“... 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. Hearing abilities dogs are much taller than humans. 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. AT difficult situations the vocabulary of the voice command is eclipsed by the "non-verbal language" with the participation of the ERD and the biofield. Only with a positive emotion, making the search in difficult and dangerous conditions with interest, as a “favorite business”, and not forced - on command, the dog, also wanting to please his “leader”, searches for 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. In English, there are and are used in life concepts - 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".

Practical Conclusion- develop all the skills in the dog PSS not on "abstract" conditional stimuli for her - 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 of the manifestations good contact- the dog's voice in response to the handler's whistle in case of poor visibility at a great 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 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 clever dog. 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 took independent solution, that is, in a difficult, threatening situation, they showed great 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 make the right decision, is the irreplaceable value of ERD as an adaptation mechanism in diverse, constantly changing environmental conditions. 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, in order to avoid a nervous breakdown and a 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.

The initial training of the dog to search for the “victim” and his belongings is carried out in the same way as when training 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 the 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. Developing a complex skill in a dog search work is possible only with strict adherence to the basic principles of learning: 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.

Training system specific dog PSS consists in using this book and others to create your own training system - taking into account your specific conditions, your personal abilities, 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 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 the final stage of 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 class as things for a long time and lost its scent.

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. Classes are best done with a hungry dog, treats are 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, upbringing, 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 find people, giving freedom to the instinct and natural abilities of the dog. 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 school year work well together and form a team capable of working harmoniously 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.

Technique significantly save 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.

Having got into a smoky conflagration for the first time in their life, even seasoned, experienced dogs will refuse to work or will 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 of the dog, but also of 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 should 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 the blood to occur, as in a real situation, certain chemical reactions. 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.

Bad influence height above sea level due to a decrease in 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 of, but the irregular and unsystematic performance of any exercises not only does not improve the skill of the dog, 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. Train only with a perfectly healthy dog ​​in working condition. 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 applied when the search is done on more than certain area or the intended "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 given a walk, plenty of drink 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".

Earthquakes, avalanches, terrorist attacks and man-made disasters - all this, unfortunately, is part of our lives. We are accustomed to sympathize with the troubles of people from afar, to worry about those who were buried under a snow avalanche or under the rubble of a collapsed building, only looking through the TV screen: after all, we really cannot help these people in any way. When everything is over, we can take part in raising money for medicines, donate blood, send packages with clothes and money transfers. But it is necessary for those who have already been saved. And before that, it would seem that it is not in our power to do something for people who were buried alive and are desperately waiting for help, even if the misfortune happened not far from us. But in fact, perhaps we and our dogs could help someone in need.

Content

• First steps in PSS

Do you know that in most European countries, 90% of dog handlers who take part in rescue work with their search dogs are volunteers, that is, people of various professions who prepare their dogs and then go to places where trouble has happened, voluntarily and free of charge. Of course, to become a rescuer - a volunteer, one desire is not enough. Preparation of a search dog requires a lot of work and perseverance, in addition, before being allowed to rescue work, a volunteer must pass a special certification, pass two exams: the dog - in conditions close to real - must show the required search skills, and the volunteer - his own the lifeguard's own knowledge. But, despite the difficulties, a huge number of people are preparing their dogs for the search service and join the ranks of volunteer rescuers.

There is the International Organization of Rescue Dogs IRO, and in different countries there are national associations of volunteer cynologists. Now such an organization has been created in Russia, its name is "Russian Search and Rescue Society of Volunteer Dog Handlers ROSSPAS-KV".

The main goal of dog handlers united in ROSSPAS-KV is to help people who find themselves in a disaster zone or who have disappeared in a deserted area. To do this, ROSSPAS-KV creates volunteer groups in which anyone can be trained in the search and rescue service (PSS) with their personal dog, and eventually pass certification for admission to real search work. Several such groups are now operating in Moscow. Some groups were created just a few months ago, others have been running for quite some time. Some of the participants in such groups even became certified dog handlers - rescuers of the Ministry of Emergencies. Now the ROSSPAS-KV volunteer society is creating its own divisions (and, accordingly, groups) in the regions, so that anyone who wants to help rescuers of the Ministry of Emergencies in their city or region can do it. Groups in the regions will act independently, taking into account local specifics, but within the framework of the charter of the organization and the code of honor of the volunteer.

