Man's best friend, everyone has known this for many years. However, there are not just friends, but real life savers. Some breeds lend themselves better than others to training for first aid in any extreme situation - we will talk about them in the article.

Of course, to those who are called upon to save human lives, special, exaggerated requirements are put forward:

• Excellent sense organs: eyes, ears, nose.
• Determined, but good-natured character. should make good contact with any person, because hundreds of different “souls” will have to be saved.
• Good physical fitness and stamina. On the way to a noble goal, you will certainly have to overcome many obstacles.

• Stable nervous system. The dog will have to work hard, and he must always be in great shape.
• Obedience. The dog must be easy to train.

Did you know? named Trepp entered the Guinness Book of Records. He helped catch a hundred criminals and more. Once, at another demonstration of dog skills, Trepp had the task of finding a dozen bags of banned substances. The dog found 11.

The best of the best

Very often there are canine representatives who save a person, without having an impressive pedigree. However, there are certain breeds that literally have a zeal for exploits in their blood.

Depending on the breed, there is a specific rescue job that one or another dog will do better than others, and specialized training will be easy for him.

Considered a breed that would make an excellent water rescue dog. This large dog with an unusually kind character is able to overcome great distances on the water, swims well and has physical ability to pull a drowning person out, even from icy water.

This representative of the canine has very developed instincts, so he, without hesitation, will rush to the aid of a drowning person and effortlessly pull him ashore. Also an important advantage is the ability of the four-legged giant to dive to a depth of 30 meters.

Retrievers are perhaps the most good-natured dogs that can often be found in a number of search and other rescue dogs. Their incredible ability to learn, to be patient and to express compassion plays a huge role in those who are called upon to respond to floods, landslides and other natural disasters.
Dogs can flawlessly go in search of several hours, and even days, without requiring much time to rest. And the kind disposition and eternal positive of Labradors will be able to cheer up the injured children.

Since childhood, he has been associated with a large, unflappable dog named Beethoven. However, few people know that this breed has saved many human lives high in the mountains. St. Bernard is a dog that is an indispensable lifeguard in the mountains.
The impressive size of the representatives of this breed, physical training, as well as a dense coat allow them to feel great in conditions of freezing temperatures and snowfalls. Serious temperature drops in the mountains are tolerated by these dogs without problems.

Did you know? The most famous mountain rescuer was a St. Bernard named Barry. During his 12-year rescue service, the four-legged hero saved 41 people, including a small child.

“Of course,” - this is how you can answer the question about what other dogs, besides St. Bernards, help rescue climbers in case of unforeseen situations on the mountain slopes.
German Shepherds have an excellent sense of smell and are well oriented on the ground. exceptional mind and high learning ability German Shepherds have long been noted by many cynologists. If this dog smells a person who needs help, neither low temperature nor snow will stop him. Literally risking their own lives, shepherd dogs have been saving conquerors of mountain peaks for many decades.

The ideal service dog. Many American policemen have such a valuable partner, because these dogs can catch up with any violator, and protect the policeman himself from attacks. Loyal, intelligent and hardy Dobermans do an excellent job with their duties, perfectly protect the objects entrusted to them and are very often awarded various medals and even titles.

The Leonberger is a versatile dog that lends itself perfectly to training. A person can instill in him any important characteristics for many rescue operations. The main trump card of this dog is an excellent scent. Most often, for this reason, representatives of this breed become detectives.
The Leonberger is quite large, hardy and has excellent musculature. With proper training, this dog will become an excellent companion in an extreme situation of any complexity.

Important! When choosing quadrupeds for certain missions, external data must be taken into account. Long-haired German Shepherds will be much more at risk in a fire, and smooth-haired Dobermans are unlikely to be able to jump into icy water.

Belgian Shepherds are quite large and have a dense double coat. The character is good-natured to humans, however, it is very aggressive towards representatives of the animal world. A person uses the excellent natural qualities of this dog in his own interests: for service, protection, hunting, and even during fires. As fire dogs, these shepherds are rare, but there are also heroes in the fight for the lives of people in fire.

A hunting breed that shows excellent results in chasing game. However, a person has learned to use the energy of representatives of this breed for rescue purposes. Drathaars often help people in the Coast Guard. They are excellent swimmers, able to quickly reach a drowning person and save him.

It is impossible to imagine how the history of mankind would develop if we did not have a dog - a devoted, courageous, intelligent and strong friend. For thousands of years they have been guarding and protecting, helping in hunting and transporting goods. They are the ears and eyes of those who need it. And if trouble comes, rescue dogs do everything to save the life of a stranger at any cost.

The best are rescue dogs of the Labrador breed, some will say. No, no one can do the job better than a shepherd dog, others will object to them. Both are right, but Labradors are gluttonous, and shepherd dogs sometimes show malice towards strangers. Maybe spaniels? Or schnauzers? Collies, terriers?

The main tasks of a search dog are to find a person and mark the find by barking or taking a special “diarrhea” in their teeth. The dog cannot bandage wounds or give artificial respiration. In very rare cases, she is able to get the victim out from under a pile of stones. To help, even the most dexterous and strong rescue dog itself needs the help of a person. Therefore, a keen sense of smell, physical endurance and a passion for work are not the only requirements. The dog must be mentally stable - not distracted by noise and other extraneous stimuli, good-natured - not to frighten the found person, not to rush at strangers (doctors, other rescuers, his "colleagues"). That's why strict framework as to what breed rescue dogs should be, does not exist. The main thing is that the dog has all the qualities necessary for such a difficult job: endurance in every sense, keen hearing and scent, obedient disposition, the ability to concentrate on the task at hand and act independently if such a need arises.

A rescue dog is not just a profession, it is a noble cause, to which the animal and the owner must devote a lot of time and effort. At the same time, the four-legged heroes just do their job, not even suspecting that if it were not for them, then there would be much more broken destinies, broken families and broken lives in the world!

The world is not safe for humans. With frightening regularity, accidents, natural disasters and catastrophes occur in it, sometimes leading to human casualties. It is difficult to find a person covered by an avalanche or a collapsed building. It is even more difficult to do this so quickly that the victim does not suffocate, is not crushed, does not die from blood loss. A specially trained rescue dog is able to quickly find the victim under multi-ton rubble.

Dogs have been helping rescue people in distress for hundreds of years. In the Pamir mountains, a drawing was found depicting a dog that saves a person; The drawing is about 1,500 years old.

In Europe, the first rescue dogs appeared in the 19th century, in the Alpine monastery named after St. Bernard. When a snowstorm began, the monks tied small kegs of rum around the neck of the dogs and sent them in search of people lost in the storm. Powerful animals covered with thick hair were not afraid of frost and, smelling a person in trouble under the thickness of snow, dug him out, gave him a drink from a barrel of warm wine so that the traveler could warm up faster, and brought help. This breed of dog was later named St. Bernard, in honor of the patron saint of the monastery.

It is impossible to count how many people the St. Bernards saved. But the most popular among them was a St. Bernard named Barry. The story of him has long been a legend. Barry felt the approach of a snowstorm intuitively more than an hour before it began, and became very restless. Once he saved a child who was deep under an avalanche, and no one even suspected that trouble had happened to him, except for Barry. Barry found the child and licked his face until the child came to his senses. Barry saved forty people. After Barry's death, a monument was erected to him in one of the Parisian cemeteries.

Even in the very first wars, dogs served as sentries, liaisons and scouts. Later, they brought ammunition, medicine and telephone cable, located mines and found the wounded. During the First World War, gas masks were put on dogs. And modern armies prefer to take dogs into service. German Shepherds, Collies, Dobermans and Rottweilers serve in different armies. For this role, dogs with a white color are not taken, since they are easier for the enemy to notice.

Hero dogs are now called those who helped people during the hostilities. The dogs were full-fledged fighters and took part in the search for missing people under the rubble, cleared mines, and worked as messengers. They have saved thousands of lives. Many four-legged warriors have gone down in history. Stories about their exploits have survived to this day. Here is some of them.

A medical orderly dog ​​named Mukhtar pulled out more than 400 wounded soldiers from the battlefields during the war years. Shepherd Dina was trained in sabotage and took a course in destroying enemy tanks. During the days of the defense of Leningrad, the Nazis reported that "the Russians released mad dogs into positions." In the famous "rail war" in Belarus, Dina derailed an entire echelon, dragging explosives right under the wheels of a steam locomotive. Dog Dick of the collie breed was trained in mine-detecting business. In his personal file there was such an entry: “Called for service from Leningrad. During the war years, he discovered more than 12 thousand mines, took part in the demining of Stalingrad, Lisichansk, Prague and other cities. But Dick accomplished his main feat in Pavlovsk. He discovered in the foundation of an ancient palace a mine of two and a half tons with a clockwork, an hour before the explosion. After the war, Dick participated in many exhibitions. He died of old age and was buried with full military honors, as befits a hero.

The Search and Rescue Dog Service was established in Russia in 1972, and one of the best rescue dog training methods in the world has been developed.

Recently, more and more advanced technology has come to the aid of rescuers, but the dog's nose is still indispensable for searching for people under rubble or avalanches - because it is able to distinguish the smell dissolved in the air in a ratio of one to ten million! One rescue dog saves the labor of dozens of people. After all, in a dog's nose there are 500 million cells that can capture the smell, and in a human there are only 10-20 million. Therefore, the most modern devices will not replace the dog's nose and ear.

A specially trained dog is able to capture even the faintest odors and distinguish them from thousands of unnecessary ones, is able to find a person under an 8-meter layer of snow, dirt or debris from a collapsed building.

Once, the mountain rescue service conducted an experiment - on an area of ​​10,000 square meters, a “victim” was buried in the snow to a depth of 2 meters. A rescue team of twenty people, armed with avalanche probes, searched for him for four hours, and the dog found him in twelve minutes.

Many are interested in the question - what breeds are the best rescue dogs? There are certain working qualities that a rescue dog must possess without fail. First of all, it is controllability, physical strength (needed to overcome obstacles), and, of course, excellent flair. Initially, she should have a loyal, non-aggressive reaction to people. In general, anger is a sign of cowardice, a dog fit for service should be self-confident and calm. Also, when selecting candidates, attention is paid to the dog's ability to endure the climate in which it will have to work. Having collected statistics from all over the world, cynologists have identified the five most capable dog breeds.

5th place went to Doberman Pinschers. The appearance of this breed of dog dates back to 1800, when there was an urgent need for a protector dog, which, if necessary, could attack the offender. Some people consider this breed stupid, but such a judgment is erroneous. Dobermans need to be trained and educated, otherwise there is a very high chance that an uncontrollable dog will grow out of a small funny puppy who will do only what he wants to do.

Dobermans are very active dogs that are capable of fighting for their master for life.

