Having met Paul and Scout on the first national dog course I attended I was as excited to read this book – to both learn about their journey through the training system but also to glean any pearls of wisdom from his career as a dog handler.
Having trained with them only once, on a windy and hail driven Sir William Hill near Eyam, I recognised Paul to be a handler who knows his stuff but wasn’t about to throw yet more ideas into the mix at a bewildered first time handler. And from reading his account of training I realised why.
I love this book. And not just because I read it voraciously, recognising the characters within it and the experiences – the inconsistent nature of advice, the experience of surviving puppy class, but also the fabulous trainers who really know their stuff and not just imparting random ideas.
I also love it for the honesty, the beautiful language as he paints the landscapes I know and love so well, as well as learning about his experience of why he joined Mountain Rescue. It felt like home reading about training in the Chew Valley.
I absolutely loved reading the Search and recommend this book to everyone, whether you love dogs, interested in mountain rescue or even just the outdoors. The relationship between handler and dog is a wonderful story and one which anyone can appreciate.
