About Search Dogs UK
A collaborative approach to working dog education
Search Dogs UK brings together specialist knowledge from operational search, detection dog instruction, behavioural science, veterinary welfare and education quality assurance.
Our programmes are designed to improve not only what handlers and instructors do, but how they observe, plan, evaluate and adapt training.
The Search Dogs UK team
Lindsay Sielski BEM
Lindsay is one of the UK's most experienced search and rescue canine specialists, with extensive operational expertise in search dog handling, instruction, canine capability development, and search strategy.
Throughout her career, she has worked across a wide range of search disciplines, including live search, victim recovery, fire investigation, and missing person response. As an operational search dog handler, she has trained and worked multiple search dogs to operational standards, gaining experience at major incidents, complex missing person investigations, fatal fires, and large-scale emergency responses.
Alongside her operational work, Lindsay has played a significant role in the development of search dog capability, contributing to training standards, instructor development, and the advancement of operational canine practice both within the UK and internationally. Her work has focused on developing structured training programmes, promoting evidence-informed approaches, and supporting continual improvement across the search dog community.
Lindsay is passionate about bridging the gap between operational experience, learning theory, canine behaviour, and practical application. She is widely respected for her ability to translate complex operational knowledge into clear, accessible training that helps handlers, instructors, and organisations develop confident, capable search dog teams.
Professor Heather Bacon OBE
External oversight supporting consistency, transparency and the integrity of professional learning and assessment.
Paul Baker
who will have to be kept on the down low until he retires in October but has 20 years as a Police detection instructor. Paul will take over my regular classes, trouble shooting and search training in venues.
Demonstration and Handler Development
Experienced dogs supporting selected demonstrations and opportunities to develop practical handler skills.
HERE’S WHAT OUR CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY
“
I have just completed a 6-month instructor's CPD course & it was brilliant. content was just right & included a good balance of theory & practical. Lindsey delivered the course with exceptional knowledge & professionalism. I got the chance to work with a fantastic group of people. I worked my new puppy from day one who had done nothing and by the time we has finished she was doing outdoor searches with confidence. Thank you & we will be back.
”
— Jo Brook, Positively Canine
HERE’S WHAT OUR CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY
“Because we make everything, we can make pieces that fit together, work together and suit each other”
— Tom Shaw, Founder