“...This incomprehensible, wonderful transmission of the psyche,” Durov continues further, “of thoughts, feelings, desires undoubtedly exists. This is what I base my work on, and this is what forms the basis of my training method. The animal, thanks to a joyful, creative environment, comes into psychic contact with me and already vaguely senses in advance, predicts 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 animal behavior, which he developed with the participation of Academician V.M. Bekhterev.

Let the words of the great animal connoisseur given here be the “first law” for the rescue dog handler.

After searching in difficult weather conditions for a long time and not finding IZ, young dogs often become confused and lethargic. If the dog displays such behavior or anxiety and nervousness, the handler should give it a little rest, a treat, and encouragement. While the dog is resting, he quietly buries an object with his own or an unfamiliar scent and gives the dog 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 they find IZ. It is very important that the harness is removed from a dog that has been given even a five-minute rest - this will give complete rest and rapid recuperation.

Just as the handler’s harness and vest have a stimulating effect on the dog, both an additional conditioned signal and “talking to the dog” before and during the search activate its work. This technique, which gives positive results only with good contact with the dog, has nothing to do with “anthropomorphism.” No dog, although it carries out a large number of commands from the handler, only as if they were conditioned sounds, perceives human speech. But everyone knows that one threatening glance from a person or dog makes another dog tuck its tail, walk around 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, affectionate 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 picked up by a dog many times better than by a person, as well as in the ultrasonic part of speech, which is completely unperceivable 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. This always helps the work!

Intonation and gesture

A standard voice command, which is a conditioned stimulus for a dog, is only a trigger for the search to begin. Hearing abilities dogs are much taller than humans. Therefore, during training sessions, voice commands are given at a “below average” volume and in a “calm” intonation. A loud voice and commanding intonation are a “reserve” for working in an emergency zone when there is a lot of noise, the dog is distracted by something extraneous, etc. The “common language,” that is, the language of communication between the trainer and the dog in the complex process of searching and finding the victim, is intonation and gesture. Even in the most lexically expressive language of any nation, according to the American psychologist F. Sulge, the significance of words is only 7%, intonation - 38%, gestures - 55%. When two unfamiliar wolves, dogs, or people meet, the “conversation” begins through sight, not hearing. Both partners perceive each other by sight, complementing the intonation of a few words.

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

For complete contact and mutual understanding, you need to “merge with the dog,” working as one organism.

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

Intonation, simplistically divided into affectionate, approving, ordinary, commanding and threatening, has dozens of other tones and shades, for example, encouraging, calming, exciting, commanding, etc. The same voice command, when changing intonation, can conditionally reflexively influence -different. Unusual intonation causes actions that do not correspond to the lexical meaning of the command given to the dog. IN difficult situations the vocabulary of the voice command is eclipsed by “non-verbal language” with the participation of the ERD and the biofield. Only with a positive emotion, making a search in difficult and hazardous conditions interested, as a “favorite thing”, and not forced - on command, the dog, also wanting to please its “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, and 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, come on, come on!..”, etc. Successful use of intonation is a powerful impulse that awakens great potential strength: both physical and mental.

The words of “conversation” may be different, the dog still understands not them, but “intonation” and “non-verbalness”. These elements, like the music of the “magic flute,” work wonders. This is encouragement, and excitement, and encouragement, and a call... The dog’s eyes light up, its nostrils flare, it makes a jump... A few minutes of furious search - the victim is 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 language concepts exist and are used in life - thought-reading, thought-transfer, thought-wave, the meaning of which is not difficult to understand. In Russian everyday life, these concepts, clumsily translated as “reading other people’s thoughts, transmitting thoughts over a distance, mental wave,” do not inspire confidence and are equated with the unreal or “magic.” Scientists attribute this type of non-linguistic communication, like gestures and smells, to the so-called “non-verbal language”, without conventional sound vocabulary. To ignore the closeness of “verbal language” to “non-verbal” would be a violation of the method of studying the unity of the “nature of things”.

Practical conclusion- develop all the dog’s PSS skills not on conditioned stimuli that are “abstract” for him - commands, but on “natural” actions and gestures. For example, to begin learning to dig - with digging by the guide himself, with the command “Dig!” only accompanying this action. This is a type of "imitation method" where the dog imitates not another dog, but the trainer.

It is the understanding of the dog’s psyche, intonation and gestures that it understands that create mutual understanding, strong contact and affection. One of the forms of manifestation of good contact is the dog's vocalization 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 contact at a distance.

Contact and affection

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

A dog's contact and affection are developed through the process of raising, training and communicating 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 contacts with different dogs, which depends not on the breed of the dog, but on the neuropsychic characteristics of both. The Swiss training method is entirely based on affection, that is, a feeling of closeness, sympathy and devotion to the trainer. To develop a strong contact, it is necessary to know the typological characteristics of the dog’s GNI, its character and behavior; treat kindly, but demandingly; be caring and attentive, especially in difficult situations. However, always and everywhere the trainer is the eldest, the “leader”, the dominant... But the dominance of the trainer should not oppress the dog’s psyche, suppress its activity, independence, initiative. However, it must always be “in hand.”

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

A rescue worker with a dog was crossing a glacier with cracks covered with snow. There was thunder in the distance - a thunderstorm was approaching. Suddenly there was a crash nearby. At the same moment, the snow bridge they were standing on collapsed, and they found themselves at the bottom of the crack. The crack is not deep, but the walls are steep, smooth and slippery... The handler raised the dog above his head and shouted: “Forward!” The dog jumped, but slipped off the edge of the crack... Once again... and the guide heard barking above him. Command "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, laid back its ears and rushed down... The hunter heard the noise, but it was too late. An avalanche knocked him off his feet and 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 sociable, loving and intelligent dog is capable of. In the above cases, the dogs, having overcome the “instinct of self-preservation,” did not run away anywhere, as dogs usually do without sufficient affection, but each in its own way began to help the owner out of trouble.

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

All work of PSS dogs is based on the independent orienting search instinct and the instinct of freedom. “Reflex of freedom,” pointed out I.P. Pavlov, is a common property, a common reaction of animals, one of the most important innate reflexes. Without it, every slightest obstacle that the animal encountered on its way would completely interrupt the course of its life. And we know well how all animals, deprived of ordinary freedom, strive to free themselves...

It is easier to “train” a dog to perform a series of techniques without failure, as in a circus, 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 suppressed, the more difficult it is to prepare it for PSS.

In the above-mentioned actions of dogs based on contact and attachment to the owner, it was in a difficult situation that their rational activity, useful to humans, manifested itself. The fact that animals instantly, without special training, were able to accept correct solution, and lies the irreplaceable value of electronic propulsion as a mechanism of adaptation in diverse, constantly changing conditions environment. It is unlikely that “room” or “chain” dogs, whose ERD is constrained by their lifestyle, would be able to express themselves in this way, regardless of breed. The best way to study and develop rational actions is to give dogs more mental tasks during training sessions, walks, creating an environment that is close to extreme.

During search and rescue operations, which always take 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 a very precise instrument, an indicator of smell, but also an intelligent assistant, whose behavior must be carefully observed and more trusted;

2) during the training period - avoid “drilling” the dog, which inhibits the development and manifestation of its rational activity.

Dog training

The special skills of the PSS include: searching for the belongings of the “victim”, searching for the “victim”, giving a voice when found, unearthing found items, for which grades are given according to a point system. The dogs are also trained to lead the trainer to the found sources of odor. For methodological ease, the PSS special course is as close as possible to the programs of other special courses of kennel clubs. For this purpose, auxiliary techniques have been introduced - sampling someone else's things, searching by the same smell for the “victim” and his things.

According to the “Program” (see appendix), a lesson plan is drawn up: daily, weekly, monthly. Any plan must be adjusted during the educational process. The individual characteristics of the trainer and the dog and the level of their contact are always and everywhere taken into account. It is equally important to take into account the location of classes, weather conditions and other factors affecting the learning process.

All necessary skills are gradually formed on the basis of initially developed conditioned reflexes. In PSS, the stages of their development also have psycho-methodological features. The 1st stage - the development of an initial skill - is associated with the “laying in” of interest in searching/finding a person’s scent using a game element. Stage 2 - consolidation and complication of the skill - for constant interest, “excite” the dog, give the load “not enough”, so that the dog constantly wants to look for more. 3rd stage - improving the skill until it can be performed without failure in a variety of difficult conditions - load to the fullest extent, “to find out the ceiling” of the dog’s capabilities. At maximum load, in order to avoid a nervous breakdown and a more severe, long-term disease of the central nervous system - neurosis - strictly monitor the dog’s behavior.

Training dogs to retrieve someone else's things is done in the same way as in the protective guard service. But it is advisable not to bring the selected object to the trainer, but only to indicate it by taking it into the mouth or by giving a 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 development of all skills is based not on “coercion”, but on “pushing” the necessary actions, awakening interest in it.

Initial training of a dog to search for a “victim” and his belongings is carried out in the same way as when training to search an area. Then complications are introduced. Dogs develop the skill of finding, by zigzag searching in the direction against the wind, buried assistant trainers and two things with his scent. Conditioned stimuli when developing a skill are the command “Look!” and a gesture - throwing out the hand in the direction of sending the dog to search. Auxiliary conditioned stimuli - the command “Forward!”, the exclamation “Good!”. The assistant's underwear (plans, shirt), worn for at least 24 hours, is used as buried items.

To prevent the dog from bringing the found things to the trainer at the moment when it found it, the trainer energetically gives the command “Voice!” and hand gesture. If this is difficult for the dog to do, an auxiliary command is given with a voice and the “Sit!” gesture, and things are tied to driven pegs or bushes. After the dog has mastered the initial skill of finding a helper and his things in an area of ​​30x30 m, it is gradually increased to a size of 70x70 m, and the burying depth is increased to the test depth. An important point for training, the corners of the training area are clearly marked with red flags, clearly visible to the trainer from the start.

Training in one area should not be carried out more than three times in a row, otherwise dogs will develop the habit of searching only in places they are familiar with. In the second period of classes at the training site, in order to complicate the search, in addition to the usual burying of the assistant’s things, “false burials” 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 searching. Sometimes the dog needs to be given a rest, sometimes it needs to be entertained with a game or a change of environment. The search should always and everywhere 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 hole. If the burial site is forgotten, he should quietly throw in an additional item (mitten, handkerchief).

On initial stage In search training, the dog is rewarded with treats and exclamations of approval after each finding of the item. Later, the treat is given only if the task is performed particularly quickly and accurately. When finding a hidden helper, both the trainer and the helper are given, which increases the dog’s interest in finding it and 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 IZ with an invigorating, stimulating intonation. It is not the words of the command that play a role, but the desired intonation - at the moment. To “keep her in your hands”, commands and calls alone are not enough. Team "Search!" only a trigger for starting a search, such as the “Start!” signal. for the runner. He made a jerk... then he ran to the approving intonation of the fans.