The Golden Retriever was in 4th place in the dog rating. He is very kind and gentle by nature, he is great with children. They are able to learn quickly and easily, understand commands literally the first time and literally grasp everything on the fly. Often they can be seen in the service of the police, in rescue service, at customs and as a guide dog. Due to their patience, they can be good nannies for children and excellent companions for the elderly.

Honorable 3rd place went to the German Shepherds. German Shepherds are very smart and trainable, they can be used as guards, and as bloodhounds or police officers. Representatives of this breed have proven themselves well as pets.

The second position is occupied by Poodles. They are able not only to jump and perform various tricks in the circus, but they can also be good observers and serve in the rescue service. Poodles swim well and are ready to save a drowning person. Of course, there are a lot of poodles, both small and large, beautiful and not very beautiful, but they are all excellent comrades and guards.

Representatives of the Border Collie breed became champions in intellectual abilities among dogs. Cynologists of all countries of the world unanimously recognized this breed as the smartest. These dogs are real hard workers, they do not like to mess around, and are ready to work almost around the clock for the benefit of a person. They even say about the border collie, this dog lives in order to work.

They remember the rules of behavior very easily, learn commands easily, are friendly and simply adore children. In general, this is a unique dog that can be used in a wide range of ways - from a guard dog to a nanny, or just as pet with good mental ability.

Even very good innate qualities of a dog can only fully manifest itself with proper upbringing and initial training from puppyhood. The growth and development of the organism of animals occurs more intensively in the spring-summer period.

Although raising a puppy (ensuring good growth and physical development) and raising a puppy (forming a healthy nervous system and a certain type of behavior) are independent concepts, they are inextricably linked and cannot be carried out in isolation. In the process of normal development and life of the organism, the physical and mental principles are closely connected. Practice shows that from a dog that is poorly developed physically, one cannot expect a strong nervous system, a balanced psyche.

The necessary qualities of the PSS dog, which should be developed from a very early age, include:

• * interest and perseverance in finding the source of human smell;
• * courage in overcoming natural obstacles;
• * activity at work;
• * sense of orientation in an unfamiliar area;
• * indifference to wild and domestic animals;
• * unpretentiousness to food and maintenance;
• * the ability to work at any time of the day, in severe weather conditions.

The general principles of training and raising a puppy are as follows:

• 1) what an adult dog should not do, a puppy should not be allowed to do;
• 2) this period is the most crucial because the "early experience" acquired in puppyhood affects the behavior and work of the dog throughout its life;
• 3) the mistakes made by the trainer when growing and educating are almost impossible to correct later;
• 4) “idleness” and overload with classes should not be allowed. Constantly maintain and develop the dog's interest, passion for finding FROM a person - exercises for the search skill to give "not enough", to make stimulating intervals.

The search for a hidden or buried source of human smell (burrow) should always and everywhere end with its finding. It is better if in the very first lessons the growing dog finds 1-2 difficult digs than more simple ones. But if the dog cannot find them on his own, the trainer must help him in this by pointing or in another way. When found, the trainer encourages her to a much greater extent than when performing any other technique. Only under these conditions does the dog develop interest and perseverance in the search. If the digging is not found or it is too easy to find interest in search work disappears.

For the development of flair: during daily walks, let the dog off the leash; do not interfere with the sniffing of various objects, except for sewage; mask and bury fetching items.

Do a 20-30 minute cross with your dog every morning. During it, the dog is sent at least 20 times for a far-thrown fetching object, which gives it the opportunity to run during this time a distance 5 times greater than the trainer runs. This is a great exercise for the whole body. In the future, they teach the dog not to bring the object, not to run with it, but, having raised a voice, return to the trainer.

Take long walks at least once a week: in winter - on skis, in summer - with an overnight stay in field conditions. During walks, the dog makes high and long jumps, overcomes forest blockages and other obstacles. She must do all this not under compulsion, but on the basis of a natural desire for movement, which is constantly stimulated and encouraged by the trainer. With this technique, the dog develops the activity and courage necessary for work. To harden the body, the dog must swim in any weather (only in a clean reservoir), spend the night in a snow hole in winter, and in summer under a tent wing.

Although the sense of orientation in dogs is much stronger than in humans, it, like any sense, is improved through exercise and training. To this end, you should constantly change the routes of walks, take the dog with you on multi-day trips to new places with a variety of terrain.

All means of physical development and hardening of the young body of the dog should be used so that there is no physical overload and hypothermia, which can cause various diseases. Care must be taken with mental stress. Overloads lead to disruption of nervous activity, neuroses. Methods and techniques for preparing a young dog for OKD, sampling the smell, searching the area are generally accepted.

It is important both for the work and the maintenance of the dog itself that it is taught not to show an aggressive attitude towards domestic and wild animals. It is necessary to teach this from puppyhood, since it is almost impossible to wean a dog with a “manifested” instinct to chase a fleeing animal from this. The dog, by virtue of its instinct, cannot not react at all to animals that are a strong odor and visual irritant. It is enough that, having sniffed at him at a distance, she immediately turned away from him and approached the trainer at the call.

The scheme for teaching a dog this contrasting method on a long leash is as follows:

• 1) the dog is led several times past and around a herd or a single animal (cow, goat) so that it gets used to the new smell and appearance of the animal;
• 2) approach him at a distance of 10-15 meters, stop and start playing with the dog. When a dog tries to approach the animals, it is called to itself, encouraged with a treat; if she does not obey, pull the leash;
• 3) approach the animals so much that they begin to move away. If the dog tries to chase, distract its attention with commands, pull the leash;
• 4) train the dog to calmly pass by and follow the receding animals until it can perform this technique without jerking the leash.

The suppression of the persecution of cats and game is carried out by the same methods: distraction, physical impact, encouragement when approaching a trainer. In no case should a dog be punished after it, having run after the animal, independently returned to the trainer.

It is best to keep both growing and adult dogs in an open aviary or in a fenced yard with a warm booth. Such maintenance is very important in order not to pamper the dog and to preserve its undercoat, without which it will not withstand prolonged work in the cold. It is more rational to keep dogs in an aviary not individually - one at a time, but all together - a team of 3-5 pieces. This group content has the following advantages:

• 1. With the same size of the plot and the consumption of the net for the aviary, each dog receives a "living area" 3-5 times more.
• 2. Living together, they do not get bored, frolic, play (especially important for young people), get used to each other.
• 3. The problem of keeping the dog when the trainer is absent from home for a long time disappears - feeding and care is carried out by another guide of the team.
• 4. Feeding and care can be carried out alternately by one of the trainers.
• 5. Dogs do not need to be specially walked.
• 6. Puppies in a large aviary receive excellent conditions for physical development and hardening.
• 7. The aviary can simultaneously serve as a training ground for young animals, for this a boom, barriers and other projectiles are installed in it.

Inside the aviary, food is prepared in a warmed change house, food and equipment are stored. For temporary isolation, each of the dogs can be placed in a section of the enclosure. This "enclosure-group" type of content at the rate of 20 m 2 for each dog has proven itself in practice in all respects.

The dog's undercoat is preserved even if it is kept in an unheated part of the house or on a veranda or loggia. With sufficiently long classes and training of the dog in the cold season, the undercoat can be preserved even when kept in an ordinary apartment. This is facilitated by the location of her place in the coldest part of the apartment, but not in a draft. The bedding of the dog should not be too warm - burlap is quite enough, under which, if the floor is cold, a wooden shield is placed.

The feeding rules, sufficiently covered in the literature, for dogs, the PSS should be supplemented with the following: use natural foods, including raw meat on the bones - weekly, fresh vegetables - daily at least 10% of the feed ration, vegetable fats - no more than 25% of total fat. Feed concentrates, which are very easy to handle, should only be used in rescue operations and in other necessary cases. Feeding them constantly pampers the dog's digestive apparatus, after which the usual roughage is poorly eaten and digested.

In the morning after a run-walk, when the dog performs several exercises, she is given 2-3 dryers or crackers to “awaken the stomach”. Lunch after training sessions - 40% of the daily diet, dinner - 60%. A good trainer eats at the same time as the dog, nearby or nearby so that he can see each other. The norm of daily feeding is such that the bowl after it is cleanly licked, a well-fed dog would move away from it without asking for supplements. It is better if the dog is thin, because excess weight, like in humans, leads to a decrease in efficiency and premature aging.

The PSS dog eats always and everywhere only from his bowl, the hands of the owner, members of his family, and an assistant. Instinctive picking up food from the ground, which is difficult to overcome in some dogs, leads to a decrease in the quality of its search, since there is plenty of food in the ruins of the emergency zone. Eating any "appetizing", but contaminated with toxic substances products leads to poisoning and death of the dog.

rejection

To assess suitability adult dog to the PSS, the following methods are used. The dog learns within a few days to flawlessly find a fetching object disguised in grass or snow with the smell of its trainer. Then, in a plot measuring 10 x 10 m, an object with the same smell is buried in the ground to a depth of half the bayonet of a shovel, in the snow - to a bayonet. A few meters from it, in order to distract, they dig up the surface with a shovel (false digging). If the dog, after several attempts, cannot find the source of the smell, this indicates a defect in its senses - temporary or permanent.

To test hearing at a distance of 5-10 m from the dog, the trainer, approaching and moving away, utters her nickname several times in a whisper. These simplified methods of checking in the field make it possible to detect the most gross defects in flair and hearing and in no way give an accurate assessment of them in any points.

Checking the motor and vestibular apparatus of the dog is carried out during its running, jumping and walking on a log. Often due to some internal factors(disease of the dog) or external (distractions) it may not show its true abilities. If, when checking a dog, the trainer has such suspicions, after 3-4 days they make a second check in a changed environment - place, time of day, weather conditions, and so on.

There is no culling according to the breed principle. For work, a good "mongrel" is better than thoroughbreds with pedigrees and medals.

Age and Service

The highest skill, close to the wisdom of both man and dog, comes only in adulthood. Only in adulthood can the PSS dog perform its complex work, even with some physical weakening of the body. Her work does not require great strength and speed of reaction, as in protective and guard services. PSS is closer to such "intelligent" services as the work of pointers, shepherd dogs. Therefore, smart and skillful handlers extend the life of their dogs to 12 years or more.

Interest in life, work performed creates mental health both in humans and animals.

The major state, mood keep it for many years. Keeping a PSS dog on a leash, block, which is quite normal for dogs of other services, is completely unacceptable. malice, aggressive behavior age the sensitive psyche of the rescue dog. The transfer of an adult dog from hand to hand, buying and selling destroy the complex mental world of the PSS dog.

Requirements for a trainer

The most important quality of a trainer is the ability to observe the constantly changing environment: the strength and direction of the wind; air temperature and humidity; the presence and movement of strangers, pets, transport in the area of ​​​​training with the dog; in a word, behind everything that interferes with classes - smell, sound, visual distracting stimuli. All this should not escape his attentive gaze, all this is necessary for the correct assessment of the situation and the appropriate control of the dog. The trainer should be a kind of tracker and scout, show maximum attention to the behavior of the dog. In all classes and training, he must be self-possessed, patient and persistent in achieving the goal.

