In these days of hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and just about any other winter sport you can imagine, Avalanche dogs are a must-have in any mountainous environment. Even flat regions have a use for avalanche dogs. Young children who get lost in snow, or elderly people who fall and are subsequently covered by falling snow have been rescued by avalanche dogs.
Once a person is buried under a layer of snow, detection is impossible with the naked eye. Dogs that are trained in Avalanche Rescue can easily pick up the human scent with their superior noses, making a Live recovery possible.
In the early 1930's the Swiss Army hit upon the brilliant idea of using a dog's superior smelling skills to locate buried people. Over the years, training procedures have refined greatly, and now in the twenty-first century, the first group of rescue volunteers sent out always include dogs.
An avalanche dog is trained to track a wide area of snow-covered space in a rapid zig-zag pattern, searching for pools of human scent that rise up above the snow. Once he or she has located the scent of humans, she sounds the alarm, typically a high-pitched, excited bark, and digs down to the victim, letting the ever-needed air in for the victim to breathe, until her handler gets to the burial location to assist with first aid. A trained Avalanche dog is equal to more than fifteen foot searchers!
Avalanche dogs are trained to detect human scent under the snow by first locating their handlers that are buried in shallow "graves" under the snow. Training is intense and often is a three year dedication. The dog must be taught not only to locate human scented articles and humans, but also to alert and dig out the victim. Handlers as well, should be in top physical condition, and have to train along with their dogs. Teamwork is essential, as well a very strong handler to dog bond.
Recommended Reading
- Avalanche Dog
- Ready! the Training of the Search and Rescue Dog
- Scent: Training to Track, Search and Rescue
- Search and Rescue Dogs: Training the K-9 Hero, 2nd Edition
- Rescue Dogs (Animals With Jobs)