PSS Volunteer Groups

Volunteering is hard work. You have to spend a lot of time preparing the dog, learning it yourself. Training in a volunteer search and rescue group is quite different from any traditional training at a training ground. It differs primarily in that there is no training ground. Most of the classes take place in places where people usually do not voluntarily go - construction sites, destroyed buildings, basements, forests and rough terrain. And, the main difference from training with a dog, which is familiar to many dog ​​breeders, is that here you need to help others a lot. Here you will not stand and wait until it's your turn with your dog. Or rather, the dog, perhaps, will wait for its turn, but you will not. The training of a search and rescue dog is impossible without the help of a large number of people, the so-called extras, who during the lesson portray the victims. Every cynologist has to be such an extra in the course of the lesson more than once. First, you help others, portraying the victim, and when yours comes through to work with the dog, extras will also be ready for you, cunningly hidden in bookmarks - this is the name of the places that imitate natural blockages, wells, etc., in which victims may be people. The correct bookmark device is a whole science, and you will also have to learn it in the course of classes. In the tab, you not only need to arrange an extra with all the amenities (and sometimes you have to stay in such tabs for a very long time), but also take into account all the smell outputs in order to correctly evaluate the work of the dog and avoid mistakes in training.

Different people come to the search service for completely different reasons: romance, the desire to take care of the dog, communication, nature, entertainment, sports .... But very few remain. Few people coming to class for the first time can confidently say that they will stay in this service for a long time. And this is not required, at first you can just try your hand. Perhaps you will not be afraid of difficulties and the noble profession mastered by your dog and you is worth all the difficulties.

Dina Kuznetsova, instructor of the PSS group, says:

Previously, we accepted absolutely everyone into the group. Now, if a person expresses a desire to study in a group, I immediately tell him what our classes are “fraught with”. That you need to spend quite a lot of time, that you can’t skip training, that it’s dirty and uncomfortable here, that from the dog, especially at first, you will have to endure all sorts of “jumps”. For example, in the first lessons, all dogs that are given a voice designation come up to the owner and bark endlessly. And it can't be stopped! It will pass later, but first you have to be patient. Also, a person immediately has to be warned that even if he is not going to be a volunteer, then the training process itself is such that he may have to forget about the dog as a real protector, the dog will most likely be friendly to strangers and will take food from the wrong hands. And then ... We have now introduced a trial period - 2 months, so that you can take a closer look at each other, find out if the person likes the service, whether it will hook, and of course, whether a dog and a cynologist are suitable for volunteer search work. And then probationary period a person either begins to purposefully work on himself in order to become a volunteer, or ... a person simply likes to do service, or participate in competitions. How to deal with such people - each instructor decides for himself. But all of us, ROSSPAS instructors, should not forget that our main goal is precisely the training of volunteers, that is, people who, in case of trouble, will be ready to help people.

First steps in PSS

So, you decided to try your hand at joining the PSS group or, if there is no such group in your city, try to start training on your own with your friends. To begin with, it should be said that it is impossible to study alone. As mentioned above, you will need big number extras and assistants, so if there is no group in your city, but you want to study, try to create this group. Feel free to contact ROSSPAS-KV members and rescuers in your region. They will help you with all their might to learn, organize classes, the main thing is desire.

Choosing a place to practice

Classes are held at abandoned construction sites, ruins of houses, catacombs, dumps of old cars, railway cars, and the like - such places are necessary for learning to search in a technogenic environment. And for searching in the natural environment - everything that the terrain in your region allows: forest, mountains. It is better to choose a forest with very rugged terrain so that the dog cannot see a person from a distance.

Workplaces need to change constantly. At the initial stage, it is best to train on construction sites (ruins), and change training places every 3-4 sessions. In the future, places need to be changed even more often. The general rule is that the more experienced the dog, the more often she needs a change of scenery. It will be possible to return to the place where you have already trained after several changes of places. If you have several classes in a row in one place, you should remember that bookmarks (places where people are hidden) in each lesson should be new. There should be not only a change of construction sites, but also a change of different types of terrain. From time to time, with novice dogs, you need to get out into the forest, but be sure to organize deaf bookmarks there.

Places for classes are also selected based on the level of difficulty. For example, basements (where it is dark), rooms with smells of burning, excrement, mold, etc. should not be used for beginner dogs. It is best if it is a spacious, bright and well-ventilated building, or a clearing with building materials in the fresh air.

Building bookmarks

At the initial stage of PSS classes, it is necessary to work only on “deaf” bookmarks, that is, those where the dog will not see the person and will not be able to get to him. This is very important, because if the dog is allowed to see a person at first, this can lead to the fact that he will look with his eyes, and not use his scent. And if the bookmarks allow you to get to the extras, then later the dogs have problems in designating absolutely deaf and inaccessible bookmarks. If there is no opportunity to work at a construction site, then you can organize “deaf” bookmarks in the forest by digging holes and covering them with boards. The main rule is that the dog should not see a person lying openly.

It should be borne in mind that dogs very easily “take apart” bookmarks, make their way, squeeze through, jump. It is also a mistake to prepare a bookmark into which the dog can stick its head and see the person.

You should start with simple bookmarks. These are bookmarks that stand out visually, that is, they stand apart from others so that the dog, smelling the smell, can easily determine where it comes from. It is necessary that the free approach of the dog directly to the place where the smell comes from is ensured. The odor outlet and the source of the odor must be in the same place. This is how we train dogs to identify the source of the smell in its immediate vicinity.

