The Team

Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England

To be considered for training as a dog handler, an individual must have been on the call‑out list of a recognised Mountain Rescue or Search & Rescue team for a minimum of one year. Applicants must also have the full support of their team and prior experience as a dogsbody on both local and national training courses.

The aim of MRSDE is to teach handlers how to train their own dogs to become operational search dogs; it does not provide search and rescue skills training for handlers themselves. For this reason, MRSDE does not train members of the general public to become dog handlers.

Training a dog to call‑out standard typically takes around two years. Final assessment is carried out over three days in winter conditions, usually in the Lake District, Snowdonia, or the Brecon Beacons.