Due to the fact that burying a person compared to a thing takes much more time and is impossible in damp weather, half of the classes can be carried out on things alone without damage. When burying a person in snow or soil, a free space for breathing is left in front of his face - an “air closet”. To do this, the “victim” is placed with his head under a coniferous tent of a young Christmas tree or a vault is built above his head from blocks of snow and boards. When burying in very loose snow and soil, an ordinary wicker basket or wooden box with air slots is placed above the head of the person being buried, to prevent hypoxia.

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

Impeccable vocal delivery is the most important skill of the PSS, which is why dogs with voice defects and so-called “silent ones” are rejected. During classes and work, dogs bark instinctively in response to some stimulus (someone else's dog, etc.). Therefore, in the PSS, when finding a “victim”, dogs are required not to bark randomly, but to strictly define, voice three times. You should start practicing this skill from the very first lesson. In order to teach a dog to voice three times and consolidate this skill, it is enough to immediately exclaim “Good!” each time after the third presentation, and put a treat in its mouth. For highly excitable dogs, after the third serve, you can put a mitten in their mouth and cover their mouth with your hand. Depending on the dog’s behavior, it is advisable to alternate performing this technique on command by voice and gesture with digging out the source of the smell. Oral signal behavior - barking, howling - is manifested in a dog, as well as in a wolf, to call the leader of the pack when the desired IZ is found.

Sheltering the “victim” during training sessions: 1 - with a ceiling made of poles and boards; 2 - in loose snow, soil with a wooden box;
3 - in the niche of a deep trench covered with snow

Unearthing a source of odor that interests a 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 using the command “Dig!”, combining it, depending on the situation, with a voice. When developing this skill, a favorite retrieval object or large bone is buried to a depth of 15–20 cm, and the trainer, tearing it apart 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 verbal command. Sometimes the trainer has to take the dog’s paws in his hands and, while digging with them, repeat “Dig!”, “Good!”. The dog is rewarded for energetic digging, but gnawing or carrying the found object is not allowed. 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 while simultaneously uttering a voice, an object with a smell familiar to the dog is replaced with other, unfamiliar ones.

At the final stage of training, the entire complex of search - digging - voice skills developed in the dog is brought to automatic unity, that is, they merge into a single complex search skill. To achieve this, during training you need to gradually add the following techniques to the one familiar to the dog (familiar to it separately) and repeat them many times in a strictly defined sequence. So, to develop the above complex, the corresponding commands are “Look!”, “Dig!”, “Voice!” Always and everywhere 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 command “Look!” In psychophysiology this is called a chain conditioned reflex. The addition of each subsequent technique to the initial ones should not be done at the stage of developing the initial skill, but only after it has been firmly consolidated. Developing a complex skill of search work in a dog is possible only with strict adherence to the basic principles of training: consistency, regularity, consistency, gradual transition from simple to complex.

One of the types of dog training that stimulates and diversifies everyday activities is competitions: which dog finds the IZ faster, which one makes the alert and eyeliner more clearly. Only regular training preserves all acquired skills and improves them.

Principles of training

Systematicity is the establishment of a certain order based on the systematic arrangement and mutual connection of its parts, which may not be close in essence. Consistency ensures that the most difficult work is completed, turning the “off-road” into a “road” convenient for progress. Depending on the chosen direction, systems may vary.

The training system for a specific PSS dog consists of using this book and others to create your own training system - taking into account your specific conditions, your personal abilities, and the individuality of your dog. Everything should be “laid out on shelves” 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 removes it from the shelf.

Regularity - uniform and correct execution of actions in time: feeding, educational activities, training, etc. Any healthy body both dogs and humans without clockwise, subconsciously and due to the phenomenon of biorhythm, strive for regularity in their life activity. It ensures health and maximum activity. The results of training sessions and training 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 “Look - dig - voice - lead” should be strictly applied in all training sessions and training sessions. The continuous succession 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 skill 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 gradual transition from simple to complex, both qualitatively and quantitatively, is known to everyone from the example of personal study of mathematics, playing volleyball or walking with a backpack.

A clear understanding and practical use of the “laws” of the 1st and 2nd signal systems helps to avoid mistakes when preparing and working with PSS dogs. This also gets rid of the disturbing 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. The entire surrounding world is perceived by the brain in the form of signals, captured either directly by the senses as sensations of shape, smell, sound - 1st signal system, or through the sign system of written language - 2nd signal system.

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

When developing PSS skills in dogs, a command is simultaneously given with a voice and a gesture, which is more understandable to the dog as a “common” - non-verbal language. A command only by voice is a purely conventional sound combination, incomprehensible even to a person who does not know the given language. It happens that you teach a dog to perform a technique on command with a gesture later, using 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 can be seen in the example of teaching a dog to work using gestures when controlling its behavior at a distance. Area search skills are developed according to the principle of forming 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 “integration”.

Eyeliner to the found source of odor is the final stage dog training according to the club program. It consists of the dog, having discovered the IZ, vocalize three times, then, running up to the trainer located at a distance, vocalize again and at the command “Lead!” led him to his location. The method for developing this complex skill (2nd order reflex) is as follows. The trainer holds the dog on a long leash at the start. In full view of them, the assistant moves away 10–12 m and hides. The trainer with the command “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 command with a leash. Returning to the trainer, the dog raises its voice again. The trainer shortens the leash and gives the command “Look!” - “Lead!” and follows the dog. This is repeated until the dog gives one command “Lead!”. Having brought the trainer to the assistant, the dog receives a treat. This completes the complex search skill of 4 techniques: search - digging - voice - eyeliner.

Training sessions in preparation for testing should be carried out in areas with rough terrain. The more rugged it is, the more complex the movement of air currents on the surface. Training with human burial is carried out according to the following method. After selecting the belongings of an assistant unfamiliar to the dog, who will later be the “victim,” the trainer and the dog retire to a shelter that excludes visibility of the area. At this time, the “victim” enters the area from one of the side boundaries no closer than 20 m from the start and buries two of his things to the test depth at a distance of 20–30 m from each other.

The snow (soil) is slightly compacted. As distracting smells, 2 “false burials” and loops of traces of the second assistant are made at a distance of 5-10 m from the buried things. Then, at the end of the area, the second assistant buries the “victim.” 2-3 more “false digs” are made nearby.

The trainer and the dog go to the start. At the instructor’s signal, he unfastens the leash and sends the dog with the command “Look!” to search. The trainer himself follows the dog 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 boundaries of the site, he attracts its attention with a nickname and directs the further search with a command and gesture. The dog must begin searching in zigzag parallels with a distance of 5–7 m between them and show the ability to work as a “shuttle” near the start. In the future, if she picked up the smell with her upper sense, then she can, stopping the “shuttle”, rush straight to it. When the “victim” and his things are found, she must, starting to dig, give a voice three times and bring the trainer to them. Complete excavation of all IZs is done by the trainer with a shovel. The dogs themselves are tested in the same way to receive a diploma in the club’s special PSS course.

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 the skill.

2. A long session with the dog in the same area, as a result of which the dog, having become accustomed to it, is poorly oriented and searches in a new, unfamiliar area.

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

4. Frequently pointing the dog to the source of the smell, that is, unnecessary hints that are necessary only in the first lessons.

5. Excessive restraint of the dog with a leash to maintain the correct zigzags of the “shuttle” search. Frequently pushing the dog and mistrusting its instincts.

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

7. Burying unworn assistants’ underwear as belongings or those that have been used in classes for a long time and have lost their smell.

8. Violation of the sequence of commands when developing the complex search skill “Search - dig - voice - lead.”

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

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

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

"Switching" sequence.

1. Trainer with a dog in a shelter. After camouflaging 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 and an unfamiliar one are camouflaged in a nearby area in the same trench. The trainer lets the dog search, and it finds both assistants by the familiar scent of one of them.

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

5. After the dog can easily find one unfamiliar helper in various places area, new unfamiliar people and things with their smell are camouflaged and buried by the dog.

Due to the fact that the smell of a person differs from his smell on things, dogs, easily differentiating them, often prefer to find first the person and then his things without any training. In order for dogs to always and everywhere find the person himself first, without paying attention to things with his smell, the following method of step-by-step training is recommended. They use the dog's attachment to the trainer - a powerful 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 hands the dog over to an assistant and, moving along the middle of the training area, in full view of the dog, scatters several objects left and right. He excites the dog by pronouncing its name, then hides at a distance of 25–30 meters from the start. The assistant gives the command “Look!”, 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 trainer scattering objects or burying him. At this and subsequent stages, people enter the site from its rear or sides. This complicates the dog’s search, since it cannot follow the scent trail from the start.

3rd stage. After the dog has acquired the skill of finding a person first, the assistant and the trainer are buried together.

4th stage. Instead of an assistant, a person unfamiliar to the dog buries, then 2 strangers. Objects with a distracting trainer scent are scattered around the area, which the dog finds only after strangers.

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

To train and train each dog to find a “stranger”, a large number of extras are required, the smell of which is unknown to the dog. The same extra can be used no more than 3 times with weekly breaks.

Features of behavior

Among the dogs selected for training in the PSS course, there is a wide variety of types of GNI, behavioral reactions, and individual characteristics. In dogs with a predominant food reaction behavior, the initial search skill can be developed only with the help of reinforcement with a treat after each discovery of the source of the odor. Over time, their orienting-search behavior usually awakens. It is better to conduct classes with a hungry dog; the treat is given in small pieces. At the first stage of training, all search actions are reinforced; at the second, with the strengthening of the conditioned reflex, only individual ones are reinforced, which the dog performs clearly, without errors.

In life, purely expressed types of behavior are rarely encountered; usually they are mixed. There have been cases where dogs with feeding behavior on the plains in the mountains clearly showed indicative-search behavior. After lowering them down, behavioral reactions alternated.

For training dogs with a predominant orienting reaction, the imitative method gives good results. Inhibition of stimuli that distract the dog during exercise is developed through gradual habituation to them. Classes begin in a closed area with no distractions. As conditioned reflexes develop, the manifestation of indicative reflexes weakens. In response to stimuli above the threshold - in strength or duration - extreme inhibition occurs in the dog’s central nervous system, protecting the nerve centers from overexcitation.

During orienting-search behavior with visual expression, dogs are distracted by moving objects - cars, livestock and other distractions from work by smell. Initial training with such dogs should be carried out in desert areas, in the dark, gradually teaching them not to react to moving objects.