Also, bookmarks should have good volumetric odor outlets either evenly up and to the sides (all kinds of boxes) or to one side (long pipes where a person sits on one side, bookmarks with a door or hole on one side).

Do not forget to determine the direction of the wind, as the smell can blow off to another exit or even blow to the side.

You can determine the places where the smell exits and the draft (that is, in which direction - air comes out of the hole or into it) using a lighter or a torch. We bring the lighter to the hole and look in which direction the flame is leaning. That's where the air is drawn. The torch gives us smoke. Having smoked properly in the bookmark (only this must be done in advance so as not to confuse the dogs with the smell of smoke), we look where the smoke will go. Thus, we determine the possible odor outputs.

It is also worth remembering that dogs very quickly get used to one type of bookmarks, so they need to be diversified - holes in the ground, boxes, heaps of iron, slabs, in walls, raised above the ground, and so on.

Over time, bookmarks can be complicated by making point odor outlets, raised above the ground up to 2 meters, deep (the odor outlet is far from the source or weak). Please note that the support of an extra is required for quite a long time, that is, his communication with the dog from the bookmark, therefore, complicating the bookmarks, it is worth making them in such a way that this possibility is preserved.

When preparing the bookmark, we must remember that dog handlers generally prefer to do the searching process visually for them. You constantly have to fight with this, using bookmarks on which the human eye will not stop, and the handler will not be able to give a tip to the dog.

You should not constantly use the same methods of restricting access to the bookmark (shields, doors, etc.), because dogs also get used to them and begin to determine visually.

We observe safety

The places where we practice PSS are rife with all sorts of dangers. These are pits in the floor where you can fall through, and crumbling sand, and falling bricks. Especially dangerous are old emergency buildings, where at any moment a wall, ceiling or floor can collapse. Therefore, when choosing a place to practice, first of all, you should think about safety so as not to turn from rescuers into rescued ones. The accumulation area (where people and dogs wait for their turn) should always be in a safe place. Bookmarks should be organized in places where there is no danger of collapse, plate movements and other things. You should also make sure that the design details of the bookmark do not fall on the head of an extra or a dog. Since the dogs work without leashes, it is necessary to watch that there are no imperceptible holes in the floor and the like, especially at first, until the dogs know how to move correctly in such places.

The most common injury in the classroom is paw cuts. You can use shoe covers, however, those that are sold have a very slippery surface, which in itself can lead to injury, this must be taken into account. In addition, it is worth accustoming the dog to moving through the rubble, so in places where there are no scattered glasses, it is better to let the dog go without shoe covers. In emergency buildings, it is better to use helmets to protect the head from accidental falling bricks.

Never forget how many extras are hidden and in what places, as well as how long an extra stays in the bookmark. In winter, this time should not exceed 40 minutes, and it is desirable that it fits within 20 minutes. In summer, more is possible, but it depends on the bookmark. If it is a cold wet basement, then you should not keep a person there for 2 hours. Burying in the snow, remember the location of the extra according to the landmarks. Flags and the like, of course, cannot be placed above the bookmark.

"Combat kit" for classes

For classes, first of all, you need warm, comfortable clothes, especially in winter. Even in summer, sitting in a bookmark can be quite cool, especially since you can’t move. Warm pants, jackets, comfortable warm and waterproof shoes, hats and mittens are a must in winter.

For classes you will need:

What gadgets can you still dream of? The imagination of the cynologist is very developed. Moreover, there are always not enough “devices” for our business. These include:

• spotlight for effective illumination of the territory.
• Walkie-talkies are a very necessary thing, especially when exercising in the forest.
• A bunch of all kinds of clothes - warm fleece jackets, membrane shoes and outerwear ...
• Snow protection "flashlights" - devices for protection against snow getting into boots
• And so on and so forth...

By the way, mobile phones are not superfluous for extras. True, they must be turned off so that a random call does not spoil the search for the dog, but if necessary, the extra will have the opportunity to use the phone.

How is the lesson

The construction of the lesson depends, first of all, on the experience of cynologists working with their dogs. If they are beginners, then it is possible to work exclusively in turn, since at the beginning of training, constant supervision of the trainer is necessary. Further, when the cynologist is already experienced and knows what he wants to work on in this lesson, he can take extras himself and go to work.

In any case, there is always only one dog in one search area. The average duration of a class in a group is 3-4 hours. First, bookmarks are built, then dog handlers take turns working with their dogs. Then you can go to another place (to another set of bookmarks) and again work with all the dogs in turn. Thus, 2-3 launches are made per lesson, and the number of conditional victims at each launch varies. "Start" is called work on one set of bookmarks, which is done without a break for rest. Those. send a dog to search, she finds 1 person, she is encouraged and immediately sent to search for another. Depending on the level of training, a dog can find from one to 8-10 people in one run. It is best to work with novice dogs at the beginning of the session, before they get tired.

