The mention of a rescue dog on a mountain might conjure up a St. Bernard, plowing through snow drifts carrying blankets and whiskey. In reality, you are much more likely to run into a German Shepherd, Border Collie, Labrador, or Golden Retriever.
These types of dogs – active, hard-working nose detectives – are the partners of choice for avalanche search and rescue teams. Trained to locate human scent in snowbanks, a fully certified “avy dog” can cover 2.5 acres in thirty minutes, an area it would take people four hours to cover.
To an avalanche victim, that speed can mean the difference between life and death. Barring fatal injury, as many as 90 percent of victims survive if found within the first 15 minutes of burial, a figure that drops to 30 percent after half an hour.
Avalanche dogs go through rigorous training, all based on positive-reinforcement methods. The handler determines where it’s most likely someone could be buried, how the wind is blowing, and then releases the dog to search based on a strategy of optimal coverage. When the dog indicates human scent by digging in the snow and wagging her tail, humans with shovels take over.
Every year, avy dogs help save lives in the world’s mountainous regions and ski resorts. Are you a skier? Carry dog treats!
Be the hero your dog knows you are.
Your dog not only relies on you, they trust you. You are their guide to the world and their teacher. It’s a wonderful feeling. But sometimes it can feel like a lot of pressure when you’re not sure how to help your dog navigate the world.
Many pet parent heroes struggle with teaching their dogs life skills to succeed. Leash training, recall, stay, reactivity and aggression issues, you name it. But you don’t have to do it alone.
When it comes to dog training, you want the most up to date and effective training methods. You don’t want to have to guess if you’re getting it right or wade through a sea of information to find the right answers to teaching your best friend.
At Really Good Pets, we can guide you on your journey to having a strong relationship with your dog based on communication and trust.
We’ll help get you the answers you need and take the guess work out. Our science-based approach will set you on the right path and get you to your training goals easier than going it alone.
Message us to set up your free consultation and learn how we can help.