Item: ARGE -SCHNEE: An elaborated training of Search and Rescuedogs in snow
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Title: ARGE -SCHNEE: An elaborated training of Search and Rescuedogs in snow
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop Proceedings 2018, Innsbruck, Austria
Authors:
- Barbara Hinterstoisser [ University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria ]
- Walter Fretschner [ Rettungshundezug-Biberttal e.V., Rosstal, Germany ]
Date: 2018-10-07
Abstract: Snow has proved to be a perfect terrain to start and to foster a SAR-dog training. As snow is nearly odourless it is perfect to draw the dogs attention on human scent only. Eliminating competing scents, like the one of smelly food or odorous toys, several points have to be considered. Fetid rewards overlap with the one dogs should search for - the human scent, which although consisting of a huge variety of volatile substances gives a characteristic "human scent pattern". In the training no food is used. Toys should be non or less smelly and are often alternated, to avoid their becoming part of the "human scent pattern". The snow training is strengthening the intensity of the search. The dog figures out quickly how to search for people and how to dig and to give a good bark while doing so. Dogs learn by means of continuous repetition and build up a positive expectation for the next assignment in the sense of: „Absolutely must have this". For preparing the dogs also for rubble search a special grid is used to close the snow caves to block the entrance. The dogs learn to bark intensively to call for the handler to open the grid. Education in snow is a perfect start and motivation training for avalanche-, area- and rubble search!
Object ID: ISSW2018_P16.24.pdf
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s):
Keywords: Search & Rescue Dogs, SAR dogs, training without dog-goodies, human scent
Page Number(s): 1485-1487
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