Search & Rescue Dogs

Any advice on which are the best books out there? Title, author and general thoughts on the book would help.

I'm currently going through:

"Scent and the scenting dog" by William G Syrotuk Quite informative of how scents are believed to be creatded

Read a few of the "dogwise training manuals" by Trudi Rugass which give some insight into the dogs view of the world and interaction with other dogs

I would definitely recommend;
Search and Rescue Dogs: Training the K-9 Hero - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Search-Rescue-Dogs-Training-Hero/dp/0764567039/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319308470&sr=1-1
Ready!: Training the Search and Rescue Dog - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ready-Training-Search-Rescue-Kennel/dp/159378726X/ref=pd_sim_b_2

Scent and the scenting dog has some good stuff in it, but I've never been able to read it cover to cover....

Hello Huw
Welcome to the Forum - I'm also quite new having just started training in April and just received my 'acceptance' into the group at the end of September. I think this Forum is a great way to find out lots of things that you might never think of asking (but someone else always does!) and the help that is received is really useful. Your dogs sound lovely - I have an English Springer Spaniel, who's very keen and loves searching games in the woods with family members but is only just starting out on the 'official' version so we've had to go back to basics with her... so far so good!

Anyway, onto reading matter! I've just finished "Scent of the Missing: Love and Partnership with a Search-And-Rescue Dog" by Susannah Charleson - it's lovely, and is about a young Golden Retriever so especially appropriate for you??! Also "In Search of the Missing: Working with Search and Rescue Dogs in Ireland" by Mick McCarthy and Patricia Ahern - 'gritty' but interesting! Recommended by my group is "Search and Rescue Dogs, Training the K9 Hero" (2nd edition) by American Rescue Dog Association - which was absolutely fascinating.

I also have (still to read) "Ready!: Training the Search and Rescue Dog" by Susan Bulanda and Larry Bulanda, "Analysis of Lost Person Behavior: An Aid to Search Planning" by William G. Syrotuck and Jean Anne Syrotuck, "Canine Tracking Guide" by Don Abney, and "Try Tracking!" by Carolyn A Krause... obviously can't offer a 'review' of these yet but maybe others can!?

Our Navigation training sessions included the suggestion that we should read more books about hill walking and navigation, too, which sounds sensible, as it doesn't matter how good your dog is if you can't find out where you are going/get lost! but I haven't read anything other than a basic 'map reading' guide - yet!! Perhaps they can go on my Christmas list?!

Any other reading suggestions gratefully received!
Best wishes
Sally

Thanks both,

Some on the table waiting to be read - the others I'll put on my Christmas list

As for a general mountain/outdoors book, the "bible" for the MLTB courses used to be Eric Langmuir's "Mountaincraft and Leadership" book (ISBN 0-903908-75-1), well worth getting hold of a copy in my opinion.