This weekend of the 3rd, 4th and 5th September saw Mountain Rescue Dog Handlers and other interested members (Including our own Dave Marsh, formerly a SARDA Dog Handler with our team and Bolton MRT member and Trainee Trailing Dog Handler Steve Nelson and his Trainee Trail Dog Boris) travelling from all corners of Scotland, England and Wales to attend the first NSARDA (National Search and Rescue Dog Association) Trailing Dog Course at Smelt Mill, Dunsop Bridge, in the Trough of Bowland, Lancashire. (The Base / HQ of Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team)

Attendees came from Mountain Rescue Teams in Southern Scotland, Wales, South Wales, England including the Lake District, and Lowland Search Dogs (who cover the ’southern half’ of England)

Course Instructors included Tom Middlemas (A world renowned expert in the black arts of dog trailing in the words of our own Dave Marsh) and Iain Nicholson with his Mountain Rescue Trail Dog Mij.(A member of Welsh SARDA and Bowland Pennine MRT)

Over the weekend, structured lectures were delivered in scent appraisal, dispersal, weather factors and a whole host of related topics, all relating to the effective use and deployment of Trailing Dogs.

It was decided to create a stand alone group under the auspices of NSARDA for Trailing Dog purposes with members coming from the aforementioned groups plus any others wishing to participate. Hopefully, this will mean there will be a Trailing Dog available in all the counties of the British Isle to search for vulnerable and missing people as and when the need arises.

The next programmed meeting is scheduled for the half term break in February 2012, and will again be hosted at the excellent facilities of Bowland Pennine MRTs Base / HQ at Smelt Mill, Dunsop Bridge, Lancashire.