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

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

Special course in rescue services

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

If the dog has not yet been trained to bring a thrown object to the command “Fetch!”, it should not be taught this, since in the future, when searching the area, it should not bring what it found, but only notify about the find by barking. To develop this skill, when the dog finds a retrieval object, you need to run up to it, sit it down and, waving the found object in front of its nose, call for a voice. When training to search an area, it is very important for PSS dogs to have the skill of “sending” it in the right direction at 15–20 meters on the command “Forward!”, “Search!” and the gesture of a thrown hand.

Some dogs have difficulty developing fetch, however, their search abilities can significantly exceed good “fetchers”. In fact, the search for victims over a wide area is based on the orienting search instinct of the dog’s wild ancestors to look for food for sustenance. The trainer must skillfully direct this behavior towards finding people, giving freedom to instinct and natural abilities dogs. This is the main difficulty in training PSS dogs - to make maximum use of the instinct, without at the same time losing control of their search. Dogs of the orienting-search type of behavior do not need food reinforcement when finding an IZ.

Shuttle search helps PSS dogs not only to detect with the upper sense of the victim in the air flow and with the lower sense during a “thorough search”. It makes it possible to use the headwind at different angles, which makes it much easier to find the IZ. Depending on the individual characteristics For dogs, the “shuttle” search skill, in addition to fetching, can be developed in other ways. For example, with a lethargic or overly excitable dog that is 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 towards 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 “shuttle” in the opposite direction, again calling him to him. The dog catches up with him again and overtakes him, etc.

An option for teaching “retrieving” without an assistant and a leash is that the trainer, in full view of the dog, throws the retrieving object 10–12 meters and, after a short wait, sends it out to search. When the dog finds an object, he gives the command “Voice!” from a distance, then calls it - again “Voice!” and, having given the commands “Look!”, “Lead!”, follows her to her location. For dogs with a defect in vocalization, but with good search abilities, notification of the found source of odor and guidance to it is done using a pointer wear, which is suspended on its collar.

With all of the above and other options for developing search skills, the main attention is paid to the dog’s interest in finding. Training in its search in the rescue services is carried out not after OKD, but from the very first days of classes and continues in parallel with it until testing. If within 3–5 days the dog has not shown interest in finding the IZ, it means that 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 those working, which makes it possible to use an imitative training method, which is especially effective for young dogs. This 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 an emergency zone.

From many years of practice it follows that it is most advisable to use underwear with a certain strength of odor for burial as a source of odor and conduct half of all classes on it. An underwear shirt or trousers worn for at least 24 hours are called “standard tucks.” When the wearer performs intense 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 of three “standard burrows” with different scents by each trainer allows for constant variety of tasks for the dogs. For example, four trainers of one team, exchanging burrows, give each dog the opportunity to work with twelve different odors in one lesson. If necessary, you can exchange digs between teams.

Techniques significantly save time for large group training sessions. A convenient way to scatter burials over a large area from the back of a truck. The tracks from the wheels do not leave a scent trail and serve as a noticeable boundary between the training areas of each team and crew. To throw over long distances, mechanical ejection is used.

For stationary training grounds and parade grounds, V.K.’s method has proven itself well. Karpova. Along it, an extensive network of covered trenches is being constructed at the training ground. Their dead-end compartments, located at different depths, have holes with a diameter of 10–15 cm, which go to the surface of the earth and are closed with gratings. Over the holes there are rubbles of “ruins”, “forests”, etc. Assistants in the role of “victims” penetrate into dead-end compartments and regulate the release of their smell according to what is planned for each team, each calculation. Debris on the surface and dead-end compartments change for a change of scenery. This method saves precious training time and allows the dog to work on untracked terrain.

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

Not a single search and rescue event is complete without signal flares, so the dog should be gradually accustomed to sharp sounds from an early age, starting with clapping and rattling. Later, take her for walks near shooting ranges and shooting ranges. During artillery shots, for example shelling avalanche slopes, dogs should be removed at a distance along with handlers who distract them with games and various techniques. One of them is that the handler, sitting on the ground, hides the dog's head under his arm and approves of its behavior with a caress and a 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 gun shots is a habit developed in phylogenesis, 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 make it easier to find them in the fire zone, but makes it more difficult, since burns to the paws and other parts of the body will be a cruel lesson for life. The usual caution of dogs towards the fire of a fire (from phylogeny) does not alleviate 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, fire 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 next to the handler, both on a leash and without it.

Finding themselves in a smoke-filled fire for the first time in their lives, even seasoned, experienced dogs will refuse to work or will soon fail after ingesting smoke. Young and excitable - in the heat of the moment they will singe the fur, burn their paws, after which they will be afraid of the smell of smoke for a long time. The basis for 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, smoke in the areas should be minimal, and, gradually increasing it, it is brought closer to the level of smoke in a “real situation” only after 2–3 months. Smoke from burning material containing toxic chemical compounds can poison not only the dog, but also the handler. Smoke, even without toxic impurities (wood, straw), is a strong distracting irritant for the dog, making it difficult to find the “victims”. For these reasons, training in a smoky area should be carried out in compliance with following rules:

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

2. To avoid getting into the area of ​​thick smoke and getting burned, young, highly excitable dogs are taken on a leash for searching.

3. From the very first training, dogs should be taught to avoid strong streams of smoke, go around them and take the smell from the side or wait out the “smoke wave”.

4. If a dog gets into an area of ​​thick smoke and starts sneezing, it will not be able to detect even a strong source of the smell. To restore her sense of smell, she is taken out of the smoky area and walked in clean air.

The same respite and calm are given to the dog when it is overexcited by any strong stimuli - sound, light, etc. When a dog’s neuropsychic balance is disturbed, its sense of smell and search become noticeably weakened.

An injured bleeding victim will smell differently than a normal human, which can be confusing and confusing to a dog if it is meeting him for the first time. Dogs react to human blood in much the same way as to animal blood, so in classes it is quite possible to use blood taken, for example, from a slaughterhouse. During search sessions with this new scent for the dog, the assistant handler pins a rag soaked in the blood of pets to his clothing. It must be soaked at least 2 hours before classes in order for certain blood to occur, as in a real situation. chemical reactions. In these classes, the handler carefully observes the change in behavior of the dog that detects the scent of a person with blood. Under no circumstances should a dog be allowed to lick a rag with blood while there is a helper.

Mountain training

The quality of work of PSS dogs is significantly reduced on terrain that is unusual for them and in other unusual conditions. Therefore, training for dogs of classes “B” and “C” should also include mountain training. Most simple method This training involves the dog accompanying the trainer on mountain routes of varying difficulty with strict adherence to the rules of movement in the mountains. On moderately difficult terrain, the dog chooses the best path itself. On difficult and dangerous ones, where a breakdown leads to a fall, she takes belay.

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” under their feet, many of them experience fear and hostility. The most unpleasant for both the handler and the dog are medium screes, with rocks swinging underfoot and cracks in which young and excitable dogs break their legs. An easier technique for practicing in such areas is the use of microburrows.

Melting porous firn and snow, even on steep slopes, present no difficulty for dogs. On steep ice slopes, dogs’ paws are not supported, and they are transported by guides along rope “railings” and in a backpack, as if through cracks. It is worthy of attention that old, experienced PSS dogs have, like many animals in the highlands, an amazing sense of detecting dangers “hidden” from humans - cracks dusted with snow, snow cornices ready to collapse, etc. This ability, not yet explained by science, should be given attention attention.

Dogs cross mountain streams waist-deep by swimming or jumping from rock to rock. Most dogs can swim from birth, but not all can swim for long periods of time. Training in water is usually done by repeatedly throwing retrieval objects into it. Dogs' dislike of water is always associated with negative emotions experienced at an early age - usually when, in order to “teach them to swim,” they were forcibly thrown into a pond. You can get rid of this shortcoming only through gradual training with food reinforcement and association with pleasant things - playing and swimming with the trainer, who must always swim so as to see the dog.

Bad influence altitudes above sea level due to decreased atmospheric pressure and lack of oxygen are overcome, as in humans, by gradual acclimatization and training at various altitudes. Behavior in high altitudes varies from dog to dog. Thus, one of our dogs, which was not distinguished by either 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 higher than 4500 m. The critical altitude is 4000 m above sea level, above which most dogs lose their appetite, become lethargic or, conversely, excitable. With proper acclimatization - gradual adaptation of the body to new climatic conditions - dogs perform search and other techniques completely normally at an altitude of 5000 m.

Training

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 maintain working form and 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 irregular and unsystematic performance of any exercises not only does not improve the dog’s skill, but often causes a negative attitude towards both training and work.

Dog training should be carried out strictly according to plan, 2-3 times a week, with full training, but without overworking with long and monotonous exercises, which “discourage interest” and lead to illness nervous system- neuroses. Burying a person in snow to a depth of more than 2 meters is carried out in deep trenches in an avalanche or snow drift. A specific aspect of search training is the dog’s love not only for its handler, but for people in general. A good search dog, having found and dug up a person unfamiliar to it, squeals and jumps for joy. Such dog behavior as “good behavior” should be encouraged not only by exclamations of “Good!” and delicacy, but also the manifestation of the same joy by the conductor himself and his assistant.

In terms of training with “full equipment” they alternate with “incomplete”, “not enough”, difficult ones - “preliminary burying” of objects - with easy ones with assistants. This alternation of loads makes the dog constantly look forward to the next activity with joy and impatience.

During rescue operations in difficult weather conditions, when the victim is at great depth, detection of his scent is difficult; dogs must be able to do, in addition to the “primary” search without a leash, a “thorough” search on a long leash using a “shuttle” or other methods. The advantage of the first type of search is the examination of a large area in a short time and the quick finding of a 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 handler, who can detect small, almost odorless objects (a coin, a button) on the surface that help find the victim. During a “thorough” search, the handler leads the dog to the boundaries of the marked area, which it cannot determine on its own. Training in this search 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, guiding the search, and not restrict its freedom. Good learning result search work provides a preliminary study of various techniques in a “laboratory search”.

Classes should not be conducted in areas contaminated with sharp objects. 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 runoff, etc. If dogs are not prepared for such work, then from the very first steps, having cut their paws, not only will they not be able to find the victim, but will generally be out of action for a long time. Therefore, several special training sessions should be carried out in these areas. In the curriculum, time is allocated for them when burying cannot be done - lack of snow, frozen ground. Construction dumps, areas of demolished buildings, etc. are used as a training ground. The sources of the smell are both people and various digs that are hidden under slabs, pieces of iron, and plywood. Dogs must work in durable shoe covers. Under no circumstances is the dog allowed to dig, for which purpose the handler, following it at the closest possible distance, always does this work himself when attempting 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 icy crust forms on the ceiling of the snow niche - the “air storage room”, blocking the release of the smell, which must be periodically scraped off.

