Rescue Dogs

Search and rescue dogs are highly trained animals. They are looking for humans whether in a disaster or a child lost in the wilderness.

Golden Retrievers are also a great breed for this kind of work. The training involved is more like play to these great animals.

Almost any dog will be good at S&R if trained properly.

Tracking training uses the scent of an individual to give to the dog. The "victim" takes off into the forest and after a certain amount of time, the dog is given the scent and off he goes.

When the lost person is found, the dog is praised profusely on a job well done.

Avalanche training is basically the same except the "victim" is in a dug out hole in the snow and covered (he can still breathe either with an air tube or oxygen tank).

The dog gets the scent, finds the spot where the person is buried and digs furiously to rescue him. Again, lots of praise to the animal, great job!

Many S&R dogs are trained by owners who want to help the community in which they live.

When a call goes out, the team meets the police or other authorities, given instructions, locations and then go to work.

We have private citizen teams in our county and in winter they really do a great job finding hikers or skiers that are lost.

Disaster S&R is a more intense life saving effort for both humans and dogs.

The training is more complex for the dogs because they will be working in dangerous environments.

The attacks of 9/11 - the images of those dogs and humans digging through the debris to find survivors. Both working long hours, searching, until they were ready to collapse but still kept going.

Dogs and their humans with bleeding paws and hands, filthy with ash and fallout, hardly being able to breathe, continuing the search for life.

Enough said...