If the group is large, and some handlers have to wait a long time for their turn, you can use this time to introduce the dog to the territory (if space allows, so as not to interfere with working dogs), so that there is no orienting reaction on the search (novice dogs need this) , to teach a dog to move through the rubble, to fearlessly overcome obstacles encountered on the way, to enter dark rooms - this is also part of the training.

For beginner dogs, the lesson should not last long, intensely, quickly, in one breath and very recklessly, especially with puppies. In no case should the dog get tired, including waiting for its turn. Experienced dogs already calmly endure the wait. The search itself should be in such a volume that the dog does not get enough of it and wants more.

It should be taken into account that what more experienced dog, the more she is set to serious work. Try doing beginner exercises with such a dog and you will see that what he did a few months ago is now doing in a completely different way, given all his baggage of experience that he has built up over this time.

Primary dog ​​training

Selection of dogs

The dog must first of all be healthy, at least not have diseases that interfere with the service. This is especially true for diseases of the musculoskeletal system, because. Our workload is very high. The PSS dog must have a good psyche resistant to influences, pronounced food and (or) play motivations, good communication with the owner, be active, mobile. No aggression! The dog should calmly treat strangers, and it is desirable to communicate with them willingly.

Pre-training

At this stage, it is important to prepare the dog for future work, to decide on the methodology and motivation for work. How the training will be built depends on the chosen methodology, but there are certain “rules” that are common to everyone. When choosing future motivation, it is necessary to focus on what the dog needs more. The need for food is much easier to develop, it is enough not to feed the dog. With a toy, if the dog does not "tear the roof" at the sight of it, you should not even try. Remember that it is very difficult, often impossible, to transfer a dog from one motivation to another. Its formation occurs very quickly, therefore this choice must be made even before the search itself begins. Methods differ in search technique (shuttle search, guided, free search), in final motivation (based on the play behavior of dogs; search-orientation; need for approval of the leader). There are techniques that are based on the development, first of all, of search behavior, and the designation is introduced later. In others, special attention is paid to signaling behavior. In all methods, the dog is taught to work by the smell of a living person (and not by things). Regardless of the chosen technique, at the time of the start of the search, the dog must:

Let's start searching

The beginning lessons are the most important. On them we develop motivation in the dog. The motivation is that the dog knows that only by performing a certain set of actions in a strictly defined order - starting the skill with the “search!” or “look for a person!”, searching for a person, designating him, while not departing from an extra - she will receive a promotion. In this case, the dog should be interested in this encouragement. If we are working on a treat, then the dog must be hungry (1-3 days of hunger strike).

The first exercises are always based on the person running away. We start right away with strangers. If the preliminary preparation is done properly, there will be no problems with this. First, the extra plays a dog (or shows a treat), then runs into a simple shelter in front of her and calls her name all the time. The dog sees where the extra is running away, but does not see where exactly he is hiding. This is best ensured by laying a bookmark around the corner, you can just cover the dog's eyes. As soon as the extra hid and called the dog, it is released. She runs after him, and the owner follows her. As soon as the dog sticks his nose into the bookmark, the extra gives her the command “voice!”, After which he begins to communicate with her, praise her, stimulating her barking and periodically rewarding her with treats. It is important to be very kind. In no case should you let the dog move away from the bookmark. It is most important. If he tries to leave - call to him, tease with a piece. You can open the slot in the bookmark so that the dog sees the person (but only after he barks). The owner is standing nearby. Depending on the behavior of the dog, if it “does not let go” far, then you should not provoke it. But not closer than 3 meters. After 15-20 barks, the owner approaches the tab, opens it and lets the extra out. After that, the extra vigorously communicates with the dog, if necessary, plays. You can continue either by running away with the same extra to another shelter, or with another extra.

Depending on the methodology, the escape scheme can be built in different ways. If the dog is taught to shuttle search, then classes begin at the training ground, using shelters "in the corners" of the shuttle. You can use boxes that are buried in the ground at a later stage. Then they move on to construction work. If they teach free search, then there should be a minimum of influence from the owner. The dog is taught to move freely around the territory, guided by the air currents where the person is.