The trainer and assistant must have sufficient theoretical training in the field of physiology, psychology, ethology, methods and techniques of training dogs. They must be of high moral character. Deception of a dog, rudeness, lack of will and softness are incompatible with the work of education, training and training. Also incompatible with this work are the two extremes of communication with the dog - only the "language of commands" or humanizing the dog, verbalizing with it. In their coordinated work, the technique - the sequence of introducing and practicing techniques, their duration and the norms of the PSS course - are always inseparable from the technique - the ability in each case to influence the dog in developing the necessary skills so that they are developed quickly and held firmly.

Courage, resourcefulness, determination, self-control in the preparation of dogs - the obligatory qualities of a trainer and assistant are effective only with love for one's four-legged friend, love for their joint noble cause.

The psychogenic impact in the emergency zone on people with physical injuries, only mental ones and those who arrived after the disaster (rescuers, workers of other services) is different. More than others, the psyche of the victims of the 2nd group is disturbed. They experience, in addition to the depressing contemplation of crippled people, striking destruction, a break with the outside world, with life itself. There is no water, lighting, telephone, radio, television, etc. The psyche is traumatized by the absence of certain information about the disaster that has occurred, its continuation or termination. With predictable disasters, that is, when people learn in advance about the reality of a disaster by radio, animal behavior or from other sources, various types of reactions appear in response to this, up to a breakdown of nervous activity, neuroses.

The most common reactions of the psyche in the latter case are: fear, confusion, erratic actions, loss of orientation, misunderstanding of the situation, euphoria, the spread of panic. In contrast, in people of another type of nervous activity, lethargy, passivity, indifference, a state of stupefaction and stupor appear.

This "general psychic atmosphere" prevailing in the emergency zone affects both the handlers and the dogs.

Dog equipment and training area

The dog's special equipment includes a standard harness, lined with red fabric, with zippered pockets. It serves as a safety belt, to which a safety rope is fastened in dangerous places. This harness allows you to see the dog on any terrain from a great distance; deliver notes, medicines, other small items. With its help, a skier, a sleigh with a load is towed.

A long nylon leader, 5-6 mm thick, red, in addition to its main purpose, is used as an avalanche cord, as well as for various auxiliary purposes (insurance, transportation). Special stockings - "shoe covers" with holes for claws serve to protect the paws in areas clogged with sharp objects, hard crust, mountain glacier.

In training sessions, each trainer has the following in their bag:

• * 3 plastic bags marked with large numbers, where hairpins of a standard volume (undershirt, pants) with various smells are strictly fixed; 1st package - the smell of a dog trainer, 2nd package - the smell of a member of his family or assistant, 3rd package - the smell of a person unfamiliar to the dog;
• * a bag with red patches for marking the area and a centimeter oilcloth tape for exact definition depth of instillation;
• * a package with a treat for the food encouragement of the dog.

These bags are necessary to preserve the smell of burrows, prevent contamination with other odors and for hygiene purposes. If there is no special tweezers, you can take out and put the diggings into bags with a wooden flyer. It is also desirable to have a cellophane film or an old raincoat that protects against wet snow, soil when buried in extras classes. Ordinary bayonet and shovel shovels are quite suitable for burying digs and extras.

The place for training on a special course, in contrast to the training ground, where only a few initial classes can be held, is called a training ground. This is a terrain with rugged terrain, islands of shrubs, groups of trees - all this makes it easier to disguise and bury the sources of smell, bringing the situation closer to the real one. A continuous forest interferes with the observation of the actions of the dog and the trainer, the natural movement of air. The parade ground must have a shelter from which the excavations made on it are not visible.

In the first half of the training course, each dog is given a 30x30 m area for training. From the second half of the course, its size increases to 70x70 m. To prevent any smells from being transferred from one area to another, they are all arranged in a chain across the main wind direction. Thus, the size of the parade ground depends on the number of dogs trained on it and, accordingly, the number of sites. The training group should have several parade grounds, since it is impossible to conduct classes on the same one (taking into account the exchange of sites between calculations) more than 3 times in a row. Dogs develop a habit of searching only in a familiar area, and the area becomes polluted with distracting odors.

The training ground must meet the following requirements:

• 1) in the initial search training, he should not be exposed to distractions that interfere with the development of the dog's initial skill. These include: odorous - various kinds of smoke, vehicle exhaust gases, household waste, etc.; sound - noise from vehicles, railways, people and pets; visual - any moving objects that fall into the field of view of the dog;
• 2) snow and soil should not be clogged with sharp objects (glass, iron cuttings, etc.), chemicals(mineral fertilizers, industrial waste);
• 3) in mountainous areas, slopes must be safe against rockfalls, mudflows and snow avalanches.

Transportation of dogs to their destination is the most important link in the complex of every rescue work. It is carried out as quickly as possible without harm to the dogs.

The delivery of a dog by car, airplane is the strongest sound, olfactory, visual irritation, a load on the vestibular apparatus, that is, an overload of all receptors, the entire neuropsychic system. An unprepared dog is simply in vain to incapacitate, it will not be able to work. Therefore, PSS dogs must be gradually accustomed to these stimuli, certain preventive measures must be observed during transportation. Delivery of a dog on its own is the easiest, cheapest and most reliable option if the distance does not exceed 10 km. A trained dog does not get tired after such a transition, but it must be given a 10-minute break before the start.

When delivered by road, the dog's sense of smell can be disabled by exhaust gases, the smell of liquid fuel. In the presence of these harmful gases, the dog begins to breathe rapidly, sneeze, strive for a window or a gap, from where clean air enters the cabin. The easiest way to avoid poisoning is to let the dog stick his nose out the window. The same should be done when transported by helicopter, where the dog, in addition, is affected by a strong sound stimulus. The noise of propellers and turbines during air delivery is more impactful during landing and disembarking than in the cabin, where dogs usually behave calmly. The dog must be prepared for strong sound stimuli in advance, through gradual accustoming. When arousal or oppression and cowardice is manifested, the dog should be distracted by play, a soothing tone, affection and delicacy.

The greatest danger for a dog is not being in any form of transport itself, but approaching and waiting at stations and railway stations (the possibility of poisoning a dog with car exhaust fumes).

When developing PSS skills in a dog, trainers often make the following mistakes:

• 1. Conducting initial search lessons in an area heavily polluted with distracting odors, which makes it difficult to develop a skill.
• 2. A long session with the dog in the same area, as a result of which, having got used to it, she is poorly oriented and searches for a new one, unfamiliar to her.
• 3. The same type of instillation of an assistant and objects - at the same distance from each other, in the same places of the training area.
• 4. Frequent pointing the dog at the source of the smell, that is, unnecessary prompts that are needed only in the first lessons.
• 5. Excessive restraint of the dog by the leash to maintain the correct zigzags of the "shuttle" search. Frequent goading of the dog and distrust of its instincts.
• 6. The use of the same assistant and his things in the classroom, as a result of which the dog gets used to looking for only this familiar smell.
• 7. Burying unworn underwear of assistants or used in the classroom for a long time and lost its smell as things.
• 8. Violation of the sequence of giving commands when developing a complex search skill "Search - dig - voice - lead".

Perhaps, in a global sense, rescue dogs do not create history. But they are undoubtedly part of it, and influence the development of mankind. Irreplaceable, always loyal, intelligent and selfless dogs - one of best gifts that nature has made for us. Saving even one child is a feat. And when on account of tens, hundreds of saved lives? In every major city there are monuments to rescue dogs, in every major city there are people whose fates once depended on a wet leather nose. Thank you, amazing and irreplaceable search and rescue keepers of human lives!

dog rescue training content

Bibliography

• 1. Korytin S.A. Orientation in dogs and other animals // Service dog club. M., 1984.
• 2. Bergman E. Behavior of dogs. M., 1986.
• 3. Karpov V.K. On some factors affecting the sense of smell of service dogs // Service Dog Club. M., 1987.
• 4. Usov M.I. Training dogs for search and rescue service // All about the dog. M., 1992.
• 5. Usov M.I. Training of four-legged rescuers // Military knowledge. 1985. No. 11.
• 6. http://vashipitomcy.ru/publ/sobaki/interesnoe/sobaki_spasateli_poslednjaja_nadezhda_v_strashnyj_mig/24-1-0-334

“... This incomprehensible, wonderful transmission of the psyche,” Durov continues further, “thoughts, feelings, desires undoubtedly exist. It is from this that I proceed when I work, and it is this that forms the basis of my method of training. Thanks to the joyful, creative environment, the animal enters into psychic contact with me and already vaguely anticipates in advance, foresees what I need from it, what it should do.

The above statements by Durov do not exhaust, of course, his entire system of mental control of the behavior of animals, which he developed with the participation of Academician V.M. Bekhterev.

Let the words of the great connoisseur of animals given here be the "first law" for the rescue dog handler.

Searching in difficult weather conditions for a long time and not finding IS, young dogs often become confused and lethargic. If the dog shows such behavior or anxiety and nervousness, the handler should give her a little rest, a treat, encourage. While the dog is resting, he imperceptibly buries an object with his or an unfamiliar smell and gives her the opportunity to quickly find it. With this technique, he restores her cheerful mood, desire and confidence to find IZ. Young dogs should be given a treat every time and when they find an IS. It is very important that the harness be removed from the dog, which is given even a five-minute rest, - this will give a complete rest and a quick recovery of strength.

Like wearing a harness and a handler's vest, which have a stimulating effect on the dog, both an additional conditioned signal and “talking with the dog” before and during the search activate its work. This approach, which gives positive results only with good contact with the dog, has nothing to do with "anthropomorphism". No dog, although carrying out a large number of commands of the handler, perceives human speech only as conditional sounds. But everyone knows that one menacing look from a person or dog makes another dog turn its tail, sidestep or growl and rush into a fight. Through gesture, posture and biopolar signals, other intentions and thoughts are transmitted from one organism to another - but not always. A kind, gentle look makes even an unfamiliar dog come up to you, but again - not always, but only with mental closeness and the "mood" of each organism at the moment. The effect is also in the intonation of the voice, which is captured by a dog many times better than by a person, and also in the ultrasonic part of speech, which is completely imperceptible by a person. Putting a harness on the dog, the handler, for example, says in a cheerful, confident tone: “Now we will find this guy, Altai!” etc. It helps the work always!

