Glossary

Search and rescue dog

A dog trained to find missing or trapped people by scent, working with a handler in the wilderness, disasters or collapsed buildings.

Also called: SAR dog, search and rescue, SAR, cadaver dog, human remains detection, air scent dog, trailing dog

A search and rescue dog, or SAR dog, finds missing people by scent. There are different types. Air-scent dogs search an area for any human scent and indicate when they find it. Trailing dogs follow the scent of one particular person. Disaster dogs work on rubble after earthquakes or building collapses, and human remains detection dogs, sometimes called cadaver dogs, locate bodies.

Most SAR dogs and handlers are volunteers who train for years. A dog needs good health, a strong play drive, steady nerves and a good nose, and many are Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, Border Collies or Bloodhounds from working lines. Teams may be certified by a team, a state or a national group.

The work differs from police K-9 duty and from a service dog, which assists one person. A dog that is a pet and likes to sniff is not a SAR dog without formal training.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

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Related terms

Police K-9 A dog trained to assist law enforcement, usually in tracking, apprehending suspects and detecting drugs or explosives, working with one handler. Service dog A dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability, and the only dog with public-access rights under the US ADA. Working line vs show line The split within one breed between dogs bred mainly for work or sport and dogs bred mainly for the show ring, which often differ in drive, build and energy. IGP (Schutzhund) A three-part working-dog sport of tracking, obedience and protection, formerly Schutzhund and IPO, that began as a breed test for the German Shepherd Dog.