When the dog confidently follows the extra and, having found it, barks until the owner approaches, we begin to make complications. We use several nearby shelters, one of which hides an extra. We give the dog to see only the direction of movement of the extra up to half the way. Or, in front of the dog, the extra hides in one shelter, then the dog's eyes are covered, and the extra hides in another, then they let the dog in. Increase launch distance. They make more complex bookmarks with more complex approaches to them. Gradually, running away is made so that the dog sees that the person is running away, but does not see the way to escape. Then we introduce the “call” of the dog as an extra only from the bookmark, and then we remove it altogether. Then we begin to teach the dog that a person does not necessarily run away in search. To do this, we make two people run away at the same time, each of which teased the dog with a treat. First, the dog finds one, then the second "hidden in advance." So we gradually move on to working with previously hidden people. The work of an extra in the bookmark is also important. Rudeness, unspecified silence, incorrect encouragement (when the dog, for example, is silent) or its absence is not allowed. Remove communication with the dog should be carefully and gradually. Laya needs to achieve a long time. Encouragement should be mandatory when finding each person! Gradually, the moment of rewarding the dog from the beginning of barking to the first bite is delayed. When the dog already understands what is required of it (this happens quite quickly), we introduce glass jars into which we put a treat, close the lid so that at the time of designation the bookmark does not smell of a treat. If landing or laying is chosen for designation, then when a person is found, the owner, or rather an extra (this must be determined in advance), gives the dog a command. After giving a short time for exposure (10-15 seconds), the owner comes up, gives a treat to the dog (and if possible, the extra gives a treat), after which the extra is opened, he communicates with the dog and feeds pieces.

When dogs are already normally looking for pre-hidden people, they begin to introduce additional complications. These are both more complex bookmarks and an increase in the duration of the search, a variety of physical activities immediately before the search, work in dark rooms polluted with extraneous odors, etc.

All complications, order, methods and so on are the result of the instructor's imagination :) and his ability to determine the readiness of the dog to move to the next level. In general, a full-fledged training of a dog according to the PSS takes about 2 years.

Even well-working dogs may at some point stop working correctly, start making mistakes, for example, there may be problems with signaling behavior. The main thing is not to despair and continue to work, only regular classes will give results.

Forms of organizing the training process, monitoring and checking the readiness of dogs

- a regular lesson, in which the required skills are consistently worked out, shortcomings are eliminated, complications are introduced in accordance with the lesson plan.

Control classes- here for all dogs it is planned to complete one task and compare the work of dogs, check the quality of work and identify errors that need to be eliminated.

Joint classes- they involve several (at least two) search and rescue teams. They are good because it is possible to use outsiders, extras unknown to dogs. It is best when first one side - one group - organizes bookmarks for another, and the second works on them, not knowing their number and location. Another time this group will organize the same for the first one.

Teachings- the closest to the real working conditions, checking the readiness of dogs, in accordance with the standard. Additional complications may be introduced in the form of rappelling with dogs, work in difficult conditions (night time, rain), taking into account the fact that dog handlers do not know in advance the number of victims, the location of the bookmarks and working conditions. It is possible to do a "team" search, when the dog handlers must work together according to pre-thought-out tactics (for example, dividing the territory into search squares for each dog, or sequential search). And also combine checking dogs with checking the readiness of cynologists for rescue work (for example, knowledge of the basics of first aid, when he must provide first aid to the found "injured" medical care).

Tests (certification)- checking the readiness of the calculation (cynologist-dog) for actions for its intended purpose. Conducted in the system of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Successful certification gives the crew admission to participate in rescue operations for 1 year.

Competition- are carried out with the aim of improving professional skills, exchanging experience in the preparation and use of dogs, checking readiness for actions for their intended purpose and certification, as well as identifying the best calculations. At competitions, various additional complications are organized for calculations that may arise in real work. So they can be called a real holiday for cynologists. It is worth remembering that the competition is not an end in itself, but a means to achieve mastery in real work, and therefore get a great chance to save a person.

We recommend that owners and trainers keep a diary of each individual dog's performance in each class. For the owner of the dog, this is a way to better understand his dog, and for the instructor, to see how much the owner understands what is happening, to supplement, discuss the work of the dog with him, and maybe even see it from the other side. Diaries also help not to forget what this or that dog did and to track its development over the entire period of training. It is most convenient to keep diaries in electronic form and then send them by mail to the instructor.

What you should pay attention to:

