Areas of service
Rubble Search:
Rubble search is likely the most difficult task for a rescue dog. A dog has to act independently while searching for trapped victims in areas of rubble and collapsed buildings and alert its trainer when a victim is found. The dog cannot be distracted by strange smells or other disturbance factors and must be very obedient and yet still trust its own decisions in an emergency.
Rubble search is likely the most difficult task for a rescue dog. A dog has to act independently while searching for trapped victims in areas of rubble and collapsed buildings and alert its trainer when a victim is found. The dog cannot be distracted by strange smells or other disturbance factors and must be very obedient and yet still trust its own decisions in an emergency.
Area Search:
If a missing person is thought to be, for example, in a certain area of a forest but the place to pick up the scent is unknown, the whole surrounding area must be searched. A dog handler will send his dog in a zigzag pattern through his assigned search area while maintaining a straight path himself. Using this technique, a relatively large area can be searched to pick up the scent of a missing person, with comparatively few rescue dog teams in a very short period of time – especially important before nightfall.
If a missing person is thought to be, for example, in a certain area of a forest but the place to pick up the scent is unknown, the whole surrounding area must be searched. A dog handler will send his dog in a zigzag pattern through his assigned search area while maintaining a straight path himself. Using this technique, a relatively large area can be searched to pick up the scent of a missing person, with comparatively few rescue dog teams in a very short period of time – especially important before nightfall.
Tracking:
When tracking, a rescue dog follows the scent of a missing person. This track is defined primarily by the disturbances to the ground and can be several hours old – as long as the starting area for the search is known.
When tracking, a rescue dog follows the scent of a missing person. This track is defined primarily by the disturbances to the ground and can be several hours old – as long as the starting area for the search is known.
Avalanche Search:
An avalanche victim is always in acute danger of death- from suffocation, injuries, freezing or exhaustion. Due to the dangers from so many threats, an especially quick response with rescue dogs is very important and can include various forms of transportation, such as slope-grooming vehicles, ski-doos, chair-lifts and also helicopters, all of which are covered in the Test of Mission Readiness. Dogs search the avalanche area using a similar technique to the area search technique, although freedom of movement is often very restricted due to the snow.
An avalanche victim is always in acute danger of death- from suffocation, injuries, freezing or exhaustion. Due to the dangers from so many threats, an especially quick response with rescue dogs is very important and can include various forms of transportation, such as slope-grooming vehicles, ski-doos, chair-lifts and also helicopters, all of which are covered in the Test of Mission Readiness. Dogs search the avalanche area using a similar technique to the area search technique, although freedom of movement is often very restricted due to the snow.
Aquatic Work: Water Rescue vs. Water Search
Water Rescue indicates that a rescue dog pulls a drowning person to shore. This is only possible when the dog happens to be directly at the scene of the event and is generally possible only in countries that have supervised beaches.
Water Search is the search for bodies – which entails searching an area by boat with the dog until the scent is caught. The search for bodies is not a primary duty of a rescue dog, which by virtue of its very name, is dedicated to rescuing living people.