Intonation and gesture

The standard voice command, which is a conditioned stimulus for the dog, is only a trigger for the start of the search. The hearing abilities of dogs are much higher than human ones. Therefore, in training sessions, voice commands are given with a volume “below average”, “calm” intonation. A loud voice and commanding intonation is a "reserve" for working in an emergency area with a lot of noise, distracting the dog with something extraneous, and so on. The “common language”, that is, the language of communication between the trainer and the dog in the complex process of searching for and finding the victim, is intonation and gesture. Even in the most lexically expressive language of any nation, according to the American psychologist F. Sulzhe, the significance of words is only 7%, intonation - 38%, gestures - 55%. When two unfamiliar wolves, dogs, people meet, the “conversation” begins through sight, not hearing. Both partners perceive each other by sight, complementing the intonation of several words.

Gesture, in an expanded sense, including body movements and facial expressions, is the most expressive means of communication for both people and animals. This refers to a natural, emotional gesture, but not a far-fetched standard “training gesture” (like the commands “Come!”, “Lie down”, etc.). The standard gesture command is convenient and good at the OKD training site, but not for the special course of the MSS and other complex services in the field. Here the gesture is enriched with emotional intensity, expressiveness of the trainer's movements "from nose to heels".

For full contact and mutual understanding, it is necessary to “merge with the dog”, working as one organism.

During complex, intense actions, as in hunting, in mountaineering, people communicate in addition to the voice in “non-verbal language”, which for the dog is not just a command, but a means for “direct” understanding without words - biocommunication.

The intonation, which is simply divided into affectionate, approving, ordinary, commanding and threatening, has dozens of other tones and shades, for example, encouraging, soothing, exciting, command, etc. The same voice command, when the intonation changes, can conditionally reflexively affect in different ways. Unusual intonation causes actions that do not correspond to lexical meaning commands given to the dog. In difficult situations, the vocabulary of the voice command is overshadowed by the "non-verbal language" with the participation of the ERD and the biofield. Only with positive emotion, making a search in difficult and hazardous conditions interested, as a “favorite business”, and not forced - on command, the dog, also wanting to please his “leader”, seeks and finds the victim.

For example, after several hours of unsuccessful searches, when the strength of the guide and the dog is running out, they take a break. The handler gives the dog its favorite treat, drinks strong tea himself, lights a cigarette. What follows is not a command, but a “conversation”: “Altai! Al-tai, the smartest, the strongest! .. Now we’ll find him! Al-ta-ay, well, come on, come on! .. ”, etc. The successful use of intonation is a powerful impulse that awakens a great potential force: both physical and mental.

The words “conversation” may be different, the dog still understands not them, but “intonation” and “non-verbality”. These elements, like the music of the "magic flute", do wonders. This is both encouragement, and excitement, and encouragement, and a call ... The dog's eyes lit up, its nostrils flare, it makes a jump ... A few minutes of a furious search - the victim was found.

Non-verbal language is more accessible to the taiga hunter, who is close to nature, hears “how the grass grows”, and the dog understands and obeys without words. AT English language concepts exist and are used in life - thought-reading, thought-transfer, thought-wave, the meaning of which is not difficult to understand. In Russian everyday life, these concepts are clumsily translated as "reading other people's thoughts, transmitting thoughts over a distance, a mental wave" do not inspire confidence, they are equated with the unreal or "magic". Scientists attribute this type of non-linguistic communication, like gestures, smells, to the so-called "non-verbal language", without conditional sound vocabulary. To ignore the proximity of "verbal language" with "non-verbal" would be a violation of the method of studying the unity of the "nature of things".

The practical conclusion is that the development of all the skills in the dog PSS is carried out not on “abstract” conditional stimuli for it - commands, but on “natural” actions, gestures. For example, to start learning to dig - from digging by the guide himself, with the command "Dig!" just accompanying this action. This is a kind of "imitative method" where the dog does not imitate another dog, but the trainer.

It is the understanding of the dog's psyche, intonation and gestures that are understandable to her, that create mutual understanding, strong contact and affection. One form of good contact is the dog's vocalization in response to the handler's whistle in poor visibility over a long distance under any circumstances. This is an example of executing not a conditional command, but a contact at a distance.

Contact and affection

Dogs, like people, have varying degrees of contact and affection. But for the majority of both of them, the replacement during the course of training of one trainer by another is highly undesirable in all respects. Any dog ​​has full contact with only one handler/handler. The aforementioned “transfer of the psyche”, which allows the dog to work in the “luxury” class, is possible only with one permanent guide.

Contact and affection of the dog are developed in the process of education, training and communication with it. Without contact, that is, close connection, mutual understanding in actions, learning is impossible at all. Under the same conditions, the same trainer has different contact with different dogs, which depends not on the breed of the dog, but on the neuropsychic characteristics of both. Attachment, that is, the feeling of closeness, sympathy and devotion to the trainer, is entirely based on the Swiss method of training. To develop a strong contact, it is necessary to know the typological features of the dog's GNI, its character and behavior; be kind but demanding; be caring and attentive, especially in difficult situations. However, always and everywhere the trainer is the elder, the "leader", the dominant ... But the dominance of the trainer should not oppress the psyche of the dog, suppress its activity, independence, initiative. However, it should always be “in hand”.

What is the significance of these most important qualities of the components of a "common language" without words can be seen from the following examples.

A rescue worker with a dog was crossing a glacier covered with snow. There was a rumble in the distance - a thunderstorm was approaching. Suddenly there was a bang nearby. At the same moment, the snow bridge on which they stood collapsed, and they were at the bottom of the crack. The crack is not deep, but the walls are sheer, smooth and slippery ... The handler raised the dog above his head and shouted: “Forward!” The dog jumped, but slid off the edge of the crack... Once more... and the guide heard a bark above him. Team "Home!" - and an hour later the dog led a group of people.

A hunter with a dog was returning home through a mountain spur. When they crossed over it, the dog suddenly squealed, flattened its ears and rushed down ... The hunter heard a noise, but too late. A snow avalanche knocked him off his feet, carried him down. When the hunter regained consciousness, he felt hot breath on his face. He widened the passage dug by the dog and climbed out of the snowy grave...

Experienced dog breeders know what a contact, loving and intelligent dog is capable of. In the above cases, the dogs, having overcome the “self-preservation instinct”, did not run away anywhere, as dogs usually do without sufficient affection, and each in its own way began to help the owner out of trouble.

It is very important that in both cases the dogs made an independent decision, that is, in a difficult, threatening situation, they showed greater independence. The specificity of training PSS dogs is to make it as independent as possible. To develop this valuable quality, all types of coercion, threatening intonation and gestures should be kept to a minimum. In difficult weather conditions, smoky ruins, mountains, when the dog does not see or hear the guide, it is completely unrealistic to force him to search for it on command.

All the work of PSS dogs is based on an independent orienting-search instinct and the instinct of freedom. “The reflex of freedom,” I.P. Pavlov, - is a common property, a common reaction of animals, one of the most important innate reflexes. If it were not for him, every slightest obstacle that an animal would encounter on its path would completely interrupt the course of its life. And we know well how all animals, deprived of their usual freedom, strive to free themselves ... .

It is easier to "drill" a dog to fail-safe execution, like in a circus, of a series of tricks than to train an independent, active search. It is well known from practice that the more a dog is enslaved, that is, the more its independent behavior and rational activity are oppressed, the more difficult it is to prepare it for the PSS.

In the above actions of dogs based on contact and attachment to the owner, it was in a difficult situation that their rational - useful to man activity. The fact that animals instantly, without special training, were able to accept the right decision, and lies the irreplaceable value of the EJE as a mechanism for adapting to diverse, constantly changing conditions environment. It is unlikely that, regardless of breed, “room” or “chain” dogs, whose ERD is constrained by their lifestyle, could have shown themselves in this way. The best way to study and develop mental actions is to give dogs more tasks for quick wit during training sessions, walks, creating an environment close to extreme.

In search and rescue operations, always taking place in a tense, extreme environment, dogs often exhibit such intelligent behavior that it seems like a “miracle”. From the above it follows:

1) the PSS dog is not only the most accurate device, an indicator of smell, but also a reasonable assistant, whose behavior must be carefully looked at and trusted more;

2) during the training period - to avoid the "training" of the dog, which inhibits the development and manifestation of her rational activity.

dog training

The special skills of the PSS include: searching for the things of the “victim”, searching for the “victim”, giving a voice when found, digging out the found FROM, for which marks are given on a point system. Dogs are also trained to lead the trainer to the found sources of smell. For methodological simplification, the special course of the PSS is as close as possible to the programs of other special courses of dog breeding clubs. For this purpose, auxiliary techniques have been introduced - sampling someone else's thing, searching for the same smell of the "victim" and his things.

According to the "Program" (see appendix), a lesson plan is drawn up: daily, weekly, monthly. Any plan is necessarily adjusted by the course of the educational process. Always and everywhere, the individual characteristics of the trainer and the dog, the level of their contact are taken into account. It is equally important to take into account the location of the classes, weather conditions and other factors that affect the learning process.

All the necessary skills are gradually formed on the basis of the initially developed conditioned reflexes. In the PSS, the stages of their development also have psycho-methodological features. The 1st stage - the development of the initial skill - is associated with the "bookmark" of interest in the search / finding the smell of a person, using the game element. Stage 2 - fixing and complicating the skill - for constant interest, "gamble" the dog, give the load "not enough", so that the dog constantly wants to look for more. 3rd stage - improvement of the skill to failure-free performance in various, difficult conditions - load up to full calculation, "to find out the ceiling" of the capabilities of this dog. At maximum load to avoid nervous breakdown and more severe, prolonged CNS disease - neurosis - strictly monitor the behavior of the dog.

Training dogs to select someone else's thing is done in the same way as in the protective guard service. But it is advisable not to bring the chosen object to the trainer, but only to designate it by taking it in the mouth or by giving voice. This is necessary so that in a real situation, having found clothes or equipment, the dog does not leave this place, which can be lost in difficult weather conditions, but sniffs around where the injured person himself may be. The basis for the development of all skills is not “coercion”, but “pushing” the necessary actions, awakening interest in it.

Primary education dogs search for the "victim" and his things is carried out in the same way as when learning to search the area. Then complications are introduced. Dogs develop the skill of finding a buried assistant trainer and two things with his smell in a zigzag search in the direction against the wind. Conditional stimuli in the development of a skill are the command "Search!" and a gesture - throwing out a hand in the direction of sending the dog to search. Auxiliary conditioned stimuli - the command "Forward!", the exclamation "Good!". The underwear of the assistant (plans, shirt), worn for at least a day, is used as buried items.

So that the dog does not bring the found things to the trainer at the moment when she found it, the trainer energetically gives the command “Voice!” and hand gesture. If this is difficult for the dog, an auxiliary command is given with the voice and gesture “Sit!”, Things are tied to driven pegs or bushes. After fixing the dog's initial skill of finding an assistant and his belongings in an area of ​​30x30 m, it is gradually increased to a size of 70x70 m, the depth of digging is increased to the test. An important point for classes is a clear marking of the corners of the training area with red flags, clearly visible to the trainer from the start.