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 PSS dogs, dividing them into “avalanche” and “ruin” dogs.

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

Training dogs of any class is not limited to physical and technical exercises - mental training forms its organic whole. Search in “terrible” terrain areas; blizzard, rain, hurricane; thunder, lightning and fires; artillery shelling, the roar of destruction and the screams of victims - the dog must be accustomed to all this.

The rules of training and education are just the “ABC”, which each trainer supplements and uses taking into account the characteristics of his dog and the region where these classes take place.

Education and training rules:

1. Establish the strongest contact with the dog based on 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, a future “calculation”.

2. Engage only with completely healthy dog in working form. 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, a treat is given throughout the entire 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 performing “unloved” techniques with “favorite” ones.

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 useful actions which they were not taught. Excessive commands from the trainer make the dog lack initiative.

7. The merging (complexing) of the techniques “search - digging - casting a voice - eyeliner” should always and everywhere be carried out in a strictly defined sequence. Only in this way do individual techniques form a single chain and are performed by the dog automatically in unison after multiple repetitions.

8. Develop and constantly maintain the dog’s interest in finding the source of the smell. Searching on difficult terrain and in difficult weather conditions simply by following a command does not bring results.

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

9. Systematically change the place of study, 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, by exclaiming “Good!”, expressing joy, affection, and play.

The types and types of searches that are given below are very conventional and schematic. They are only the basis for a creative decision made in each specific situation of a real search, their combinations, but not a permanent template. With a PSS dog, you can perform 2 types of search: “primary” - always without a leash, and “thorough” - usually on a long leash or without it, keeping the dog at a distance of no more than 10 m. During rescue operations, through these types of search, a handler with a dog can do 4 types of area surveys, usually performed in the same sequence in which they are listed.

1. “Preliminary examination” is done by dogs of the “primary” type during reconnaissance, when the handlers only outline zones “A” and “B”, or the direction of the “corridors”. His goal is to survey the largest area in the shortest possible time. With it, the dog is given the command “Look!”, and the handler, while inspecting the surface, does not direct its search. The dog, taking advantage of complete freedom (freedom reflex), searches the area in the direction it desires. This type of examination is also used at crossings, when there is an assumption that victims may be on the route or there is no certainty at all where to look for them.

2. The “basic examination” is also carried out by the “primary” species, but the handler already leads the search, at the same time not hampering the dog’s initiative. It is usually used when the search is done over more certain area or the intended "corridor". “Basic examination” is the most common type of work performed by PSS dogs. The handler controls the search for the dog with the command “Search!” and a gesture of throwing out the hand in the right direction. It encourages the dog, taking into account the direction of the wind, to search in zigzags or along other lines.

3. “Detailed survey” is the most thorough of the types mentioned, which is always carried out by a “thorough” search along zigzag lines (shuttle) or other lines. His goal is to inspect the area so as to be sure that there are no casualties there. When working with young, excitable dogs, always use a long leash. For balanced, experienced dogs, class “B” and “C”, there is usually no need for this - the handler leads the search with the command “Look!” and a gesture of throwing out the hand. In suspicious places, he encourages the dog to dig with 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” survey did not bring results, but there is reason to believe that there are victims in the given area. It happens that the dog searching here could not find them because the burial was too deep, difficult weather conditions, its individual characteristics, the handler’s mistakes and other reasons. In this most difficult type of examination, depending on the situation, all of the above types can be used in their various combinations. This work is performed by another, more experienced handler and the best dog, usually in a slightly modified direction of the previous search. A “re-examination” can be carried out by the same handler with the dog, passing the area they have already examined in the opposite direction.

Search technique

Regardless of how the dogs are delivered to the disaster site, they are given a 10-minute rest, during which a plan and tactics for search and rescue operations are outlined. The dogs are given a walk, plenty to drink and 100-200 g of meat or fish if they received food long before going out. During the search, the dog should not be hungry, but it should also not be fed to its fullest. The main feeding is done after work, in the evening. A small portion of food stimulates its nervous activity and puts the body into working shape. During this holiday Airways dogs are cleaned of dust, exhaust fumes and other road odors. After this, they are put on harnesses and protective shoe covers on their paws. The conductors wear durable shoes that protect against burns and injuries, a protective helmet, and gloves.

In dogs of the choleric type, VND does not allow the dominance of the excitation process, which interferes with the work of the dogs themselves and their control. A skilled handler regulates the activity of the dog’s central nervous system with his expression of will and intonation.

The duration of work of PSS dogs without rest depends on many factors, including the fitness class 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 handler, etc. There are cases when dogs worked for 8 or more hours without rest. Usually, a break is required after every hour of work to clean the nose, paws and fur, get a drink, etc. When working in the ruins of residential buildings, dogs may adapt to household odors.

The famous climber and mountain rescuer of Czechoslovakia I. Galfi spoke about this side of the matter as follows: “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 it seems especially relevant to train PSS dogs directly in areas prone to earthquakes and avalanches.

The main reasons for sluggish search by dogs are the following:

Poor health of the dog (general or olfactory organs);

Overfatigue during transportation and work;

“unwillingness” of the dog to work (psychogenic breakdown);

Unfavorable weather conditions (frost, heat);

Blocking odor from reaching the surface (wet snow, etc.);

Excessive smoke, air pollution with other harmful impurities;

Carrying away odor information by hurricane winds;

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 of animals trained according to my method (40 years of experience). M., 1924.

Pavlov I.P. Twenty years of experience in objectively studying the GNI of animals. M., 1923.

Another hunting name for this technique is “pork”. In service dog breeding, the official expression “to encourage” is used instead. The accurate, expressive language of hunters is very suitable for PSS, clearly expressing the subtleties of the dogs’ work: “restlessness, staying too long, viscosity, crawling,” etc.

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

The name was adopted at the All-Union gatherings of rescue dog handlers to replace the previously used “rude”.

Good afternoon reader, not so long ago we came to the conclusion that on our portal there is absolutely no information dedicated to our smaller brothers, rescue dogs.

Yes, it is they, the four-legged companions of the rescuer and the hope of the person in need of their help. Usually people call such heroes like this: “ Dogs of the Ministry of Emergency Situations“, “Rescue dogs” and other names, dogs would be more correct “ Search and canine service“

Back in 1996, on June 20, an order was signed and issued to create a search canine service of the “Tsentrospas” detachment; since that time, dogs have taken part in any rescue operations that require finding victims. The development of this service began rapidly. At the time of writing, four-legged fighters have already saved more than 1,800 victims.

Rescue dog, who is it?

When we talk about rescuers, we imagine strong men in full technical equipment, but dogs don’t have that; their main “weapons” against them are their nose and sense of smell. Thanks to a good sense of smell, the dog will lead its owner to the site of a rubble where a person may be, or help a rescue team find people lost in the forest.

Almost every day for such a dog begins with training in the form of a game, because training and education are the basis for a successful operation to search for victims. For example, they go with a dog to a place that is initially unfamiliar to it (an abandoned construction site, quarries, factories, a forest) and hide from it. The four-legged friend's task is to find you; if he does this, he will receive a reward in the form of a treat or a toy. It is worth noting that each dog (several dogs) has its own owner, who trains and raises the pet from puppyhood.

Let's figure out what breeds of rescue dogs there are and their place of service.

Dogs of the following breeds serve in the structures of the Ministry of Emergency Situations:

• labradors
• shepherd dogs
• spaniels
• terriers
• pit bulls
• ridgebacks
• Rottweilers
• giant schnauzers
• likes
• staffordshire terrier
• fox terriers and even spitz dogs.

Dog calculations are divided into:

1. Mine detection service
2. Mountain avalanche service
3. Search for bodies of the dead
4. Search and rescue service
5. Water rescue service
6. Searching for victims using scent trails

At the time of writing, the search and canine service of Russia includes 470 canine teams, including volunteers. It is worth noting that Russia has one of the highest levels of dog training.

Taking into account the fact that canine training cannot be ensured by systematic work, but young dogs and new participants require long, painstaking training, the situation with the involvement of dedicated volunteers suits everyone. When volunteers require specific assistance, specialists help with training, such as safety measures. As a result, competently operating groups are obtained, from which the groups in Moscow and the region, Kaliningrad, Kazan, and Crimea generally stand out. The nicknames of individual dogs and their trainers - outstanding experts in their field - are well known. This is Labrador Irga and dog handler Mikhail Tipukhov from Stavropol, winners of the “Constellation of Courage” competition in 2015, recognized as “Best dog handler of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia” Irina Fedotkina and her pupil Belgian Shepherd Farta is from Kazan, they have over 300 effectively carried out rescue operations, first class rescuer Alexey Bochkarev and his Labrador retriever Bernie (a veteran of their field) from Moscow, they distinguished themselves during rescue operations in Beslan and other places. And how many names have not yet been named!

Dogs rescue people injured in man-made disasters, search for missing mushroom pickers, on duty at beaches and stations of the State Inspectorate for Small Vessels and in other hot spots.

Since its existence, canine teams of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation have taken part in a huge number of rescue operations:

• they found mines in places of military operations, such as Croatia, Kosovo, and the Chechen Republic;
• they saved people in Neftegorsk (Sakhalin, 1995) after earthquakes;
• 1999 was a time of massive disasters that occurred in Turkey, Greece, Taiwan, Colombia, Russia (terrorist attacks);
• they found victims of the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka and so on.

Dog handlers say that medals, unfortunately, are not awarded to the brave and smart dogs. But the realization that they are helping their owner is above all else for them.

Basic skills taught to rescue dogs

• Socialization (benevolent attitude towards others)
• Obedience
• Agreeableness
• Strong constitution (not for all breeds)
• Endurance
• Do not be afraid of an aggressive external environment (frost, wind, rain)
• Psychological preparation (the dog during the task, nothing should distract)

All these qualities are determined by special tests that are carried out with a puppy at the age of 3 months!

How do you know that a puppy can and has the talent to rescue?

Probably it’s like with people, from birth a dog should be born a rescuer. You shouldn’t forget about the physical and psychological qualities of your pet. If a puppy has been very active since childhood, loves to play, and is always interested in something new, these are good signs.

With further training, it will be easier to instill search skills in a playful way. It is worth noting that for a dog, the realization that it has saved a person comes only with the first real case. The rest is just a game. When it is not possible to smell a person (heavy smoke, construction dust, other foreign odors), the dog’s preparation plays an important role.