1. You can't keep using the same people as extras all the time, even at the entry level.
2. Immediately accustom the dog to a different number of extras on the search. At the beginning 1-2, then we introduce the third. At the same time, it is desirable that he first run away or call the dog from the bookmark.
3. On the initial period classes, when the dog needs to reinforce the signal behavior, you should use only sane extras who can communicate with dogs, tk. bad work can ruin everything at once.
4. After each search, encouragement by communication with an extra should be maximum, the dog should be interested in communication and, as a result, in the search for a person.
5. Do not forget to pay attention to accustoming dogs to blockages, moving over obstacles, darkness, heights.
6. Before the search, you should familiarize the dogs with the area, letting them run around and sniff everything, so that during the work the dogs do not have an orienting reaction. When the dogs are already more experienced, you can smoothly move on to work on unfamiliar terrain.
7. Regardless of the chosen training method, it is important to remember that there are several “components” that only in sum give an excellent result.
   • This is the search itself: search style, gambling, speed, focus on results, i.e. the dog should seek in order to find (remember the motivation), and not just because she likes to run.
   • Signal Behavior: very important. If the dog finds, but does not indicate, consider that you have not found anyone. It is scary to imagine yourself in a situation where in real rescue work you cannot help a person because the dog does not make a clear good sign.
   • The dog should not be "removed" from the bookmark, i.e. leave voluntarily.
   • Endurance and mental preparation: the dog (and the cynologist too) must be ready for long-term work and emotional stress. This is not a matter of one day, this must be done gradually, without overloading the dog.
8. False designations - a separate conversation. They can occur due to incorrect organization of bookmarks, due to frequent work on monotonous bookmarks, when the dog begins to navigate by external signs, due to increased excitability of the dog, due to residual human odors in the bookmark (especially in novice dogs), smell food, fresh clothes. These additional provocations are introduced later, when the skill is already formed and fairly stable.
9. It is worth accustoming dogs to the smells that they do not like coming from the “homeless” (perhaps by attracting them to work with experienced dogs), since this smell is closest to the real smell of the victim, who was under the rubble for several days.
10. To play with a dog, it is highly undesirable to use forest sticks (i.e., special dumbbells are possible), since dogs, especially when searching in the forest, can start picking up sticks near the bookmark, thus self-rewarding, while not finalizing the skill to the end.
11. When practicing both searching and following, it is necessary to move from one type to another when the primary skill has already been formed (the dog clearly knows what they want from him on the trail or on the search), otherwise you can confuse the dog.
12. It is not worth doing different types of services (including obedience) on the same day, especially if new skills are being learned in both types of services (that is, the development of courses goes in parallel). It is recommended to study only obedience during training in the search service and the track, otherwise the dog may get confused, break down and get very tired, which will lead to poor work everywhere.

What to look for in tracking work.

It is necessary to focus not so much on standards as on real needs. Search in the forest up to 3 days old trace. In the city - up to a day. Work on various surfaces, in the dark, in bad weather conditions, with distracting irritants, etc. A large number of corners, intersections with other people's traces and other things that may occur in the work. Special attention devote to finding the beginning of the trace. As a rule (if this is not a completely deserted area), a specific trace of a specific person is searched for, for which the dog is given to sniff a thing with the smell of the victim before searching. Things on the trail are indicated by stacking (it can be done in another way). It is impossible for the ways of designating people and things to coincide. In general, training a dog for tracking takes about 3 years.

Training a search and rescue dog is a complex and nuanced business. But if you are interested in this service, and your heart was touched by the opportunity to really help people with your dog, welcome to ROSSPAS-KV. We will help organize a group in your city or region, travel to seminars and training camps, and get the necessary information. Contact the heads of groups and regional branches of ROSSPAS-KV:

If you can replenish this list with the addresses of really working groups or correct outdated data, please be sure to write to us - or through the form below.

Consider a brief description of the four breeds of rescue dogs. These will be: St. Bernard, German Shepherd, Newfoundland and Labrador.

st bernard

One of the oldest known to man rescue dog breeds Dogs of this breed were bred in France. It was the well-known monastery of St. Bernard, from whose name the name of the breed came. St. Bernards are designed to save people high in the mountains.

They are called "avalanche dogs" for their exceptional sense of smell and the ability to find people buried alive under snow avalanches. St. Bernards are able to anticipate the upcoming disaster in 6-7 hours thanks to their extraordinary intuition inherent only to them.

They easily find a person under several meters of snow. Thanks to their strength, they can easily dig out a person buried under snow or other rubble, heat him with their body and drag him to a safe place or lead rescuers to the scene.

Newfoundland

The Newfoundland is a breed of dog designed to rescue people on the water. Dogs of this breed are not afraid of frost. Newfoundlands can easily be in icy water. The anatomical difference in the structure of dogs of this breed, such as the presence of a third eyelid, the special structure of the paws and ears, the presence of membranes between the fingers. All this allows Newfoundlands to dive to a great depth, about thirty meters and swim very long distances up to twenty kilometers.

The instinct to save a person is so strong that the dog throws himself into the water at the slightest suspicion that the person is drowning.

German Shepherd

At the very beginning, the German Shepherd was used as a protector of livestock from predators. However, cynologists have noticed that German Shepherds are distinguished by their special intelligence, great strength, dexterity, and devotion. Gradually, German Shepherds began to be used to guard the borders, as rescuers during emergencies and in wartime, and now they are used to catch criminals and protect property. With such work, German Shepherds cope much better than their counterparts.

Labrador

Labrador (Labrador Retriever) is one of the most good-natured obedient, active and hardy dogs. Labrador combines many functions. He is a hard worker, guide, rescuer and hunter. But, most importantly, the Labrador is a true and devoted friend! Labradors are easy and quick to learn, as they are smart and quick-witted. It was originally a working dog breed. Now, thanks to the ease of learning, Labradors remember and execute about two hundred commands! The history of the breed originates in Canada, on the island of Newfoundland. According to another version, their homeland is Labrador Island, which gave the name to the breed. Dogs helped local residents in fishing, in search of people lost during the storm, served as cargo carriers, and helped during hunting..

