Labrador Is a Great Civilian Search-And-Rescue Dog

Dogs are cute. They're also great companions, no matter what size and breed they are. They're also very useful since some dogs are employed in the police force as K-9 bomb retrievers, illegal substance detectors, and search and rescue dogs.

However, did you know that a dog doesn't have to be employed in the police force to do all these? With proper training, any dog can be a civilian search and rescue dog.

Additionally, specific dog breeds carry the genes of being civilian search and rescue dogs. There's no need to look far since one of the most common search and rescue dog breeds may just be something you own already, like the Labrador Retriever. It's already in their genes, and it's also in their name, so read on to find out how your Labrador Retriever can be a great search and rescue dog.

Labrador Retrievers and Their Qualities

Labrador Retrievers are found everywhere, employed by the police to do street patrol and maintain peace and order in public areas. They can also be found in the airport, sniffing out bombs and illegal substances from people's luggage. Since they're soft, fluffy, and great with people, Labrador Retrievers are commonly chosen for the job to avoid people from getting anxious when a dog comes near them.

Labrador Retrievers have a great sense of smell. They can sniff out a person buried underneath a ton of rocks or trapped in a burning building. Since they're also great at concentrating, they can pick and hold the person's smell out of all the smells surrounding them, and they rarely get overwhelmed.

They can also remain calm in stressful situations, and they're good at handling their emotions. Compared to other dogs, they are gentler and more level-headed. In an emergency, a Labrador Retriever can be trusted to handle themselves well and alert other people that their master needs help. Sometimes, they can even carry out an important task without being prompted.

Labrador Retrievers are always alert, even when they're being playful. They are big babies, so they tend to run around and roll over, especially when they are around children. They love being scratched on their bellies, and they are also great at fetch games. However, when they are on the job, they are perked up and alert, ready to take on intense tasks.

How To Train Labrador Retrievers

Training a Labrador Retriever to be a civilian search and rescue dog is relatively easy. It is a great start to send them to a training center and have a professional handler teach them how to fulfill search and rescue missions. However, it's best to start teaching them while they're young so that they'll retain the ability until they are fully grown.

Labrador Retrievers do three types of training:

A certified trainer does training, and activities are rewarded so that the dog does not feel overworked. Generally, the required hours for a dog to become a licensed civilian search and rescue dog is around 600 hours, and they must be registered before performing a search and rescue task. As an owner, you would also have to register yourself as a search and rescue dog handler.

Keep in mind that being a search and rescue dog handler receives little to no compensation. Therefore, you and your Labrador Retriever must have the passion for helping out in a search and rescue mission without expecting a reward in return.

Conclusion

There is a Labrador Retriever named Forrest who became a certified search and rescue dog after being homeless. He's already three years old, and he has found him forever home with his fur dad, Tom Simons, who works in the Utah Fire Department. Since Forrest is great at hunting, he used that skill to get a job where his dad works.

Forrest's story is a great inspiration, and it goes to show that Labrador Retrievers are great at being search and rescue dogs. Not only are they serving the country, but they are also saving lives in the process.