Reference:

1. It takes up to 1.5 years to train a four-legged specialist. The form of training is game. Pet training begins at 6 months; the dog can pass its first qualifying tests no earlier than its age reaches 1 year.

1. Rescue dogs are used in different situations: search for dangerous explosive devices in mined areas, search for victims of rubble, avalanches, landslides.

1. The four-legged pet works only in pairs with its dog handler. This is called canine calculation. The owner understands his pet well, conducts classes with him and can help him adapt to different conditions, such as flying by plane, helicopter, or staying in mountainous areas for a long time.

It is impossible to imagine how human history would have developed if we had not had a dog - a loyal, brave, intelligent and strong friend. For thousands of years they have guarded and protected, helped in hunting and transported goods. They are the ears and eyes of those who need it. And if trouble comes, rescue dogs do everything to save the life of a stranger at any cost.

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

Main tasks search dog- find a person and indicate the find by barking or taking a special “diarrhea” in your teeth. The dog cannot bandage wounds or perform artificial respiration. In very rare cases, she is able to get the victim out from under a pile of stones. To help, even the most dexterous and strong dog The rescuer herself needs human help. Therefore, a keen sense of smell, physical endurance and passion for work are not the only requirements. The dog must be mentally stable - not be distracted by noise and other extraneous stimuli, good-natured - not frighten the person it finds, not rush at strangers (medics, other rescuers, their “colleagues”). Therefore, there is no strict framework regarding what breed rescue dogs should be. The main thing is that the dog has all the qualities necessary for such complex work: endurance in every sense, acute hearing and scent, obedient disposition, the ability to concentrate on the task at hand and act independently if such a need arises.

A rescue dog is not just a profession, it is a noble cause to which the animal and its owner must devote a lot of time and effort. At the same time, the four-legged heroes simply do their job, without even suspecting that if it weren’t for them, there would be many more broken destinies, destroyed families and cut short lives in the world!

The world is not safe for humans. Accidents, natural disasters and catastrophes occur with alarming regularity, sometimes leading to loss of life. It is difficult to find a person buried under an avalanche or a collapsed building. It is even more difficult to do this so quickly that the victim does not suffocate, is crushed, or dies from blood loss. A specially trained rescue dog can quickly find a victim under multi-ton rubble.

Dogs helped rescue people in trouble many hundreds of years ago. A drawing was found in the Pamir Mountains depicting a dog saving a man; The age of the drawing is about one and a half thousand years.

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

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

Even in the very first wars, dogs served as sentries, messengers and scouts. Later they brought in ammunition, medicine and telephone cable, located the mines and found the wounded. During the First World War, gas masks were worn on dogs. And modern armies prefer to use dogs for service. German shepherds, collies, Dobermans and Rottweilers serve in different armies. Dogs with white coloring are not taken for this role, since they are easier for the enemy to notice.

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

During the war years, a nurse dog named Mukhtar rescued more than 400 wounded soldiers from the battlefields. The shepherd Dina was trained in sabotage and completed a course to destroy enemy tanks. During the days of the defense of Leningrad, the Nazis reported that “the Russians released mad dogs" In the famous “rail war” in Belarus, Dina derailed an entire train by dragging explosives directly under the wheels of a steam locomotive. The collie dog Dick was trained in mine detection. In his personal file there was the following entry: “Called up for service from Leningrad. During the war years, he discovered more than 12 thousand mines, took part in demining Stalingrad, Lisichansk, Prague and other cities.” But Dick accomplished his main feat in Pavlovsk. He discovered a two and a half ton landmine in the foundation of an ancient palace, clocked by a clockwork mechanism, an hour before the explosion. After the war, Dick participated in many exhibitions. He died of old age and was buried with full military honors, as befits a hero.

The search and rescue dog service was created in Russia in 1972, and one of the world's best methods for training rescue dogs was developed.

Recently, more and more advanced technology has come to the aid of rescuers, but a dog’s nose is still indispensable for finding people under rubble or avalanches - after all, it is able to distinguish a smell dissolved in the air in a ratio of one to ten million! One rescue dog saves the work of dozens of people. After all, in a dog’s nose there are 500 million cells capable of capturing smell, while in a human nose there are only 10-20 million. Therefore, the most modern devices cannot replace a dog’s nose and ear.

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

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

Many people are interested in the question - what breeds are the best rescue dogs? There are certain working qualities that a rescue dog must have. First of all, it is controllability, physical strength (needed to overcome obstacles), and, of course, excellent instincts. Initially, she should have a loyal, non-aggressive reaction to people. In general, anger is a sign of cowardice; a dog fit for service must be confident and calm. Also, when selecting candidates, attention is paid to the dog’s ability to withstand the climate in which it will have to work. Having collected statistics from all over the world, dog experts have identified the top five most capable dog breeds.

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

Dobermans are very active dogs that are capable of fighting tooth and nail for their owner.

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

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

The second position is occupied by Poodles. They are capable not only of jumping and performing various tricks in the circus, but they can also be good observers and serve in the rescue service. Poodles swim well and are ready to save a drowning person. Of course, there are a huge variety of poodles, both small and large, beautiful and not so beautiful, but they are all excellent companions and guards.

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

They remember rules of behavior very easily, easily learn commands, are friendly and simply adore children. Overall, this is a unique dog that can be widely used - from a guard dog to a nanny, or simply as a pet with good mental abilities.

Even very good innate qualities of a dog can fully manifest themselves only with proper upbringing and initial training from puppyhood. The growth and development of the animal body occurs more intensively in the spring and summer.

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

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

• * interest and persistence in finding the source of human odor;
• * courage in overcoming natural obstacles;
• * activity at work;
• * sense of orientation in unfamiliar areas;
• * indifferent attitude towards wild and domestic animals;
• * unpretentiousness to food and maintenance;
• * ability to work at any time of the day, in difficult weather conditions.

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

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

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

To develop sense of smell: during daily walks, let the dog off the leash; do not interfere with sniffing various objects, except for sewage; camouflage and bury retrieval items.

Every morning, do a 20-30 minute cross-country run with your dog. During it, the dog is sent at least 20 times for a far-thrown retrieval object, which gives it the opportunity to run during this time a distance 5 times greater than the trainer will run. This is an excellent exercise for the whole body. In the future, the dog is taught not to bring the object, not to run with it, but, having raised its voice, to return to the trainer.

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

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

All means of physical development and hardening of a young dog’s body should be used so that there is no physical overload and hypothermia, which can cause various diseases. Caution must also be exercised during mental stress. Overloads lead to disruption of nervous activity and neuroses. The methods and techniques for training a young dog using OKD, scent sampling, and searching the area are generally accepted.

Training the dog not to show an aggressive attitude towards domestic and wild animals is important both for work and for keeping the dog itself. This must be taught from puppyhood, since it is almost impossible to wean a dog with a “manifested” instinct to pursue a fleeing animal from this. Due to its instinct, a dog cannot avoid reacting at all to animals that are a strong odor and visual irritant. It is enough that, having sniffed him at a distance, she immediately turned away from him and approached the trainer when called.

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

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

Suppression of the pursuit of cats and game is carried out using the same methods: distraction, physical influence, encouragement when approaching the trainer. Under no circumstances should you punish a dog after it has run after the animal and returned to the trainer on its own.

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

• 1. With the same size of plot and the same consumption of mesh for the enclosure, each dog receives 3-5 times more “living space”.
• 2. Living together, they do not get bored, frolic, play (especially important for young people), and get used to each other.
• 3. The problem of keeping the dog eliminated when the trainer is away from home for a long time - feeding and care is carried out by another team handler.
• 4. Feeding and care can be carried out alternately by one of the trainers.
• 5. Dogs do not need special walking.
• 6. Puppies in a large enclosure receive excellent conditions for physical development and hardening.
• 7. The enclosure can simultaneously serve as a training ground for young animals; for this purpose, a boom, barriers and other equipment are installed in it.

Inside the enclosure, food is prepared in an insulated hut, food and equipment are stored. For temporary isolation, each dog can be placed in a compartment of the enclosure. This “enclosure-group” type of housing at the rate of 20 m2 for each dog has proven itself in practice in all respects.

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

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

In the morning after a run or walk, when the dog performs several exercises, he is given 2-3 dry foods or crackers to “awaken the stomach.” Lunch after classes is 40% of the daily ration, dinner is 60%. A good trainer eats at the same time as the dog, near or close to each other so that they can see each other. The norm for daily feeding is such that the bowl is licked clean after it, a well-fed dog would move away from it on its own without asking for more. It is better if the dog is “thin”, because excess weight, as in humans, leads to decreased performance and premature aging.

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

Rejection

To assess suitability adult dog to PSS, the following techniques are used. Over the course of several days, the dog is trained to flawlessly find a retrieval object disguised in grass or snow with the scent of its trainer. Then, in an area measuring 10 x 10 m, an object with the same smell is buried in the ground to the depth of half a shovel bayonet, and in the snow - to the depth of a bayonet. A few meters away from it, for the purpose of distraction, they dig up the surface with a shovel (false digging). If a dog, after several attempts, cannot find the source of the smell, this indicates a defect in its sense of smell - temporary or permanent.

To test hearing at a distance of 5-10 m from the dog, the trainer, approaching and moving away, pronounces its name several times in a whisper. These simplified methods of testing in field conditions allow us to detect the most severe defects in sense of smell and hearing and in no way give their exact assessment in any points.

The dog's motor and vestibular apparatus is checked while it is running, jumping and walking on a log. Often, due to some internal factors (the dog’s ill health) or external factors (distracting stimuli), the dog may not show its true abilities. If, when checking the dog, the trainer has such suspicions, after 3-4 days they do a second check in a changed environment - place, time of day, weather conditions, etc.

There is no culling based on breed. For work, a good “mongrel” is better than purebred ones with pedigrees and medals.

Age and service

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

Interest in life and work creates mental health in both people and animals.

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

Requirements for a trainer

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

The trainer and assistant must have sufficient theoretical training in the field of physiology, psychology, ethology, methods and techniques for training dogs. They must have high moral qualities. A dog's deception, rudeness, lack of will and softness are incompatible with the work of education, training and training. Also incompatible with this work are the two extremes of communicating with a dog - only using “command language” or humanizing the dog and talking to it. In their coordinated work, the methodology - the sequence of introducing and practicing techniques, their duration and the standards of the PSS course - are always inseparable from the technique - the ability in each specific case to influence the dog in developing the necessary skills so that they are developed quickly and held firmly.

Courage, resourcefulness, determination, self-control when training dogs - the mandatory qualities of a trainer and assistant are effective only if you love your four-legged friend, love for their joint noble cause.

