The newest recruit to the Tayside mountain rescue team is poised for his first callout after passing his assessment with flying colours.
Following a year of training, Tay, a 17-month-old collie, underwent four days of testing with the Search and Rescue Dog Association (Sarda) which saw him searching for a number of “casualties”.
He found every one allocated to him and has been awarded the title of “novice dog”.
Tay will undergo further assessment at a later date in order to become a “full dog”.
He joins the team’s three other search dogs, who help their human counterparts track down stricken hillwalkers across the region. A fifth dog is due to begin training soon.
Tay is owned by Earle Wilson, depute team leader of the Tayside mountain rescue team, and stays with him at his home in Newport, Fife.
Earle, 48, got Tay from a working farm in Perthshire. The trainee ambulance technician said he was delighted with the outcome of last weekend’s testing.
“This was his first assessment and he found every single body that he was asked to find 16 in all,” he said.
“I’m really happy he passed, more for the dog than for me. The dog puts in all the work, I just follow him up the hill and make sure he’s going to the right places. He’s worked really, really hard over the last year.
“I’ve received a great deal of support from the people who have helped me train. They’ve spent a lot of time in the heather trying to hide from the dog, so they’ve put in as much work as me.
“We are now on the callout list, so we could get a phone call any time 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to go anywhere in Scotland.
“He’ll continue training with me and with Sarda and in a year’s time he’ll go for his second assessment which will make him a full dog, recognising he’s got more experience.”
Earle said he kept Tay motivated with the help of a simple squeak toy from a pet shop. The dog is given the toy as a reward for finding a casualty.
Tayside Mountain Rescue has approximately 50 active volunteers who come from a number of walks of life.