Classes in one area should not be carried out more than three times in a row, otherwise the dogs develop a habit of looking only in places they know. In the second period of classes in the training area, in order to complicate the search, in addition to the usual digging of the assistant’s things, “false diggings” are made, that is, digging up the surface without burying things.

The most important thing that the trainer should not forget in all classes is to maintain the dog's constant interest in the search. Sometimes the dog needs to be allowed to rest, sometimes it needs to be entertained with a game or a change of scenery. The search always and everywhere should end with finding the source of the smell. If the dog is not able to find it on its own, the trainer helps it by leading it to the dig. If the place of instillation is forgotten, he must quietly throw in an additional thing (mitten, handkerchief).

On the initial stage learning to search for a dog is encouraged by a treat and exclamations of approval after each finding of FROM. Later, a treat is given only with especially fast and precise execution. When a hidden helper is found, both the trainer and the helper are given, which increases the dog's interest in finding, speeds up the development of the initial skill.

A good trainer constantly keeps the dog in his biofield, preventing it from being distracted by unnecessary stimuli, stimulating the search for FROM with an invigorating, stimulating intonation. It is not the words of the command that play the role, but the necessary intonation - at the moment. To “keep it in your hands”, commands and calls alone are not enough. Team "Search!" only a trigger for the start of the search, such as the signal “Start!” for the runner. He made a dash... further runs under the approving intonation of the fans.

Due to the fact that it takes much more time to bury a person compared to a thing and it is impossible in wet weather, half of the classes can be carried out without damage on one thing. When a person is buried in snow or soil in front of his face, free space is left for breathing - an “air pantry”. For this, the “victim” is placed with his head under the coniferous tent of a young Christmas tree or a vault is built over his head from blocks of snow, boards. When burrowing into very loose snow and soil, an ordinary wicker basket or a wooden box with slots for air, excluding hypoxia, is placed above the head of the buried person.

Schemes of educational searches: 1. middle stage - "victim" and two of his things, 2. the last stage of the test - 2 unfamiliar "victims"

Impeccable delivery of voice is the most important skill of the PSS, therefore dogs with voice defects and the so-called "silent" are rejected. In the classroom and at work, dogs instinctively bark in response to some irritant (strange dog, etc.). Therefore, in the PSS, when finding the “victim”, dogs are required not to bark indiscriminately, but strictly defined, three times giving voice. Start practicing this skill from the very first lesson. In order to teach a dog to give voice three times and consolidate this skill, it is enough every time after its third presentation, instantly exclaiming “Good!”, Put a treat in her mouth. For highly excitable dogs, after the third feed, you can put a mitten in your mouth and cover your mouth with your hand. Depending on the behavior of the dog, it is expedient to alternate the execution of this technique on command by voice and gesture with digging out the source of the smell. Oral signaling behavior - barking, howling is manifested in the dog, as well as in the wolf to call the leader of the pack, when the desired IS is found.

Shelter of the "victim" in the classroom: 1 - with an overlap of poles, boards; 2 - in loose snow, soil with a wooden box;
3 - in the niche of a deep trench filled with snow

Digging out the source of the smell of interest to the dog is inherent in its instinct. But the dog may not be interested in the thing buried by the trainer. Therefore, from the very first lessons, the dog is taught to dig on the command “Dig!”, Combining it, according to the situation, with giving voice. When developing this skill, a favorite fetching object or a large bone is buried to a depth of 15–20 cm, and the trainer, tearing it with his foot, gives the command “Dig!”. In the future, his leg movements will serve as a gesture for the dog to dig out the source of the smell without a voice command. Sometimes the trainer has to take the dog's paws in his hands and, while digging with them, repeat "Dig!", "Good!". For energetic digging, the dog is encouraged, but it is not allowed to gnaw and carry the found object. When digging holes of rodents and sewage, the command "Fu!" Is given. Having consolidated the initial skill of digging out the source of the smell with the simultaneous voice, the object with a smell familiar to the dog is replaced by others, unfamiliar.

At the final stage of training, the entire complex of skills developed in the dog - search - digging - the voice is brought to automatic unity, that is, they merge into a single complex search skill. To achieve this, in the process of training, you need to gradually add to the familiar dog the following techniques (familiar to her separately) and repeat them many times in a strictly defined sequence. So, to develop the above complex, the corresponding commands “Search!”, “Dig!”, “Voice!” always and everywhere are served to the dog only in this sequence. If this rule is observed, after repeated repetitions, a certain dynamic stereotype is developed - a complex action of the body obtained on several stimuli in a strictly defined sequence - and the dog will perform all three techniques with only one “Search!” command. In psychophysiology, this is called a chain conditioned reflex. The addition of each next appointment to the initial ones should be done not at the stage of developing the initial skill, but only after it has been firmly consolidated. The development of a complex skill of search work in a dog is possible only with strict observance of the basic principles of training: consistency, regularity, consistency, gradual transition from simple to complex.

One of the types of dog training that stimulates and diversifies daily routines are competitions: which dog finds FROM faster, which one makes the notification and eyeliner more clear. Only regular training retains all acquired skills and improves them.

Learning principles

Consistency - the establishment of a certain order based on the systematic arrangement and interconnection of its parts, which are sometimes not close in essence. Consistency ensures the implementation of the most difficult work, turning "off-road" into a "road" convenient for advancement. Depending on the chosen direction, the systems may differ.

The system for training a particular dog of the PSS consists in using this book and others to draw up your own training system - taking into account your specific conditions, your personal abilities, and the individuality of your dog. Everything should be “sorted out” and just like in a library with millions of books, the librarian does not look for the right book, but thanks to the system of their arrangement, he only raises his hand and takes it off the shelf.

Regularity is the uniform and correct execution of actions in time: feeding, training, training, etc. Every healthy organism, both dogs and humans, without a clock hand, subconsciously and due to the phenomenon of biorhythmia, strives for the regularity of its life. It ensures health and maximum activity. The results of training sessions and trainings without their regularity are very insignificant and come to naught. Moreover, an irregular lifestyle leads to weakening and disruption of physical and mental activity, diseases and premature aging of the dog.

The sequence, clearly expressed in the development of the dog's search complex "Search - dig - voice - lead", should be strictly applied in all training sessions and training. The continuous following of one action after another in a certain order is a necessary condition for the development of a dynamic stereotype in any activity. It is important that the development of a new complex habit in a dog is done from the natural flow of the subsequent action from the previous one with the inclusion of rational activity in the work.

The gradualness of the transition from simple to complex is both qualitatively and quantitatively known to everyone by the example of personal study of mathematics, playing volleyball or walking with a backpack.

A clear presentation and use in practice of the "laws" of the 1st and 2nd signal systems helps to avoid mistakes in the preparation and work with dogs of the PSS. This also eliminates the interfering anthropomorphism and simplification of "training" only on conditioned reflexes. Both of these systems are ways of regulating the behavior of humans and animals in their lives. Whole the world perceived by the brain in the form of signals captured either directly by the senses as sensations of form, smell, sound - the 1st signal system, or through the sign system of the written language - the 2nd signal system.

Due to the close interaction of both systems, the 1st human signaling system is qualitatively different from the canine and other animals. But “naming” the 2nd signal system, which transmits socio-historical values ​​through only language, only in human society, is not entirely correct, since primitive and some tribes living today live without a written language, passing on their experience to posterity. It is possible that dogs that communicate with a person through a biofield, non-verbal language, rational activity have some kind of “addition” to the 1st signal system. For training and working with a dog, it is not the name of the “additions” that is more important, but the understanding of the dog not only by the eyes, but by the “tip of its tail”. It is also important the ability to develop, if necessary, reflexes of the 2nd, 3rd order.

When dogs develop the skills of the PSS, a command is simultaneously given in a voice and a gesture that is more understandable to her, as a "common" - non-verbal language. A command only by voice is a purely conditional sound combination, incomprehensible even to a person who does not know this language. It happens that the dog is taught to perform the reception on command with a gesture later, by means of an already developed voice command. Reflexes developed on the basis of previously acquired skills, not reinforced by unconditioned stimuli, are conditioned reflexes of the 2nd, 3rd and higher order. The formation of a conditioned reflex of the 2nd order is seen in the example of teaching a dog to work by gestures when controlling its behavior at a distance. The skills of searching the area are developed according to the principle of the formation of conditioned reflexes of the 2nd and 3rd orders. This method can be used to develop the entire complex search skill. If each skill is developed separately, and then combined into a single one, then the method is called “complexing”.

An eyeliner to the found source of the smell is final stage dog training according to the club program. It consists in the fact that the dog, having discovered IZ, gave a voice three times, then, running up to a trainer located at a distance, gave another voice and, at the command “Drive!” led him to his location. The method of developing this complex skill (reflex of the 2nd order) is as follows. The trainer keeps the dog on a long leash at the start. The assistant, in full view of them, moves away by 10–12 m and hides. Trainer team "Look!" sends a dog to search. Having found an assistant without difficulty, the dog gives a voice. The trainer calls the dog to him. If she does not respond well to the call, she reinforces the team with a leash. Returning to the trainer, the dog once again gives voice. The trainer shortens the leash, gives the command "Search!" - "Lead!" and follows the dog This is repeated until the dog leads one command “Lead!”. Bringing the trainer to the assistant, the dog receives a treat. This completes a complex search skill of 4 tricks: search - digging - voice - eyeliner.

Training sessions in preparation for testing should be carried out in areas with rugged terrain. The more rugged it is, the more complex the movement of air currents on the surface. Training with instillation of a person is carried out according to the following methodology. After picking out the things of an assistant unknown to the dog, who will later be “injured”, the trainer and the dog retire to a shelter that excludes the visibility of the site. At this time, the “victim” enters the site from one of the side borders no closer than 20 m from the start and buries two of his things at a test depth at a distance of 20–30 m from one another.

Snow (soil) is lightly compacted. As distracting smells, at a distance of 5-10 m from the buried things, 2 “false diggings” and loops of traces of the second assistant are made. Then, at the end of the site, the second assistant buries the "victim". Nearby, 2-3 more "false digs" are being made.

The trainer with the dog go to the start. At the signal of the instructor, he unfastens the leash and sends the dog with the command “Search!” to search. The trainer himself follows the dog at a distance of 10–15 m along the center line of the site, moving no more than 10 m to the side. If the dog tries to go beyond the boundary of the site, he attracts his attention with a nickname and guides the further search with a command and gesture. The dog must start searching in zigzag parallels with a distance of 5-7 m between them and show the ability to shuttle near the start. In the future, if she took the smell with her upper sense, then she can, having stopped the “shuttle”, rush straight towards it. When finding the “victim” and his things, she must, starting to dig, give a voice three times and bring the trainer to them. Full excavation of all FROM makes the trainer a shovel. In the same way, the tests of the dog themselves are carried out to obtain a diploma in the club special course of the PSS.