The psychogenic impact in an emergency zone on people with physical injuries, those with only mental injuries, and those who arrived after a disaster (rescuers, workers of other services) varies. The psyche of victims of the 2nd group is more disturbed than others. They experience, in addition to the depressing contemplation of crippled people and staggering destruction, a break with the outside world, with life itself. No water, lighting, telephone, radio, television, etc. The lack of definite information about the disaster that occurred, its continuation or cessation is traumatic for the psyche. In predictable disasters, that is, when people learn in advance about the reality of the disaster from the radio, the behavior of animals or from other sources, in response to this, various types of reactions appear, up to a breakdown of nervous activity, neuroses.

The most common mental reactions in the latter case are: fear, confusion, erratic actions, loss of orientation, lack of understanding of the situation, euphoria, spreading panic. In contrast, people of other types of nervous activity exhibit lethargy, passivity, indifference, a state of stupor and numbness.

This “general mental atmosphere” that prevails in the emergency zone has an impact on both handlers and dogs.

Dog equipment and training location

The dog's special equipment includes a standard harness, covered with red material, with pockets with clasps. It serves as a safety belt, to which a safety rope is attached in dangerous places. This harness allows you to see the dog on any terrain from a great distance; deliver notes, medicines, and other small items. It is used to tow a skier and a loaded sled.

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

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

• * 3 plastic bags marked with large numbers, where hairpins of a standard volume (underwear shirt, pants) with different smells are strictly stored; 1st package - the smell of the dog trainer, 2nd package - the smell of a family member or assistant, 3rd package - the smell of a person unfamiliar to the dog;
• * a bag with red flaps for marking the area and centimeter oil tape for precise definition burial depths;
• * a bag of treats for the dog's nutritional reward.

These bags are necessary to preserve the smell of the burials, prevent them from being contaminated by other odors and for hygiene purposes. If you don’t have special tweezers, you can use a wooden flyer to remove and put the buried items into bags. It is also advisable to have cellophane film or an old raincoat that protects from wet snow and soil when buried in extras during training. For burying holes and extras, ordinary bayonet and shovel shovels are quite suitable.

The place for training in a special course, in contrast to the training area, where only a few initial lessons can be conducted, is called a training ground. This is an area with rugged terrain, islands of bushes, groups of trees - all this makes it easier to disguise and bury odor sources, bringing the situation closer to the real one. A dense forest interferes with observation of the actions of the dog and trainer and the natural movement of air. The parade ground must have a shelter from which the digging being done on it is not visible.

In the first half of the training course, an area measuring 30x30 m is allocated for training each dog. From the second half of the course, its size increases to 70x70 m. To ensure that no odors are transferred from one area to another, they are all located in a chain across the main direction of the wind. Thus, the size of the training ground depends on the number of dogs trained on it and, accordingly, the number of sections. A training group must have several parade grounds, since it is impossible to conduct classes on the same one (taking into account the exchange of areas between groups) more than 3 times in a row. Dogs develop the habit of searching only in an area that is familiar to it, and its area is also polluted by distracting odors.

The training ground must meet the following requirements:

• 1) on primary education While searching, he should not be exposed to distractions that interfere with the dog’s development of the initial skill. These include: odors - various types of smoke, car exhaust gases, household waste, etc.; sound - noise from vehicles, railway, people and pets; visual - any moving objects that fall into the dog’s field of vision;
• 2) snow and soil should not be contaminated with sharp objects (glass, iron scraps, etc.), chemicals(mineral fertilizers, industrial waste);
• 3) in mountainous areas, slopes must be safe against rockfalls, mudflows and avalanches.

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

Delivering a dog by car or plane is a strong sound, olfactory, visual irritation, a load on the vestibular apparatus, that is, an overload of all receptors, the entire neuropsychic system. This will simply incapacitate an untrained dog; it will not be able to work. Therefore, PSS dogs must be gradually accustomed to the specified stimuli, and certain rules must be observed during transportation. preventive measures. Delivering a dog on your own is the simplest, cheapest and most reliable option if the distance does not exceed 10 km. A trained dog does not get tired after such a transition, but before the start it must be given a 10-minute break.

When delivered by road, the dog’s sense of smell can be impaired by exhaust gases and the smell of liquid fuel. In the presence of these harmful gases, the dog begins to breathe rapidly, sneeze, and strive for a window or crack, from where clean air enters the cabin. The simplest way To avoid poisoning, give the dog the opportunity to stick his nose out the window. The same should be done when transporting by helicopter, where the dog is also exposed to a strong sound stimulus. The noise from propellers and turbines in air delivery is more impactful during boarding and disembarking than in the aircraft cabin, where dogs tend to be quiet. The dog must be prepared in advance for strong sound stimuli through gradual training. If agitation or depression and cowardice appear, the dog should be distracted by play, a soothing tone, affection and treats.

The greatest danger for a dog is not the stay in any type of transport itself, but the approaches and waits at stations and train stations (the possibility of the dog being poisoned by car exhaust fumes).

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

• 1. Conducting initial search lessons in an area heavily polluted with distracting odors, which makes it difficult to develop the skill.
• 2. A long session with the dog in the same area, as a result of which the dog, having become accustomed to it, is poorly oriented and searches in a new, unfamiliar area.
• 3. The same type of burying of the assistant and objects - at the same distance from each other, in the same places in the training area.
• 4. Frequently pointing the dog to the source of the smell, that is, unnecessary hints that are necessary only in the first lessons.
• 5. Excessive restraint of the dog with a leash to maintain the correct zigzags of the “shuttle” search. Frequently pushing the dog and mistrusting its instincts.
• 6. Using the same assistant and his things in classes, as a result of which the dog gets used to looking only for this familiar smell.
• 7. Burying unworn assistants’ underwear as belongings or those that have been used in classes for a long time and have lost their smell.
• 8. Violation of the sequence of commands when developing the complex search skill “Search - dig - voice - lead.”

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

dog rescue training content

Bibliography

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

WATER RESCUE SERVICE

Published in Vienna in 1994

These rules have been adopted by the international organization IRO (International Recsue Dog Organization). IRO unites national organizations and clubs, whose members are amateur dog breeders ~ on a voluntary basis, train their dogs according to various types rescue services. Dogs that have undergone special training work as guides for the blind, together with mountain rescue teams they come to the aid of travelers buried in avalanches, and search for people buried under the rubble - victims of earthquakes, fires and other disasters.

IRO also unites clubs that train water rescue dogs. If dogs are used for other rescue services different breeds and outbred, then practically one breed is used for water rescue - Newfoundland. This is not only a tribute to a centuries-old tradition, but also the result of worldwide recognition of the unique working qualities of four-legged swimmers.

Water rescue training includes four levels of difficulty. Training begins at the bottom level and ends with passing tests.

Water rescue dog tests (RH-W) can be passed sequentially, according to the course of each subsequent stage, but not earlier than 26 days after the next test, provided the dog reaches the required age.

Age of dogs required to pass the RH-W test

1st stage (A) -- 15 months

2nd stage (B) -- 24 months

3rd stage (C) -- 36 months

Stage 4 (D) -- 37 months

During the test, the trainer can perform with several dogs in succession. A dog can only be controlled by one trainer. The trainer gives short commands to the dog (commands can be given in any language). It is allowed to pronounce the dog's name along with the command.

Bitches in heat are allowed to take the test, but must be isolated from other dogs and are tested last.

Dogs that fail the test are allowed to retake the test after a minimum of six days.

Sick dogs and suspected carriers of infection are removed from testing.

Before the start of the tests and during them, the judge observes the behavior of each dog. He must record any shortcomings he notices in his grade book.

Deviations from normal behavior are considered:

insufficient resistance of the dog to external influences;

inability to cope with challenging testing conditions such as long periods of work, multiple dogs working together, extreme heat or cold, loud noise, etc.;

weakness of the nervous system and associated aggressiveness, malice and associated cowardice, and the like.

Each trainer must have a test book with him, which he hands over to the judge before the start of the test. The instructor writes it down in a book and the judge signs the test results. Test results are expressed in grades and points received for each exercise. In the final calculation of individual scores to determine the score for each individual exercise, fractional numbers are rounded up.

Number of points required for award

ratings, and their percentage expression

RH-W Stages A, B, C, D

Scores: Number of points 300 100%

excellent 300--286 more than 95%

very good 285-270 95-90%

good 269-240 89-80%

satisfactory 239--210 79--70%

not enough 209--110 69--36%

unsatisfactory 109--0 35--0%

The test is considered passed if the dog scores at least 70% of the possible points in each individual exercise.

The test results are entered into an evaluation sheet, which is filled out in four copies. The original is given to the trainer along with the record book.

Copies are sent to:

referent of the national rescue dog training organization;

to a national organization;

trial judge.

Tests may be administered by licensed judges. One judge has the right to judge no more than 30 dogs per day. The judge cannot evaluate the performance of his dog. Overhead costs for judging are determined by the national organization. The judge's decision is final.

The safety of people and dogs must be guaranteed during testing.

Testing dogs for water rescue service.

Stages A, B, C, D(RH-W)

Obedience

The highest score is 50 points.

Moving nearby on a leash 5 points.

Free following next to the trainer

with turns and passage through a group of moving

people, consisting of at least four people 10 points.

The command “Sit!” 5 points.

The command “Lie down!” with a call to the trainer 5 points.

Command "Stop!" with a call to the trainer 5 points.

Importation on land 5 points.

Team "Forward!" 5 points.

Exercising on the command “Lie down!”

(checked individually or in a group) 10 points.

Requirements for performing techniques

At the discretion of the judge, obedience trials may be conducted individually or in a group of a maximum of three dogs. The dog must obey commands quickly and willingly.

To points 1 and 2

Moving side by side on a leash and freely following the trainer is carried out with turns to the right, left, in a circle, as well as changing the pace of movement (slow, normal walking and running). At the direction of the judge, the trainer and his dog walk through the group of people, making at least one stop. People in a group move in different directions. While leading the dog on a leash, the trainer unfastens the leash during the last stop and continues moving. The trainer can call the dog and give commands only at the start and at the moment of changing the pace of movement. During movement, the dog's shoulder is constantly located at the trainer's left knee. For running ahead, lagging behind, deviations of the dog to the sides, as well as uncertain execution of turns by the trainer, points are deducted. Only a dog that is indifferent to distracting external stimuli can receive the highest rating. Aggressive and cowardly dogs are excluded from testing.

To point 3

The trainer leaves the starting point with the dog walking next to him without a leash at his left leg. After walking 10 steps, he gives a command, according to which the dog must quickly sit down, while the trainer follows forward, without turning around or slowing down the pace of movement. After walking 30 steps, the trainer stops and turns to face the dog. At the judge’s signal, the trainer approaches the dog and takes the starting position.