Currently, the Labrador is considered one of the best dogs - rescuers and human helpers. He can save people on the water, like Newfoundland, and high in the mountains, like St. Bernard. Labradors care for bedridden people and so on. In addition, this is a great family dog, he easily finds a common language with other pets.

Most popular rescue dog breeds

If a person, for example, is weak in spirit and lonely, if he needs a reliable protector, or if his work is associated with a risk to life, then the rescue dog breeds are what you need! Choose and feel safe!

In this article, I will review the best breeds of rescue dogs. I will tell you about the size and nature of each of the breeds, in which emergency situations they have found their way.

Dogs are best friends, they guard territories, become companions for lonely people, save lives.

The Best Rescue Dog Breeds

Rescue dog breeds were bred specifically for search purposes and protection of people in extreme situations or natural disasters. Quadrupeds quickly cope with the tasks, thanks to a sensitive sense of smell. The dog learns a person who is in trouble under a large thickness of snow, debris from natural disasters, rescued from the water. Let's take a closer look at the different breeds of rescue dogs.

Labrador

Large in size, height at the withers is 53-61 cm, weight 25-36 kg. They are distinguished by friendliness, playfulness, patient, reliable, they need constant attention of the owner, they are easy to train. Not suitable for protection, suitable for people with an active lifestyle.

Labradors are trained in a playful way, they are happy to perform all the exercises.

The price of a puppy of this breed will be 20,000 - 40,000 rubles.

Retrievers are often involved in rescue operations in the water, their swimming speed is 5 km / h. Help rescue from rubble after explosions, earthquakes, floods and other accidents. Can be used as guide dogs for people with disabilities. Disaster relief requires special education and training, from simple obedience commands to acting out disaster scenarios.

Large size, height at the withers is 66-71 cm, weight reaches 70 kg. Newfoundlands are patient, calm, obedient, loyal, easy to train, suitable for families with children. Phlegmatic by nature, not prone to movement, but they are happy to go for a walk with the owner.

They are sensitive to remarks, criticism and sharpness of the owner, they train them with the help of affection, then the process will go more efficiently.

The price for a puppy of this breed will be 40,000 - 75,000 rubles.

They are used to save people on the water, it is not for nothing that they are called "divers", they are distinguished by friendliness, intelligence, and endurance. Newfoundland does not freeze in the water, resistant to cold, thanks to the water-repellent double wool. The animal has a special structure of the ears, eyes, third eyelid, membranes between the fingers, which helps it swim long distances and dive deep under water. The instinct of salvation is laid down by nature, they rush into the water, at the first sign, when a person is drowning.

Large in size, height at the withers 61-70 cm, weight 50-91 kg. They are distinguished by endurance, fearlessness, diligence and a good ability to learn. St. Bernards are calm, kind, loyal, non-aggressive, have good physical strength, do not like loneliness. Families who do not have time to communicate with a pet, get along well with children and look after them should not be started.

The price for a puppy of this breed will be 15,000 - 45,000 rubles.

Most often used to rescue people in the mountains, in avalanches and in the water. Scientists have found that representatives of this breed feel a snowstorm before it starts 40 minutes. At a great distance they can smell people under a layer of snow, they can dig a passage to them alone, pull them to the surface and bring them to their senses.

Large size, height at the withers 55-65 cm, body weight 22-40 kg. balanced, confident, has a good disposition, attentive, obedient, has protective qualities. Suitable for people with a strong character, the animal needs constant physical activity, training and socialization are required.

The price of a German puppy will be 20,000 - 50,000 rubles.

Helping people in the German Shepherd is in the blood, they are used to save people in the mountains, under the collapse of earthquakes and explosions, in reservoirs. Thanks to his instinct, the shepherd quickly finds the victims and pulls them out.

A large dog with well-developed muscles, height at the withers 63-72 cm, body weight is 32-45 kg. intelligent, alert, obedient, self-confident, energetic, fearless, loyal, agile and hardy. They have a quick reaction and speed of completing tasks, while the other dog is busy with one exercise, the Doberman will do five.

The price of a Doberman puppy will be 15,000 - 45,000 rubles.

Suitable for a self-confident owner with a strong character and an active lifestyle, gets along well with children. This breed needs socialization and proper training, otherwise it can grow up vicious and unbalanced.

A sharp sense of smell helps the Doberman to look for people who are in an extreme situation, to pull them out of the rubble. This breed can be a guide to the blind.

German large breed of dog, height at the withers 65-80 cm, weight 45-78 kg. loyal, devoted, intelligent, calm, possess protective qualities with a formidable appearance and mild character. Non-aggressive, try to please the owner, strive to take the position of a subordinate in the family, lend themselves well to training. Suitable for a family with children, with whom he gets along well and allows you to do whatever you want with him.

The price of a Leonberger puppy is 30,000 - 50,000 rubles.

