARDA). The 18 the trials is to | | | | for a dog with plenty of stamina, they |
| | assess whether dogs have been trained | | | | shouldn’t quit if the going gets rough,’ |
| | by their handlers to the level of skills | | | | Mark Shewry, one of the association’s |
| | required to be part of a mountain | | 65 | | members, points out. ‘The most |
| | rescue team. | | | | popular breeds are collies, German |
20 | | On the road below, Les Silkowski is | | | | shepherds and Labradors. They must |
| | sitting in his car with Tango, a twoyear- | | | | also have a playful temperament. If |
| | old Belgian shepherd-Border | | | | they don’t enjoy playing games, they |
| | collie cross, awaiting their turn on the | | 70 | | can’t be trained.’ |
| | hill. If Tango does his stuff, by locating | | | | ‘Dogs do have their limitations,’ he |
25 | | two volunteers acting as ‘casualties’ | | | | concedes. ‘You obviously can’t use |
| | who have supposedly lost their way or | | | | them on steep rock faces where they |
| | injured themselves in the mountains, | | | | would be fighting for their own |
| | he will graduate from novice to fully | | 75 | | survival. ‘They’re not so good in |
| | fledged rescue dog. Although, like | | | | forests, or in very hot weather when |
30 | | Lindsay, Silkowski happens to be a | | | | there’s no wind to allow them to pick |
| | policeman, he is anxious to point out | | | | up the scent. But in the right |
| | that Tango is not a police dog but his | | | | conditions on open ground they are |
| | own domestic pet. The same goes for | | 80 | | incomparable. They’re brilliant at |
| | all the dogs owned by members of | | | | night, because they’re not relying on |
35 | | SARDA, most of whom are civilian | | | | sight to find their quarry. Humans |
| | volunteers, men and women who know | | | | can’t work then.’ |
| | the mountains and their hazards, and | | | | On the Sunday morning, a |
| | who are prepared to be called out at all | | 85 | | helicopter arrives to practise winching |
| | hours - and in any weather - to save | | | | the dogs to the ground and back up |
40 | | lives. | | | | again. When in action, all the dogs |
| | Some 15 years ago, Alwyn Jones, | | | | wear harnesses that also allow them to |
| | honorary secretary of SARDA’s | | | | carry lights at night and, equally |
| | Highland section, was taking part in a | | 90 | | importantly, let them know that they |
| | search for a missing climber. ‘We were | | | | are on duty. ‘As soon as they see the |
45 | | using the traditional method, about 15 | | | | harness, they think ‘Ah, we’re playing |
| | of us strung out in a line combing the | | | | this game, are we? We know what this |
| | hillside back and forth. Then suddenly | | | | is all about,’ Jones says. ‘But I also |
| | we saw this dog that found the person | | 95 | | think they can tell the difference |
| | in less than half an hour. I thought, | | | | between an exercise, like this weekend, |
50 | | blow me, this is the way to do it, | | | | and the real thing. The adrenalin is |
| | instead of tramping up and down with | | | | different.’ |
| | a heavy pack on your back.’ | | | | Happily, ‘the real thing’ does not |
| | Jones rejects the idea that most of | | 100 | | occur too often. For most of the year |
| | the demands on the rescue services | | | | these dogs live lives no different from |
55 | | arise from foolhardiness. Even | | | | any ordinary family pets. But, like their |
| | experienced mountaineers can get into | | | | human owners, when the call comes |
| | trouble, and most walkers and | | | | they are trained and able to respond |
| | climbers are far more knowledgeable | | 105 | | to it. |
| | and better equipped than a generation | | | | The Times Weekend |