To point 4

The trainer leaves the starting point, the dog moves without a leash at his left leg. After 10 steps, at the command of the trainer, the dog must quickly lie down, while the trainer follows forward, without turning around or slowing down the pace of movement. After walking 30 steps in the same direction, the trainer stops and turns to face the dog. At the judge's signal, the trainer calls the dog to him. The dog must approach willingly and quickly and sit in front of the handler. Then, on command, the dog takes the starting position.

To point 5

The trainer leaves the starting point, the dog moves without a leash at his left leg. After 10 steps, at the command of the trainer, the dog must quickly stop and remain standing in place, and the trainer follows forward, without turning around or slowing down the pace of movement. After walking another 30 steps, the trainer stops and turns to face the dog. If the dog tries to leave the place, points are deducted. At the judge's signal, the trainer calls the dog to him. The dog must approach willingly and quickly and sit in front of the handler. Then, on command, the dog takes the starting position.

To point 6

Importing an object. A dog sitting without a leash next to the trainer must, at the trainer’s command, quickly run up to an object thrown by him at approximately a distance of 10 m, take the object and quickly bring it to the trainer. The dog must come close to the trainer, sit in front of him, hold the object in his teeth for several seconds and, on command, give it to the trainer. Then, on command, the dog takes a place next to the trainer. During the entire time the dog brings and serves the object, the trainer does not leave the starting position.

To point 7

At the judge’s signal, the trainer with the dog following next to him without a leash walks several steps in a certain direction. With a directing hand gesture, the trainer sends the dog forward, while he himself remains standing.

The dog must quickly cover approximately 40 steps in the indicated direction, after which, at the command of the trainer, it immediately lies down. At the direction of the judge, the trainer calls the dog to him, stands to the right of it and the dog, on command, takes the starting position.

To point 8

Before the next dog goes to the start, the trainer puts his dog down with a command, without leaving any object near it. Remaining in the dog's field of vision, the trainer moves away from it about 40 steps, turns to face the dog and remains standing motionless. The dog must lie quietly, without any influence from the trainer, all the time while the other dog is performing exercises 1-7. When testing endurance in a group, distracting influences are applied to the dog. During the 2nd exercise, the trainer joins a group of moving people, after which he independently returns to old place. At the judge’s signal, the trainer approaches the dog, stands to its right, and the dog, on command, takes its starting position. After this, the trainer takes her on a leash.

Stage A(RH-WA)

Stage A consists of the following exercises:

2. Importation from the water

3. Obedience 50 points

General rules

Test rules

Required participants:

judge, shore instructor, motorboat driver.

Required equipment:

1 motor boat, 1 buoy, 2 retrieval items (pieces of floating boat rope with a diameter of 5 cm and a length of 30 cm).

Swimming 200 m

The trainer and the dog get into the boat, which sets off and stops 200 m from the shore. Having given the command, the trainer orders the dog to jump into the water. It is allowed to provide assistance to the dog. The boat is heading towards the shore. The dog should calmly swim to the shore. The trainer can encourage the dog with commands and gestures. The dog should not show signs of fear or fatigue. This exercise evaluates her swimming ability.

Fetching from the water

1. The retrieval object is thrown from the shore. The trainer throws a floating object from the shore into the water at a distance of at least 15 m. After making sure that the object lies calmly on the surface of the water, the trainer sends the dog after it. The dog must swim to the object, take it and deliver it to the trainer along the shortest path. A dog can release an object from its teeth only at the command of the trainer.

2. The retrieving object is thrown from the boat, the dog starts from the shore. The trainer with the dog is in the starting position on the shore. The retrieval object is thrown in a direction parallel to the shore from a boat that is approximately 25 m from the shore. After making sure that the object lies quietly on the surface of the water, the trainer sends a dog after it. The dog must swim to the object, pick it up and deliver it to the trainer along the shortest route. A dog can release an object from its teeth only at the command of the trainer. Two attempts are allowed.

After pronouncing the command, it is allowed to make a gesture that attracts the dog’s attention.

Obedience (see above) - 50 points.

Stage B (RH-W B)

Stage B consists of the following exercises:

1. Swimming distance 100 points

2. Working in water

(The minimum acceptable score is 75 points.

If you try again, 10% will be deducted.) 150 points

3.Obedience 50 points

Maximum score 300 points

General rules

When taking tests, safety rules must be followed.

During all exercises, two motor boats must be in the water. All people sitting on boats must wear life jackets or wetsuits.

Dogs must have special equipment for working in water: a harness with a handle firmly attached to the back, with which you can easily lift the dog out of the water.

Tests can be carried out in bodies of calm water. In the event of unfavorable weather conditions or strong roughness on the water, the judge has the right to postpone the test if it is impossible to carry it out normally.

Test rules

Required participants:

judge, shore instructor, assistant (drowning person), motor boat driver.

Required equipment: 1 motor boat, 2 buoys, 1 board (surfing).

Swimming 400 m

The trainer and the dog get into the boat, which sets off and stops 200 m from the shore at the first buoy. Having given the command, the trainer orders the dog to jump into the water. The boat follows. The dog must swim after the boat. At the second buoy (300 m) the boat turns and goes back to the shore. The dog, following the boat, must also return to shore.

This exercise evaluates jumping into the water and swimming behind the boat.

Working in water

1. Towing a surfboard with a person lying down. The trainer with the dog takes the starting position on the shore. In the water, 30 m from the shore, there is a surfboard on which the assistant lies. At the trainer's command, the dog swims to the board. A man lying on a surfboard gives the dog the end of a rope, she takes it in her teeth and tows the surfboard and an assistant to the shore. On the shore, the dog releases the rope only at the command of the trainer. Two attempts are allowed.

The trainer can accompany the command with a gesture.

2. Rescue of a drowning man, the dog starts from the shore.

The trainer with the dog takes the starting position on the shore. The assistant sets sail in the boat. Approximately 30 m from the shore, the assistant falls into the water, and the boat follows further. The assistant pretends to be a drowning man, waves his arms, but does not have the right to call the dog to him. At the command of the trainer, the dog swims as quickly as possible to the drowning person. As soon as the drowning man has the opportunity to grab the dog's fur, the dog turns and tows him to the shore. The dog itself should not actively grab the drowning person with its teeth. Two attempts are allowed.

The trainer can accompany the command with a gesture. The exercise is considered completed after the trainer reports to the judge and the latter is awarded a mark.

Obedience (see above) - 50 points.

Stage C (RH-W C)

Stage C consists of the following exercises:

Work in water 250 points

For exercises 1 and 4 minimum

60 points are awarded

For exercises 2 and 3 minimum

65 points are awarded

Obedience 50 points

Maximum score 300 points

General rules

When taking tests, safety rules must be followed.

During all exercises, two motor boats must be in the water. All people sitting on boats must wear life jackets or wetsuits.

Dogs must have special equipment for working in water: a harness with a handle firmly attached to the back, with which you can easily lift the dog out of the water.

Tests can be carried out in bodies of calm water. In the event of unfavorable weather conditions or strong rough water, the judge has the right to postpone the test if it is impossible to carry it out normally.

Test rules

Required participants:

judge, shore instructor, 2 assistants (drowning people), motor boat driver.

Required equipment:

1 motor boat, 1 lifebuoy, 1 retrieval item (a piece of floating boat rope with a diameter of 5 cm and a length of 30 cm).

Working in water

1. Towing an unconscious person; the dog starts from the boat.

The trainer and the dog, together with an assistant, get into the boat, which then moves away from the shore about 50m. The helper falls into the water, and the boat goes on for another 20 m. At the command of the trainer, the dog jumps into the water and swims to the helper, who, at the moment of her approach, lies motionless on the water. The dog grabs the helper's wrist with his teeth and tows him to the boat. The man and then the dog are lifted aboard. Two attempts are allowed.

The trainer can accompany the command with a gesture.

2. Towing two people; the dog starts from the shore.

The trainer and the dog stand in the starting position on the shore. Two assistants in a boat sail 50 m from the shore. One assistant, while moving, falls out of the boat, which continues to move parallel to the shore for another 20 m. The second assistant, a lifeguard, jumps into the water while the boat continues to move along the shore. The rescuer swims up to the drowning man and calls the dog to him. At the command of the trainer, the dog swims towards people in the water. The rescuer, who supports the drowning person with one hand, grabs the dog's fur with his free hand, after which the dog tows both of them to the shore. The dog should not grab swimmers' hands with its teeth. Two attempts are allowed.

The trainer can accompany the command with a gesture.

3. Towing the boat to the shore.

The trainer and the dog, accompanied by four other people, get into the boat, which departs approximately 50 meters from the shore, after which the engine turns off. At the trainer's command, the dog jumps into the water. The trainer puts a rope in the dog's teeth, and it tows the boat to the shore. Two attempts are allowed.

The trainer can accompany the command with a gesture.

4. Importing a lifebuoy from the shore.

The boat moves away from the shore about 40 m. The assistant falls from the boat into the water, the boat continues to move on. The assistant pretends to be a drowning man, waves his arms, but does not have the right to call the dog to him. The trainer with the dog is on the shore in the starting position. On command, the dog takes the rope to which the lifebuoy is tied in its teeth and swims to the drowning person. The drowning man grabs the circle, and the dog tows him back to the shore. Two attempts are allowed.

The trainer can accompany the command with a gesture.

The exercise is considered completed after the trainer reports to the judge and the latter is awarded a mark.

Obedience (see above) -- 50 points.

Stage D (RH-W D)

Level D consists of the following exercises:

Swimming distance 100 points

Importation 100 points

For exercises 1.1 and 1.2, or 1.3,

or 1.4 minimum 50 points awarded

Delivery 100 points

For exercises 2.1 and 2.2, or

2.3, or 2.4 minimum 50 points awarded

Maximum score 300 points

General rules

When taking tests, safety rules must be followed.

During all exercises, two motor boats must be in the water. All people sitting on boats must wear life jackets or wetsuits.

Dogs must have special equipment for working in water: a harness with a handle firmly attached to the back, with which you can easily lift the dog out of the water.

Tests can be carried out in bodies of calm water. In the event of unfavorable weather conditions or strong rough water, the judge has the right to postpone the test if it is impossible to carry it out normally.

Test rules

Required participants:

judge, shore instructor, 2 assistants, 2 motor boat drivers.

Required equipment:

1 motor boat, 1 lifebuoy, 1 retrieval item (a piece of floating boat rope with a diameter of 5 cm and a length of 30 cm).

From the number of exercises from 1.1 to 1.4 and from 2.1 to 2.4, each test participant is required to complete only four exercises by lot. The draw is carried out by the instructor before the start of each participant. Only one attempt is allowed for all exercises.

