Bruce

Joined Team:

December 2016

Retired:

2024

Born:

October 2012

Discipline:

Air-Scenting

Breed:

Labrador

Level:

L3 – Area

Gender:

Male

Alert:

Bark at Handler

Handler:

Tony Rainbow

Reward:

Cheese!

More about Bruce

“My name is Bruce and I’m a ‘natural’ blonde Labrador. I love cheese. I just love to work alongside my human to help find lost and vulnerable people. I train regularly with the Berkshire Search and Rescue Dogs team. I love cheese. I’m good with everybody and I love children. I have powerful, big paws with very little in the way of fine motor skills! I love cheese. I don’t chase cats, squirrels, rabbits or birds, and I ignore horses and cattle. Did I mention I love cheese?”

Bruce is a much loved member of our family and a reliable, hardworking asset for Berkshire Search and Rescue Dogs. We got him when he was 12 weeks old. He is a one in a million dog!

At his home in Windsor, Bruce lives with his dog brother Stanley, who is a young black Labrador – they spend lots of time playing with toys and snuggling up together! At home Bruce is calm, considered and gentle with a super personality. He loves to be with people and will let you know if you’re not paying him enough attention! A very obedient and steady dog, he’s is a joy to take shopping or to the pub – however, he can get himself into trouble if there is any food lying around on the floor – he is after all a Labrador!

At work with the Search team Bruce is focused and very driven. He will get very excited if he sees me pick up my boots as he knows he’s going out to work or to a training session. Bruce is a Level Three Search Dog and he can range or distance himself from me quite extensively whilst looking for people. Because of this Bruce wears a fluorescent search jacket which has bells and a light on it so that I know where he is at night. He’s a strong and fit dog allowing him to search effectively for over 2 hours at a time in all weathers, covering over 50 acres of woodland during a search is not unusual for him.

Paddy

Joined Team:

March 2010

Retired:

2021

Born:

October 2009

Discipline:

Air-Scenting

Breed:

Collie cross Lab

Level:

L2 – Hasty

Gender:

Male

Alert:

Bark

Handler:

Judith Oak

Reward:

Squeaky Tennis Ball

More about Paddy

Mummy and Daddy adopted me from Ireland when I was 3 months old. Mummy says not a day has gone by since then, that I haven’t made her smile or laugh with my silly antics!

I first qualified as an operational search dog in September 2011 and re-qualified every 2 years until I retired in June 2021 when I was 11 years old.

Since retiring you’d think I’d have been spending my time relaxing on the sofa, but not me! I’ve slowed down a bit now that I’m 13, so my walks are slower and shorter, but I have been busy going to classes with Mummy to keep my brain active and have fun.
I recently passed first my Novice Trick Dog certificate and then my Intermediate Trick Dog certificate! Mummy is very proud of me. For Novice Trick I had to perform 15 tricks/behaviours and then for Intermediate, a different 15 harder tricks/behaviours. I’m still learning new tricks and really enjoying myself!

I do miss my Search and Rescue pals, but I’m not sad I don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to go on a callout! I’ll leave that to the younger dogs!

Grace

Joined Team:

October 2018

Retired:

2023

Born:

July 2015

Discipline:

Air-Scenting

Breed:

German Short Haired Pointer

Level:

L2 – Hasty

Gender:

Female

Alert:

Jump Up

Handler:

Chris Hudson

Reward:

Cat Food

More about Grace

Grace is a German Short Haired Pointer and is very hard working but very much expects the same from her handler. We run at a fierce pace working the area looking for our Mispers. We cover a lot of ground very quickly as often time is of the essence. She really loves it but to be honest she likes the cat food more – she only gets it when she finds someone. And it really stinks! She has a complex character and is very much a one master dog and will often let me know what she thinks, either through disapproving looks or furious tail wagging. She is a real character – and always has something to say….. Grace passed her Level 2 qualification in April 2021.

Cassine

Joined Team:

Oct 2017

Retired:

2023

Born:

July 2013

Discipline:

Air-Scenting

Breed:

German Shepherd

Level:

L2 – Hasty

Gender:

Female

Alert:

Tug Toy

Handler:

Anabelle de Chazal

Reward:

Tennis Ball

More about Cassine

Cassine was born in County Durham, not too far from where her handler, Anabelle, lived in North Yorkshire. She grew up around birds of prey and roaming the moors.

Cassine was 4 when she started training for Search and Rescue. She was already very skilled at finding tennis balls, and added finding humans to her repertoire with ease. Especially as finding them means her tennis ball appears out of Anabelle’s pocket! As soon as her search jacket goes on, she is raring to go, loving her game of hide and seek.

Cassine has never met a puddle she didn’t love and you could mistake her for a Labrador in disguise when a treat is about. She is friendly and very nosey. Though if you come visiting the house, she’ll appear very fierce for about 5 seconds. She spends at least half of her day going to work with her human, exploring the countryside (or other people’s gardens). The rest of the time she snoozes. Or drops a tennis ball at the closest human’s feet.

Cassine was the first ever German Shepherd to qualify as a Lowland Rescue Airscenting Search Dog, having passed her first attempt at National Assessment in December 2020 – we’re very proud of her!

Blog Archives

Bruce

More about Bruce

Paddy

More about Paddy

Grace

More about Grace

Cassine

More about Cassine