When developing PSS skills in a dog, trainers often make the following mistakes:

1. Conducting initial search lessons in an area heavily polluted with distracting odors, which makes it difficult to develop a skill.

2. A long session with the dog in the same area, as a result of which, having got used to it, she is poorly oriented and searches for a new one, unfamiliar to her.

3. The same type of instillation of an assistant and objects - at the same distance from each other, in the same places of the training area.

4. Frequent pointing the dog at the source of the smell, that is, unnecessary prompts that are needed only in the first lessons.

5. Excessive restraint of the dog by the leash to maintain the correct zigzags of the "shuttle" search. Frequent goading of the dog and distrust of its instincts.

6. The use of the same assistant and his things in the classroom, as a result of which the dog gets used to looking for only this familiar smell.

7. Burying unworn underwear of assistants or used in the classroom for a long time and lost its smell as things.

8. Violation of the sequence of commands in the development of a complex search skill "Search - dig - voice - lead".

Finding a stranger. A dog that has passed the tests according to the club special course of the PSS is a semi-finished product. In the service, the dogs must find IS under a thicker layer of different environments and different wind directions. And, most importantly, when differentiating the smell of a person from the smell of his things, always find him first. These skills are improved by gradually increasing the depth of burrowing IS according to a pre-arranged training plan, sending the dog to search in different directions relative to the wind.

The principle of learning to find an unfamiliar “victim” is that together with a person familiar to the dog by smell, an unfamiliar person is buried. The dog, easily finding a friend, gradually learns to find an unfamiliar “victim”, that is, it switches to finding any stranger. Goodwill of the dog is required for this.

The olfactory reception of the PSS dog is the same as the smell of a person, both familiar and unfamiliar. When searching for strangers, she does not differentiate the smells of people.

Switch sequence.

1. A trainer with a dog in a shelter. After disguising his assistants at the training site, he goes out with the dog to the start and leads the search.

2. A helper familiar to the dog, together with an unfamiliar one, are disguised in a nearby area in the same trench. The trainer sets the dog on a search, and she finds both assistants by the familiar smell of one of them.

3. Helpers disguise themselves in such a way that the stranger is closer to the start and under less cover, so that when searching, the dog finds him first.

4. Both assistants mask at the same distance from the start with a distance of 3 meters from each other, which later increases. The dog without much difficulty finds both familiar and unfamiliar.

5. After the dog will easily find one unfamiliar helper in various places of the site, new people unfamiliar to the dog and things with their smell are disguised and buried.

Due to the fact that the smell of a person differs from his smell on things, dogs, easily differentiating them, often prefer to find a person first, and then his things without any training. In order for dogs to always and everywhere find the person himself first, not paying attention to things with his smell, the following step-by-step method is recommended. They use the dog's attachment to the trainer - the strongest incentive for the rapid development of many skills. The search is carried out in the direction towards the wind.

1st stage. Dog, trainer and his assistant at the start. The trainer passes the dog to the assistant and, moving in the middle of the training area, in front of the dog, scatters several objects to the left and right. He excites the dog by saying its name, then hides at a distance of 25-30 meters from the start. The assistant gives the command “Search!”, releases the dog, which in an excited state, not paying attention to objects, rushes in the direction of the trainer and quickly finds him.

2nd stage. The dog is in cover and does not see the scattering of objects and the burrowing of the handler. At this and subsequent stages, people enter the site from its back or sides. This complicates the search for the dog, since it cannot follow the smell trail from the start.

3rd stage. After the dog has fixed the skill of finding a person first, they bury an assistant and a trainer together.

4th stage. Instead of an assistant, a person unknown to the dog is buried, then 2 strangers. Objects with a distracting smell of a trainer are scattered on the site, which the dog finds only after strangers.

Depending on the specific situation and behavior of the dog, you can slightly change the lesson plan, compress or stretch the stages by introducing intermediate ones. Whenever the dog finds a human first, it is rewarded with an increased portion of treats, exclamations of "Good!" etc. All attempts to search for objects before finding a person are “extinguished” by the commands “Forward!”, “Search!”, In no case “Fu!”.

To teach and train each dog to find the "stranger" requires a large number of extras, the smell of which is unknown to the dog. The same extras can be used no more than 3 times with week breaks.

Behavioral features

Among the dogs selected for training in the PSS course, there is a great variety in terms of the type of GNI, behavioral reactions, and individual characteristics. In dogs with a predominant food reaction of behavior, the initial search skill can only be developed with the help of reinforcement with a treat after each finding the source of the smell. Over time, they usually awaken and orienting-search behavior. Lessons are best done with hungry dog, the delicacy is given in small pieces. At the first stage of training, all search actions are reinforced, at the second, with the strengthening of the conditioned reflex, only individual ones that the dog performs clearly, without errors.

In life, purely pronounced types of behavior are rarely found, usually they are mixed. Cases have been noted when dogs with feeding behavior on the plain in the mountains clearly showed orienting-search behavior. After their descent down, the behavioral reactions alternated.

For training dogs with a predominant orienting reaction, the imitative method gives good results. For stimuli that distract the dog during classes, they develop inhibition by gradually accustoming them to them. Classes begin in a closed area with no distractions. As conditioned reflexes develop, the manifestation of indicative reflexes weakens. To suprathreshold stimuli - in terms of strength or duration - in the dog's central nervous system, prohibitive inhibition occurs, protecting nerve centers from excitement.

With orienting-search behavior with visual severity, dogs are distracted by moving objects - cars, livestock and other distractions from work by smell. Initial classes with such dogs should be carried out in a desert area, at night, gradually accustoming not to react to moving objects.

In some dogs, the reaction of attachment to the owner makes them dependent, passive when searching. To get rid of these shortcomings, the handler should show minimal affection, other handlers give food to the dog, give it more communication with dogs in the absence of a handler.

There are differences in the method of training dogs and different types of GNI, age, gender, education, physical fitness, individual traits. Each handler must learn and feel the individuality of his dog as himself. There are doubles, both in humans and dogs in appearance, but there are no doubles in behavior. Common in the improvement sequence will be the “formula”:

Special course in rescue services

To train PSS dogs in professional services, the above methods and rules should be supplemented. On the first day of classes, the ability of conductors to use indicators of toxic substances, their serviceability is checked.

If the dog is not yet accustomed to bringing an abandoned object at the command “Aport!”, It should not be taught this, since later, when searching the area, it should not bring what is found, but only bark about the find. To develop this skill, at the moment the dog finds the fetching object, you need to run up to it, plant it and, waving the found object in front of its nose, call the voice. When training to search the area for PSS dogs, the skill of “sending” it in the right direction for 15–20 meters at the command “Forward!”, “Search!” is very important. and outstretched hand gesture.

Some dogs have difficulty fetching, however, their search abilities can be far superior to good fetchers. In fact, the search for victims in a vast area is based on an orienting-search instinct, the wild ancestors of the dog to look for food for food. The trainer must skillfully direct this behavior to finding people, giving freedom to instinct and natural abilities dogs. This is the main difficulty in training PSS dogs - to make the most of instinct, without losing control of their search at the same time. Dogs of the orienting-search type of behavior do not need food reinforcement when finding IS.

Shuttle search helps PSS dogs not only to detect with their upper senses FROM the victim in the air flow and with their lower senses during a “careful search”. It makes it possible to use the headwind at different angles, which makes it much easier to find IZ. Depending on the individual characteristics of the dog, the skill of "shuttle" search, in addition to fetching, can be developed in other ways. For example, with a lethargic or overly excitable dog, distracted by external stimuli, you need to run along the “shuttle” line, keeping it on a leash using a contrast training method. Another method is that the trainer, leaving the dog at the start, runs 15–20 meters across the direction of the wind and calls it to him. The dog rushes to the trainer and usually overtakes him. As soon as the dog runs 10-15 meters in this direction, he stops and runs along the zigzag of the "shuttle" in the opposite direction, again calling her to him. The dog again catches up with him and overtakes him, etc.

A variant of training "eyeliner" without an assistant and a leash consists in the fact that the trainer, in full view of the dog, throws a fetch object 10–12 meters and, after a short exposure, sends it to search. When the dog finds the object, he gives the command "Voice!" at a distance, then calls her - again "Voice!" and, having given the commands “Search!”, “Lead!”, Follows her to the location. For dogs with a defect in the delivery of voice, but with good search abilities, the notification of the found source of the smell and the eyeliner to it is done with the help of a pointer that is hung on its collar.

With all the above and other options for developing search skills, the main attention is drawn to the dog's interest in finding. Training to search for it in the rescue services is carried out not after the OKD, but from the very first days of classes and continues in parallel with it until the tests. If within 3–5 days the dog did not show interest in finding IS, then it is not suitable for PSS.

To conduct classes, the training group is divided into teams with a permanent composition of 3-5 trainers with dogs in each. With such an organization, the trainer does not need special assistants; if necessary, they can be members of his own team. Dogs not working at this time usually closely observe workers, which makes it possible to use an imitative training method that is especially effective for young dogs. Such an organization allows one instructor to conduct classes with 2-3 teams, which by the end of the academic year work well together and form a team capable of working smoothly in the emergency zone.

From many years of practice, it follows that it is most expedient for digging as a source of smell to use underwear with a smell of a certain strength and spend half of all classes on it. An undershirt or pants worn for at least a day are called "standard digs". When the wearer performs intensive physical work, this period is reduced to 2 hours. There is absolutely no need to bury larger objects in class. Burying a person should be done in the second half of the school year. The use by each trainer of three "standard burrows" with different smells allows you to constantly diversify the task for dogs. For example, four trainers of the same team, exchanging burrows, give each dog the opportunity to work with twelve different smells in one lesson. If necessary, you can exchange digs between teams.

Techniques save a lot of time for training sessions of a large group. A convenient method of scattering diggings over a large area from the body of a truck. The track from the wheels does not leave a scent trail and serves as a noticeable boundary between the areas for each team to practice and crew. For casting over long distances, mechanical ejection is used.

For stationary landfills, parade grounds, the technique of V.K. Karpov. An extensive network of covered trenches is being built along it at the landfill. Their dead-end compartments, located at different depths, have holes 10–15 cm in diameter, which go to the surface of the earth and are closed with gratings. Blockages of "ruins", "forests" and so on are made above the holes. Assistants in the role of "victims" penetrate dead-end compartments and regulate the release of their smell according to what is planned for each team, each calculation. The blockages on the surface and dead-end compartments for a change of scenery change. This method saves valuable training time, allowing the dog to work on an untracked terrain surface.

Special training of PSS dogs, which is carried out in parallel with the training for upgrading the class, includes accustoming: 1) to explosions and shots, 2) fire and smoke, 3) the smell of blood and a corpse.