Distance swimming (endurance test)

At the discretion of the judge, this exercise can be performed simultaneously by several (maximum three) participants.

Trainers and dogs are taken in a boat to a distance of approximately 1000 m from the shore so that the dogs can then swim behind the boat for about 20 minutes. The boat stops, and at the command of the trainers, the dogs jump into the water. The boat turns towards the shore, leaving the dogs alone, but does not move further than 20m so that the dogs remain constantly under observation. Dogs should swim calmly and fearlessly to the shore. They can go with the flow and do not have to come ashore exactly at the starting point. The instructor monitors the return of the dogs, meets them on the shore and takes them to the starting point.

After the endurance test, the dog should be allowed to rest for at least an hour before proceeding with further work.

Importation

1. Rescue of a drowning person (start from a boat).

The trainer and the dog sit in one boat, the assistant, portraying a drowning man, in another. Both boats move away from the shore and stop at a distance of 40m from each other. The assistant falls into the water. At the command of the trainer, the dog jumps into the water and swims to the drowning man, takes him by the wrist with his teeth and delivers him to the boat in which the trainer is located. A drowning man and a dog are lifted aboard the boat.

The trainer can accompany the command with a gesture.

2. Rescue of two drowning people (start from the shore).

The trainer with the dog stands on the shore in the starting position. Two assistants are sailing in a boat. 30 meters from the shore, first one assistant falls into the water, then, after about 20 m, the second. At the trainer's command, the dog swims to the first drowning person. He grabs her fur with his hand. The dog then swims to the second drowning man, grabs his wrist with his teeth and tows both people to the shore.

The trainer can accompany the command with a gesture.

3. Towing a surfboard with a lying person (starting from the shore).

The trainer with the dog takes the starting position on the shore. In the water, 30 m from the shore, there is a surfboard on which the assistant lies. At the trainer's command, the dog swims to the board. A man lying on a surfboard gives the dog the end of a rope, she takes it in her teeth and tows the surfboard and an assistant to the shore.

The trainer can accompany the command with a gesture.

4. Towing a drifting boat (starting from the shore).

The boat is towed 30 m from the shore. There she is left adrift with a rope hanging from the side, while the second boat returns to shore. The trainer with the dog stands in the starting position on the shore. At the command of the trainer, the dog swims to the drifting boat, finds a hanging rope, takes it in its teeth and tows the boat to the shore.

The trainer can accompany the command with a gesture.

Delivery

1. Delivery of a lifebuoy (launch from a boat).

The trainer with the dog and one of the assistants get into the boat. After the boat moves 40 m from the shore, the assistant falls into the water. The boat floats along the shore another 20 m and stops. The trainer throws a lifebuoy in the middle between the boat and the drowning man, who waves his arms and calls for help, but does not call the dog to him. At the trainer's command, the dog jumps into the water and swims to the life buoy. She grabs the rope of the lifebuoy with her teeth and delivers it to the drowning man. The drowning man holds on to the circle, the dog tows him to the boat. A drowning man is lifted aboard. The boat returns back to the shore. The dog swims to the shore after the boat.

The trainer can accompany the command with a gesture.

3. Delivery of a small inflatable boat to a drowning person. Forty meters from the shore, the assistant falls into the water from a boat, which immediately moves away. The trainer with the dog stands in the starting position on the shore. The trainer puts a short rope in the dog's teeth, the other end attached to the bow of a small inflatable boat. The dog swims to the drowning man and delivers him a boat, into which he climbs. A dog tows a boat with a man sitting in it to the shore.

The trainer can accompany the command with a gesture.

4. Delivery of rope from one boat to another.

The trainer and the dog get into a boat containing a 30-meter rope. This rope should unwind easily. The boat moves away from the shore, accompanied by a second boat, then both of them stop at a distance of 20 m from each other. At the trainer's command, the dog jumps into the water. She is given the end of a rope, and with the rope in her teeth she swims to the second boat, where she gives the rope to the driver. The dog then returns back to the first boat and is lifted aboard. The boat heads towards the shore, with the second one in tow.

The trainer can accompany the command with a gesture.

The exercise is considered completed after the trainer reports to the judge and the latter is awarded a mark.

Newfoundland dogs are used in water rescue services. This breed got its name from the island of Newfoundland, where these dogs were first bred and used by humans.

Newfoundlands are excellent swimmers, endowed with the instinct to bring various floating objects to shore, as well as provide assistance to drowning people. That's why they have proven themselves to be excellent water rescuers.

It is known, for example, that during Napoleon's escape from the island of Elba, he fell into the sea and was saved by the ship's Newfoundland dog. Bob's Newfoundland has drowned many people in the UK, for which he was awarded a gold medal. In 1919, during a storm, the ship "Et" ran aground and was in distress. The captain sent a sailor ashore to report what had happened, but he was unable to swim and drowned. The last hope was the Newfoundland Tang. The dog swam to the shore, and the people in distress, including an infant, were saved.

In Väino Bay (Estonia), the Newfoundland Lados Bay (owner M. Mägi), trained to help people on the water, saved a 16-year-old girl. The wind carried her, unable to swim, on a rubber mattress into the open sea. Attempts to catch up with the girl and help her were unsuccessful. Then Lados Bey was sent by the “Save” team, and he did an excellent job with his responsible task.

Newfoundlands have long been used to carry various heavy loads. An engraving by Philip Rangely (1740-1833) shows a black and white Newfoundland pulling a loaded sleigh in the foreground among a group of other dogs. In 1837, a decree was issued in London prohibiting the use of dogs for transporting goods.

Newfoundlands were also used as guard dogs. And although this type of service is secondary for Newfoundlands, it should be borne in mind that, if necessary, despite its friendliness, the Newfoundland will offend its owner.

In our country, the first experiments on the use of Newfoundlands in water rescue services were carried out in the summer of 1975 in Estonia by the Water Rescue Society (OSVOD). In 1976, an experimental group of Newfoundland dogs was created, with which work was carried out using a specially developed methodology. Around the same time, similar work began in Leningrad and somewhat later in Norilsk and the Latvian SSR.

The main activity on the use of rescue dogs in Tallinn is carried out by the section of Newfoundland dog owners of the Estonian Republican Service Dog Club DOSAAF with the active participation of the Tallinn City OSVOD.

The city committees of DOSAAF and OSVOD approve and support all the section’s initiatives aimed at developing water rescue services using dogs. At the Tallinn OSVOD rescue station, the section built a small pier for three-four-seater boats, and a shed for storing sails and other property. A special sports and training ground has been equipped on the banks of the Pirita River. All this serves as the basis for conducting the necessary educational and training sessions with dog owners and their four-legged helpers.

The preparation of puppies, future rescuers of people on the water, begins with educational training, carried out according to the generally accepted method for all service dogs. Once the puppies reach 4-6 months of age, they are given classes in initial (preliminary) general puppy training. At the same time, we conduct short-term, usually monthly, training sessions twice a week for dog owners on the basics of keeping, raising, and training dogs.

One-year-old dogs are prepared according to general course training, according to the generally accepted DOSAAF methodology, but taking into account the purpose of dogs for water rescue service. Additionally, animals are trained to enter a boat and swim in it, and swim behind the boat up to 500 m.

Having mastered OKD, they begin special training of dogs. At the same time, their owners are trained in the methods and techniques of special training and, in addition, methods of providing assistance to drowning people: artificial respiration, massage, dressing wounds, assistance with fractures, bruises, etc. During this period Special attention focuses on developing the skills of dogs to swim behind a boat up to 1000 m, find and carry out retrieval objects on the water, tow drowning people to the shore, etc.

When starting to train Newfoundlands, you need to know that the opinion that existed among dog breeders that Newfoundlands are stupid dogs and can only be trained from the age of two is wrong. Animals of this breed are perfectly trainable, you just need to have some experience with them good contact and correctly, taking into account their previous preparedness and individual characteristics, structure each lesson. We must strive to observe the principle of gradually introducing complications, not to overload the dogs, and always monitor their general condition. You need to learn to “read” a dog’s mood in its eyes. As soon as you notice indifference or “boredom” in them, you need to stop training, provide the dog with active rest (a short walk in a free state for the dog) and then continue training. You should not give commands, including repeated ones, too loudly or rudely. This does not help, but rather harms the training process. Moreover, this is unacceptable when performing patrol duty on the shore, in the presence of vacationers.

In our section, general training of dogs, as mentioned above, usually begins when they reach one year of age, and by two years the animal is completely ready for rescue service.

In the initial, educational training of puppies and young dogs - future water rescuers, special attention is paid to teaching them to swim, first near the shore, and then behind the boat. At first, swimming behind the boat is limited to 50-100 m and gradually increased to 1 km.

Special training also includes teaching the dog to calmly enter swimming facilities, sit, lie down, stand on them, swim and go ashore on command.

It is recommended to teach your dog these skills as follows. The trainer with the dog at his left leg makes a guiding gesture with his right hand and, at the same time giving the command “Forward” with his voice, directs the dog onto a boat or other watercraft and enters after it. On command “Sit”, “Lie down”, “Stand” forces the dog to take the appropriate place and position, which can periodically change on command. The dog must calmly, without leaving its place, swim on the watercraft and, upon the command “Forward” and a gesture, go ashore from it.

A dog is trained to fetch in water by giving the command “Fetch” with a voice and a gesture right hand in the direction of the thrown object with a slight tilt of the body forward. Classes are conducted without equipment.

The trainer with the dog at his left leg approaches the shore, sits it down, throws the retrieval object into the water (first near the shore, gradually further) and with the command “Retrieve” and sends the dog after the object with a gesture. The dog must swim to the object, float it to the shore to a depth when the animal’s paws reach the bottom. There is no need to take objects ashore, since when rescuing drowning people, the dog must deliver them through the water to the shore to a shallow place.

At the next stage of special training, the future rescue dog is taught to swim behind a boat. This is done by giving the voice command “Forward”, with a guiding gesture with a slight tilt of the body forward if the dog is sent after the boat by an assistant, or “Come to me” if the dog is called to the boat by the trainer sailing on it. When the dog is swimming behind the boat, you need to balance the speed of the boat with the physical capabilities and swimming experience of the dog. The dog's swimming distance increases gradually and is increased to 500 m.

All techniques are practiced without a leash, with the exception of the techniques “Prohibition of taking food scattered on the ground and given by a stranger” and “Stopping unwanted actions.” Here, at first, a short leash is used. For correct execution of commands (gestures), dogs are rewarded with the exclamation “Good” and a treat (the latter is used less often in sufficiently trained dogs).

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