The dog is an excellent swimmer and is used as a lifeguard in water bodies. It takes a lot of effort and practice to quickly swim to a drowning person, save him and pull him ashore.

Or Malinois - a medium-sized dog, whose height at the withers is 58-62 cm, weight 20-30 kg. Cautious, responsible, energetic, does not show aggression, always ready for action, has watchdog qualities. Takes care of children, not averse to playing with them, suitable for owners with an active lifestyle. Without physical exertion, property will begin to spoil.

Price per puppy Belgian Shepherd will be 15,000 - 40,000 rubles.

The dog is trained through the game, they lend themselves well to training, all attention is focused on the owner.

Malinois work in the mountains, saving people from the thickness of the snow, along with the St. Bernards. Thanks to the elegance and dexterity, animals find people under the rubble, which helps to save their lives faster.

Large size dog, height at the withers 57-68 cm, body weight 27-32 kg. By temperament, they are balanced, manageable, bold, fast, intelligent, loyal, with developed hunting instincts. The companion dog gets along well with children, commands are learned quickly in the form of a game.

The average price for a puppy will be 25,000 rubles.

Found its application in the Coast Guard to rescue drowning people from the water. They deftly and quickly get, rescue and deliver to a safe place.

Four-legged rescuers must be obedient, docile, intelligent, hardy, have a strong physique and are well socialized in society. Every rescue dog has a natural sense of smell and stamina, but effective work specialized training is required. The animal must find people in the ruins, give a voice, inform the guide, then lead a rescue team to the place with the victims. Hard work requires fast execution, because human life depends on it.

Choosing one of the breeds of rescue dogs as a pet, you will find a true friend, a caring nanny for children and an active sports partner.

Rescuer is not a breed, it's a calling!

No, they will not be able to provide first aid, they cannot give a person life-giving moisture and they will not relieve pain. But rescue dogs are able to give more - life, by finding the victim in a timely manner and notifying people about it. Representatives of what breeds can engage in such a necessary and important activity, and what skills and abilities should they have?

Rescue dog breeds

In general, history keeps a lot of evidence of devotion and fearlessness of our four-legged friends. They showed remarkable courage and ingenuity during hostilities, saved people during floods and other weather disasters, sacrificed themselves for the sake of children. Moreover, these heroic deeds are sometimes not at all connected with the breed of the dog.

But still, to work in harsh conditions and in connection with the specifics of the activity, certain innate qualities are required from the dog, which the following breeds possess:

• - this breed has long been intended for rescue work in highland areas, it is not for nothing that they can anticipate an avalanche in a few hours and notify people about it. The second name of this breed is "avalanche dogs". They can dig out a person buried under the snow and drag him to a safe place, or lead rescuers to this area.
• - these representatives work in the conditions of another element - water. Them anatomical structure and physiological properties are intended for finding an animal in water, even ice, without harm to health. This is the third eyelid, paws and auricles of a special structure, interdigital membranes and not wet hair. Newfoundlands have incredible diving and swimming abilities, as well as an amazing instinct to rush to help at the slightest sign indicating that a person is in trouble.
• - for a long time protecting livestock from predators, and living in harsh conditions, representatives of this breed have acquired a lot of qualities necessary for survival. Naturally, one cannot do without developed intellectual abilities in this matter. Having become an almost universal dog, the German Shepherd showed itself in rescue work.
• - the history of the breed is such that from its very beginnings, dogs have already been rescuers. They helped fishermen catch fish and also looked for people during storms. In addition, due to their strength and endurance, they were draft animals and helpers during the hunt. Modern intellectual abilities allow these dogs to memorize two hundred commands!

Of course, this is not the whole list, and representatives of other breeds often participate in rescue operations. But in these dogs, whatever you say, the rescue instinct is in the genes.

Among the skills required from rescue dogs, two main ones can be distinguished - this is to find a person who is in trouble and inform his fellow people about it. Of course, some strong dogs are able to get the victims out of the rubble, dig them out in the snow, but more often they still need the help of specialists. In addition to a subtle scent, physical strength and a desire to work, a number of requirements are imposed on the dog:

• Stable psyche. A working dog should not react to what is happening around, but be completely focused on the task at hand.
• Kindness and benevolence. The four-legged rescuer should be glad to see the victim he has found, and not growl and grin, frightening. In addition, usually during an emergency, the scene is filled with many people - doctors, rescuers, etc., and the dog should not show alertness or aggression.
• Ability to make decisions independently. In critical situations, when a person is not around, the dog must be able to act without waiting for a command.
• Obedience. Dogs that like to run away when they sense freedom or see another dog are absolutely not suitable for the role of rescuers. This work requires strict discipline and the fulfillment of the task at any cost.

Is it worth saying that a dog can be the only chance for salvation, risk yourself and not demand anything in return? These smaller friends can perform heroic deeds, which once again confirm their selflessness and fearlessness.

See how rescue dogs are trained: