What Makes an American Staffordshire Terrier an Excellent Rescue Dog?

Well-trained rescue and search dogs are known for their excellent sense of smell and intelligent detective skills. An American Staffordshire Terrier is a common breed used for rescue operations after a natural calamity or at a mass-casualty accident scene.

Search dogs are highly agile, motivated, and ready to face difficulties in large-scale maneuvering procedures. These dogs need an expert to train and guide them in rescue operations. 

What are Rescue Dogs?

According to a recent news report, dog handlers used rescue dogs to sniff and track human survivors and debris at the site of a collapsed 12-story condominium building outside Miami.

Search and Rescue Dogs (SAR) are aggressive and massive canines with incredible sniffing abilities. These dogs are highly beneficial to the security and protection forces in the US. 

The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation in California is a non-profit organization. It rescues and trains dogs to help firefighters and security personnel during natural disasters. 

Collecting proof and evidence in an accident location is an inevitable part of search and rescue operations. Specialized police dogs assist the officer with this investigation process.

These dogs undergo rigorous training programs to develop life-saving skills. They help handlers and dog search teams sniff out humans trapped in disaster situations. They can find people underwater, under snow, or inside collapsed buildings.

The types of search canines are:

Trailing dogs: These dogs have scent discriminating capabilities. Hence, they can track a person after being given a particular sample smell.

Tracking dogs: These breeds use available human scents to lead the way across large areas of debris. These are air-scenting dogs that follow the scent in the flow of wind.

How are Rescue Dogs Trained?

The tracking and trailing dog training process occurs in different terrains like concrete, asphalt, grass, and muddy areas, and it is called variable surface training. 

Urban Search and Rescue Dogs (USRD) training occurs in unstable areas around collapsed buildings from earthquakes and tornadoes. These dogs are very obedient as they are learning to search being unleashed.

Wilderness rescue dogs are used to search humans trapped in the wild, forest areas. Proper search patterns and methodologies are implemented to train rescue dogs.

Human Remains Detection (HRD) or Cadaver dogs are trained to track humans trapped in unreachable places. They can also trace human odor from decomposed matter.

Popular Breeds for SAR Canines

Dog breeds that have the best scent receptors are chosen for search and rescue operations. Some common canine breeds used in SAR are:

• American Staffordshire Terriers are the most energetic and courageous breed of dogs. Hence, they are an ideal fit for a rescue operation.
• Lab and golden retrievers are excellent swimmers. Hence, they are used for searching for humans trapped underwater.
• Bloodhounds and basset hounds have a strong sense of smell and can track blood faster.
• St. Bernard can survive in extreme winter conditions. Hence, they can locate people stuck in snowstorms. They are the best choice for helping to find people trapped in avalanches and high-altitude mountain passes.
• Australian Shepherds are an intelligent breed and can work excellently for long-distance search operations.
• Dobermans are the favorite among the US marine corps and police force.

Best Characteristics of the American Staffordshire Terrier

Here’s some interesting facts about the American Staffordshire Terriers that make them an excellent choice for risky search and rescue operations.

• Amstaffs have a strong build and can stand up to around 19 inches tall at shoulder level. Their gigantic and intimidating look makes them useful in wildlife and high terrain search operations.
• These dogs have high energy levels and do not get tired quickly. Hence, the canines can be used to track or trail humans over a long distance of terrains.
• These dogs are willful and very intelligent compared to their other canine friends. Hence, they can be trained better to be obedient and follow your commands.
• Canines can get frequently injured during search operations conducted in the mountains and rough landscapes. An American Staffordshire Terrier has a high pain threshold and endurance capacity. They can work efficiently in dangerous situations.
• These rare breeds have a great sense of smell and can track humans with just a sniff of a sample.
• Amstaffs are courageous and do not back down easily. Their fearless nature makes them suitable for life-threatening rescue operations.

Final Thoughts

Amstaffs are intelligent creatures that can memorize commands within a small set of repetitions. Hence, they can be easily trained to follow dog search expert commands and work efficiently to solve detective mysteries.

With an average sensitivity level, these dogs are not easily hurt by shouting or scolding. Their rigid nature helps during rigorous training regimes for SAR dogs.