Not a single search and rescue event is complete without signal flares, therefore, the dog should be taught to sharp sounds gradually from an early age, starting with claps and rattles. Later - to take walks with her near shooting galleries and shooting ranges. During artillery shots, for example, shelling of avalanche slopes, dogs should be removed to a distance along with guides who distract them with play and various tricks. One of them is that the handler, sitting on the ground, hides the dog's head under his arm and approves of his behavior with a caress, soothing tone. Dogs that have never heard gun shots often run away from them for several kilometers and, due to a breakdown in nervous activity (neurosis), lose their ability to work. The calm reaction of most dogs to the sound of thunder and hunting dogs to rifle shots is a habit developed in phylogeny, that is, over the course of many generations.

In relation to fire, dogs do not have an instinctive fear, since in ontogenesis (in their life) they have no negative associations with fires. This circumstance does not facilitate their search in the fire zone, but makes it difficult, since the burn of paws and other parts of the body will be a cruel lesson for life. The usual caution of dogs to the fire of a fire (from phylogeny) does not facilitate this issue, since it is not the fire itself that is dangerous, into which no dog will climb, but the unexpected fall of burning debris, fiery tornadoes, hot gases, a hail of sparks, etc. The only thing that can and should be taught to dogs to avoid these dangers is to calmly follow the handler both on a leash and without him.

For the first time in their lives, they found themselves in a smoky conflagration, even experienced ones, experienced dogs refuse to work or soon fail, having swallowed smoke. Young and excitable - in the heat of the moment they set fire to their fur, burn their paws, after which they will be afraid of the smell of smoke for a long time. At the heart of accustoming dogs to a smoky area is the well-known principle of training - a gradual transition from easy to difficult, from simple to complex. At the beginning of training, the smoke content in the areas should be minimal, and, gradually increasing it, they bring it closer to the level of smoke in the “real environment” only after 2-3 months. Smoke from burning material containing toxic chemical compounds can cause poisoning not only for the dog, but also for the handler. Smoke, even without toxic impurities (wood, straw) is a strong distracting irritant for the dog, making it difficult to find "victims". For these reasons, training in a smoky area must be carried out in accordance with the following rules:

1. When making fires to create smoke at the search site, use uncontaminated fuel - brushwood, straw, etc. When burning scraps of roofing paper and other waste at construction dumps, use indicators to determine the impurities of sulfur, phosphorus and other toxic substances in the smoke.

2. To avoid getting into the zone of thick smoke, getting burns, young, highly excitable dogs are taken to search on a leash.

3. From the very first training, dogs should be trained to avoid strong smoke flows, bypass them and take the smell from the side or wait out the “smoke wave”.

4. If a dog, having got into a zone of thick smoke, starts sneezing, he is not able to detect even a strong source of smell. To restore her flair, she is taken out of the smoky area and walked in clean air.

The same respite, reassurance is given to the dog when it is overexcited by some strong stimulus - sound, light, etc. If the neuropsychic balance is disturbed, the dog's instinct and search noticeably weaken.

The smell of an injured victim with bleeding differs from the usual smell of a person, which can be confusing and confusing for the dog when it meets him for the first time. Dogs react to human blood in much the same way as they do to animal blood, so blood taken from a slaughterhouse, for example, can be used in class. At search sessions with this new smell for a dog, the handler's assistant pins a rag soaked in the blood of pets to his clothes. It must be soaked at least 2 hours before class in order for certain chemical reactions to occur with the blood, as in a real situation. In these sessions, the handler carefully observes the change in the dog's behavior when it detects the smell of a person with blood. In no case should you allow the dog to lick a rag with blood while finding an assistant.

mountain training

The quality of the work of PSS dogs is significantly reduced on an unusual terrain for them and in other unusual conditions. Therefore, the training of dogs of classes "B" and "C" should also include mountain training. The simplest method of this training is to accompany the dog trainer on mountain routes of varying complexity with strict observance of the rules of movement in the mountains. On the terrain of medium difficulty, the dog chooses the best path itself. On difficult and dangerous ones, where a breakdown leads to a fall, she takes insurance.

On rocky routes, the greatest danger is the ice formed on the surface, which the dog does not visually notice. Overcoming large rocky screes, the dog jumps from stone to stone without difficulty. On the small screes that "float" underfoot, many of them experience fear and dislike. The most unpleasant for both the handler and the dog are medium scree, with stones swaying underfoot, cracks in which young and excitable dogs break their legs. An facilitating technique for practicing in such areas is the use of microdiggings.

Melting porous firn and snow, even on steep slopes, are not difficult for dogs. On the steep ice slopes, the paws of the dogs are not kept, and they are transported by guides along the rope "railing" and in a backpack, as if through cracks. Noteworthy is the fact that old, experienced PSS dogs, like many animals of the highlands, have an amazing sense of detecting dangers “hidden” from humans - cracks powdered with snow, snow cornices ready to collapse, etc. This ability, not yet explained by science, should be given Attention.

Dogs overcome mountain streams waist-deep to a man by swimming or jumping from stone to stone. Most dogs can swim from birth, but not all can swim for long periods of time. Training in water is usually done with the help of multiple throws of fetching objects into it. The dislike of dogs for water is always associated with negative emotions experienced in early age- usually, when in order to "teach them how to swim", they were forcibly thrown into a pond. To get rid of this shortcoming is possible only by gradual accustoming with food reinforcement and association with pleasant - playing and swimming with the trainer, who must always swim in such a way as to see the dog.

The negative effect of altitude due to lower atmospheric pressure and lack of oxygen is overcome, as in humans, by gradual acclimatization and training at various altitudes. Behavior in the highlands of different dogs - individually. So, one of our dogs, which did not differ in strength or endurance below, freely climbed several times to the top of Elbrus (5633 m above sea level), while others, stronger ones, did not go above 4500 m. The critical height is 4000 m above sea level, above which most dogs lose their appetite, become lethargic or, conversely, excitable. With proper acclimatization - the gradual adaptation of the body to new climatic conditions - dogs perform searches and other tricks at an altitude of 5000 m quite normally.

Workout

The purpose of the training is to consolidate and improve the skills developed during training. In its absence and rare official use, extinctive inhibition occurs in the dog's cerebral cortex, as a result of which the developed skills are gradually lost. Therefore, the main task of training is to keep working shape, to prevent the loss of developed skills. The second task is to further improve skills by increasing the depth of burying odor sources and complicating the conditions for their location. Physical training includes running, jumping, swimming and, of course, towing a skier.

A large number, but irregular and unsystematic performance of any exercises, not only does not improve the dog's skill, but often causes a negative attitude towards both training and work.

Dog training should be carried out strictly according to plan, 2-3 times a week, with full gear, but without overworking with long and monotonous exercises that “beat off interest”, lead to a disease of the nervous system - neuroses. Burying a person in snow to a depth of more than 2 meters is carried out in deep trenches on an avalanche or snow drift. A specific moment in training the search is the dog's love not only for his handler, but for people in general. Good search dog, having found and dug out a person she does not know, squeals and jumps for joy. Such behavior of a dog as “good-natured” should be encouraged not only with exclamations of “Good!” and delicacy, but also a manifestation of the same joy by the guide himself and his assistant.

In terms of training with “full gear”, they alternate with “incomplete”, “not enough”, difficult ones - “preliminary digging” of objects - with light ones on assistants. Such an alternation of loads makes the dog constantly look forward to the next classes with joy and impatience.

On rescue operations in difficult weather conditions, when the victim is at great depths, the detection of his smell is difficult, dogs must be able to do, in addition to the “primary” search without a leash, and a “thorough” search on a long leash by “shuttle” or in other ways. The advantage of the first type of search is the examination of a large area in a short time and the quick finding of the victim, covered with a thin layer of snow or soil. The second type allows you to carefully examine the search area not only by the dog, but also by the guide, who can detect small, almost odorless objects (coin, button) on the surface that help find the victim. During a "careful" search, the handler brings the dog to the boundaries of the marked area, which he cannot determine on his own. This search training is especially useful for young and excitable dogs. Performing the technique requires high skill from the handler: he must simultaneously visually examine the surface, keep the dog on a leash, leading the search, and not restrict its freedom. A good result of learning search work is the preliminary study of various techniques in the "laboratory search".

Classes in areas clogged with sharp objects should not be carried out. However, in life you have to work in such conditions - pieces of glass and iron in the ruins of buildings, sharp stones in an avalanche, etc. If dogs are not prepared for such work, then from the very first steps, having cut their paws, they will not only be unable to find the victim, but in general will fail for a long time. Therefore, several special trainings should be carried out in these areas. In the curriculum, they allocate time when it is impossible to do instillations - lack of snow, frozen ground. As a training ground, construction dumps, areas of demolished buildings, etc. are used. The sources of the smell are both people and various diggings that are hidden under slabs, pieces of iron, plywood. Dogs must work in durable shoe covers. Under no circumstances should the dog be allowed to dig, for which reason the handler, following him at as close a distance as possible, always does this work himself when trying to dig. Covered trenches with "wells" allow you to dig without the risk of injury. In them, you can use the smell of blood, a corpse, previously collected on an adsorbent or in a container.

When the assistant is buried deep in the snow, an ice crust is formed on the ceiling of the snow niche - the “air pantry”, blocking the release of the smell, which must be scraped off periodically.

The general rules will be:

1) the dog must first find living people, then corpses and, if necessary, certain things;

2) any specialization improves the quality of work. Therefore, it is advisable to specialize the dogs of the PSS, subdividing them into "avalanche" and "ruin".

This specialization begins with the first training sessions on different methods. Ruin dogs are trained to find only people, food reinforcement is minimal. Avalanche - standard burrows, with food reinforcement. Training in conditions of strong sound and light stimuli is mandatory for dogs of both specializations.

The training of dogs of any class is not limited to physical and technical exercises - mental training is its organic whole. Search on the "terrible" areas of the relief; snowstorm, downpour, hurricane; thunder, lightning and conflagration; artillery shelling, the roar of destruction and the screams of the victims - the dog must be accustomed to all this.

The rules of education and training are just an “alphabet”, which is supplemented and used by each trainer, taking into account the characteristics of his dog and the region where these classes take place.

Rules for training and training:

1. Establish the strongest contact with the dog on the basis of a thorough knowledge of all the features of its behavior, an individual approach, a friendly but demanding attitude. Be balanced with her, treat her kindly, communicate more. The trainer and the dog are an inseparable whole, the future "calculation".

2. Engage only with perfect healthy dog in working order. Feed her at least 2 hours before or after class.

3. Conditioned stimulus, that is, the command is always given 1-2 seconds before the unconditional - mechanical reinforcement ("shuttle" search, eyeliner). Food reinforcement, that is, give a treat throughout the lesson, in equal portions (finding, digging, etc.).

4. Repeat each technique with the dog, depending on the complexity and its behavior, from 5 to 15 times a day, the intervals between them are 3–5 minutes. Give her rest, alternate the performance of "unloved" techniques with "favorite".

