Dog lifeguards are being deployed on a popular beach in Spain to help rescue stranded swimmers and missing bathers, years after a human lifeguard began taking his pet on patrols. 

The job of saving the lives of beachgoers out of their depth has long been the preserve of the young and the fit, but even the best would struggle to rival the supreme abilities of their new canine colleagues.

The mainly Labrador and Newfoundland breeds undergoing training at the Malaga-Velez area of southern Spain have such enormous strength that they can drag up to two tonnes of floating weight.

The dogs, dressed in yellow vests, have accompanied their handlers on patrols around bathing spots including Malaga’s Levante beach. The plan is for them to dive into action upon the orders of a human lifeguard, either from the shore or a kayak during rescues out at sea.

The training process, which begins when they are three or four months old, lasts around a year.

“In just one year, the dogs are perfectly trained,” said Manuel Duran, the manager of the MresQ canine rescue and emergency unit contracted by Velez-Malaga this summer in a first for the Andalusia region.

Training videos show the dogs leaping into the water and dragging people to safety by using their teeth to pull a cord attached to a harness.

According to Mr Duran, the Newfoundland breed has a stamina that far exceeds that of most humans, able to swim up to three nautical miles while pulling heavy weights.

Their superior sense of smell can also aid in search and rescue missions, where humans are almost solely guided by sight.

But protecting these super lifeguards is paramount, which is why they are kept to a strict daily routine of patrols between 2pm and 5pm to avoid the worst of the afternoon heat.

“The dogs live with their handlers and are provided with shade, air conditioning, fans and everything else necessary to keep them hydrated and comfortable,” Mr Duran told the Malaga Hoy newspaper. 

“Each dog has a special bond with its handler, which ensures that they are always well cared for and protected.”

The idea of using dogs as marine rescue animals stems from an experiment conducted by a human lifeguard a decade ago.

David Alvarez, a lifeguard in San Pedro del Pinatar, Murcia, had the idea of training his Newfoundland, called Bruno, to rescue objects, then real people, noting how the breed’s webbed paws made for a strong swimming dog.

“I just wanted a dog as a pet and had not really thought about working with him in my job as a lifeguard, but after I had him two weeks I took him with me to the sea and realised what a fantastic swimmer he was,” said Mr Alvarez.