6. Use not only unconditioned and conditioned reflexes, but also the rational activity of dogs. Be as attentive as possible to their behavior when searching - dogs can commit beneficial actions which they were not taught. Excessive giving of commands by the trainer makes the dog inactive.

7. The merging (complexing) of the techniques "search - digging - giving voice - eyeliner" is always and everywhere to be carried out in a strictly defined sequence. Only in this case, individual techniques form a single chain and are automatically performed by the dog after multiple repetitions together.

8. To develop and constantly maintain the dog's interest in finding the source of the smell. Search on difficult terrain, in difficult weather conditions, only as the execution of a command does not bring results.

Keep the dog in a cheerful, working condition, but without overexcitation.

9. Systematically change the place of employment, time of day, sources of smell, environment (snow, soil, etc.), meteorological and other conditions in which the search is carried out.

10. The search for the source of the smell always ends with finding it. At the same time, encourage the dog, in addition to treats, with the exclamation “Good!”, an expression of joy, affection, and play.

Types and types of search, which are given below, are very conditional and schematic. They are only the basis for the creative decision made in each specific situation of a real search, their combinations, but by no means a permanent template. With a PSS dog, you can perform 2 types of search: “primary” - always off-leash, and “thorough” - usually on a long leash or without it, keeping the dog at a distance of no more than 10 m from you. The dog can do 4 types of area surveys, usually performed in the same order as they are listed.

1. The "preliminary examination" is made by the dogs as the "primary" species during the reconnaissance, when the handlers are only marking the "A" and "B" zones, or the direction of the "corridors". Its goal is to survey the largest area in the shortest time. With him, the command “Search!” is given to the dog, and the handler, while examining the surface, does not direct its search. The dog, using complete freedom (freedom reflex), searches the area in the direction it wants. This type of examination is also used on crossings, when there is an assumption that the victims may be on the route or there is no certainty at all where they should be looked for.

2. The "basic examination" is also carried out by the "primary" view, but the handler is already in charge of the search, at the same time not restricting the dog's initiative. It is usually used when a search is being made over a more defined area or a designated "corridor". "Basic examination" is the most common type of work of PSS dogs. The handler controls the search for the dog with the “Search!” and a gesture of the thrown hand in the right direction. It encourages the dog to search in zigzags or along other lines, taking into account the direction of the wind.

3. "Detailed survey" is the most thorough of the types mentioned, which is always carried out by a "careful" search along zigzag lines (shuttle) or other lines. His goal is to survey the site in such a way as to be sure that there are no casualties on it. When working with young, excitable dogs, a long leash is always used. For balanced, experienced dogs, class "B" and "C", the need for this usually disappears - the handler leads the search with the command "Search!" and a gesture of the outstretched hand. In suspicious places, he encourages the dog to dig on the command "Dig!" and sniff carefully. This type of survey is used in very specific areas - zones "A" and "B", the boundaries of which are marked with red flags.

4. "Re-examination" is used when the "detailed" results did not bring, but there are reasons to believe that there are victims in this area. It happens that the dog that searched here could not find them because of too deep burial, severe weather conditions, its individual characteristics, guide errors and other reasons. In this most difficult type of examination, depending on the situation, all of the above types in their various combinations can be used. This work is done by another, more experienced handler and the best dog, usually in a slightly altered direction of the previous search. “Re-examination” can be carried out by the same handler with a dog, passing the area already examined by them in the opposite direction.

Search technique

No matter how the dogs are delivered to the crash site, they are given a 10-minute rest, during which a plan and tactics of search and rescue operations are outlined. Dogs are allowed to walk, drink enough and 100-200 g of meat or fish if they received food long before the exit. During the search, the dog should not be hungry, but it should not be fed to the full either. The main feeding is done after work, in the evening. A small portion of food stimulates its nervous activity, introduces the body into a working form. During this rest, the dog's airways are cleared of dust, exhaust fumes and other road odors. After that, they put on harnesses, protective shoe covers on their paws. Conductors wear strong, well-protected from burns and injuries footwear, protective helmet, gloves.

In dogs of the choleric type, the GNI does not allow the dominance of the excitation process, which interferes with the work of the dogs themselves and their management. A skilled guide regulates the activity of the central nervous system of the dog with his will, intonation.

The duration of the work of PSS dogs without rest depends on many factors, including the class of preparedness and age of the dog, its working form and state of health at the moment, the complexity of the work performed (strength of smell, air movement, weather conditions, etc.), type of search, skill and the experience of the guide, etc. There are cases when dogs worked for 8 or more hours without rest. Usually it takes a break after every hour of work to clean the nose, paws and hair, get drunk and so on. When working in the ruins of residential buildings, dogs can adapt to household smells.

The well-known climber and mountain rescuer of Czechoslovakia, I. Galfi, commented on this side of the matter: “The success of saving lives depends primarily not on the rescuers and not on their dogs, but on how quickly they reach the scene of the incident.”

That is why the training of PSS dogs directly in areas prone to earthquakes and snow avalanches seems to be especially relevant.

The main causes of sluggish search by dogs are as follows:

Illness of the dog (general or olfactory organs);

Overwork during transportation and work;

"unwillingness" of the dog to work (psychogenic breakdown);

Unfavorable weather conditions (frost, heat);

Blocking the release of odor to the surface (wet snow, etc.);

Excessive smoke, air pollution with other harmful impurities;

Carrying away of odor information by hurricane wind;

Excessive contamination of the surveyed area with distracting odors;

The depth at which the odor source is located is too great (subthreshold concentration).

Notes:

Durov V.L. Animal training. Psychological observations on animals trained according to my method (40 years of experience.). M., 1924.

Pavlov I.P. Twenty years of experience in the objective study of animal GNI. M., 1923.

Another hunting name for this technique is "porsk". In service dog breeding, instead of them, they use the official expression “encourage”. The well-aimed, expressive language of hunters is very suitable for PSS, clearly expressing the subtleties of the work of dogs: “non-tiring, sitting, viscosity, climbing”, etc.

Karpov V.K. Training dogs for search and rescue service in Chimkent // Service Dog Club. M., 1991.

The name was adopted at the All-Union gathering of rescuers-canine handlers instead of the previously used "rude".

It is unlikely that a more devoted creature will ever appear in the history of mankind than a dog. And now, when an unpleasant, and maybe even tragic event can happen in everyone's life, our four-legged friends come to our aid.

Thanks to their devotion and dedication, the concept of "service dogs" appeared in human everyday life. They are ready to serve us to their last step, to exhaustion, to their dying breath, forgetting about everything in this service. They help everywhere: whether it is the search for lost wanderers during a snowstorm, the search for those doomed to certain death under the rubble (snow or after a disaster) or rescue on the water - all this is feasible for our sometimes defenseless comrades. Where do they get the strength to overcome such difficult trials?

Finding those lost in the storm

The very first rescue dogs, which began their career several centuries ago, were looking for travelers lost in a storm. Surely you have ever seen paintings that depict large shaggy dogs with a barrel around their necks. Service dogs of the St. Bernard breed due to their endurance, excellent physical qualities they found and warmed them with a strong drink brought in a barrel, and then led the lost travelers to the people. The most famous of these rescuers was St. Bernard Barry, who even had a monument erected in a Parisian cemetery. During his life, the dog saved forty people, and the forty-first rescued, confusing him with a bear (the dog lay down to warm the victim with his body), inflicted a knife wound. The dog survived, but he could no longer save anyone.

Search for people under the rubble

Distinguishing the smell of a person from the mass of other smells under the rubble a meter high is considered the most difficult job. But our devoted friends cope with this task too. Everyone knows the events of September 11, 2001 in the United States, but how many people know about such heroes who helped save and saved the lives of people themselves. For example, the guide dog Dorado saved his blind owner, computer scientist Omar Eduardo Rivera. After the plane crashed into the tower, Rivera unhooked the leash and gave the dog the command to leave, wanting to save at least the dog. A crowd of fleeing people demolished the Labrador several floors below, but after a while the owner felt his pet poking his nose at his feet. With the help of a dog and a colleague, the man went outside, after which the building collapsed. Rivera considers himself indebted to his faithful dog for his life.

Along with the Labrador Dorado that day for 12 hours a day, another tailed worker worked at the site of the tragedy - a service dog named Bretan. As part of the Texas Ground Zero search and rescue team, the two-year-old dog helped save the lives of people in trouble.

Rescue of the drowning

As they say, the salvation of the drowning is the work of the drowning themselves, of course, but even here we can rely on our faithful four-legged comrades. Handsome Newfoundlands possess excellent qualities for carrying out this service. These dogs are physically strong, they are not afraid of any waves, their powerful tail like a steering wheel helps to accurately choose the direction, and long hair with a dense waterproof undercoat makes it possible to work in icy water. What can I say, even if Napoleon was once saved by Newfoundland.

Service dogs help us at every step, at critical moments they are simply irreplaceable. And the effort it takes to raise a rescue dog is worth it. One trained dog saves the labor of dozens of people.

It is impossible to imagine how the history of mankind would develop if we did not have a dog - a devoted, courageous, intelligent and strong friend. For thousands of years they have been guarding and protecting, helping in hunting and transporting goods. They are the ears and eyes of those who need it. And if trouble comes, rescue dogs do everything to save the life of a stranger at any cost. What are they, our four-legged guardian angels?

A small lump, which is no more than three months old. He is still such a fool: he chases his own tail, clumsily jumps on the sofa, constantly climbs to kiss. But already at this age, you can understand whether a funny puppy will be able to become faithful, capable and strong dog a rescuer whose life is closely intertwined with the lives of people who find themselves in a terrible situation - a situation where it is almost impossible to help oneself.

During the Second World War, after the bombing of London, four-legged lifeguard Irma found seventeen people in the ruins of buildings.

One day a stranger visits the house. He has kind eyes, a gentle voice, and he smells pleasantly of something subtly familiar. How curious and fun! For some reason, the owner is worried and says all the time that he really wants to become a volunteer, that he admires rescue dogs working in the mountains, on fires, rubble and in many other places whose names mean nothing to the puppy yet. The stranger tells the owner about some tests. I wonder if they are as tasty as dough? It seems that the stranger is about to play: he touches his nose, teases with a bone, claps his hands, drops a rattle on the floor, runs away and hides, calls the owner to the game.

St. Bernard Barry saved four dozen people in twelve years of service. In total, throughout the history of the existence of the breed, St. Bernards have saved the lives of thousands of people.

Just like that, at the request of the owner, the path of two heroes begins - the rescue dog and its owner. So far, this is only a small step, and there are still two long years of training in basic commands, training in various conditions and aptitude testing. Of course, the fate of many puppies is determined even before birth, if, for example, the baby's parents work in the Ministry of Emergency Situations. But throughout the history of dogs, rescuers working in tandem with owners have achieved very high results - either because of emotional attachment, or because of the amount of time that the owner devotes to his pet.