What document is a rescue dog required to have? Rescue dogs will come to the rescue: their “service is both dangerous and difficult. Testing dogs for water rescue service

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

Thanks to their devotion and dedication, the concept “ service dogs" They are ready to serve us until their last step, until exhaustion, until their dying breath, forgetting about everything in this service. They help everywhere: be it searching for lost wanderers during a snowstorm, searching for those doomed to certain death under rubble (snow or after a disaster) or rescuing on the water - all this is within the power of our sometimes so defenseless comrades. Where do they get the strength to overcome such difficult challenges?

Finding those lost in the storm

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

Searching for people under the rubble

Distinguishing the smell of a person from the mass of other odors under the meter-high rubble is considered the most difficult job. But our devoted friends also cope with this task. Everyone knows the events of September 11, 2001 in the United States, but how many people know about the heroes who helped save and saved people’s lives. For example, guide dog Dorado saved his blind owner, computer scientist Omar Eduardo Rivera. After the plane crashed into the tower, Rivera unhooked the leash and gave the dog the command to leave, wanting to save at least the dog. A crowd of fleeing people carried the Labrador several floors below, but after some time the owner felt his pet nuzzling his feet. With the help of a dog and a colleague, the man went outside, after which the building collapsed. Rivera feels he owes his life to his devoted dog.

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

Rescue of drowning people

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

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

A rescuer is not a breed, it is a calling!

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

Rescue Dog Breeds

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

But still, to work in harsh conditions and due to the specific nature of the activity, the dog is required to have certain innate qualities, which the following breeds possess:

– this breed has long been intended for rescue work in high mountain areas; it is not without reason that they can anticipate an avalanche several hours in advance and notify people about it. The second name of this breed is “avalanche dogs.” They can dig out a person buried under the snow and drag him to a safe place, or lead rescuers to this area.
– these representatives work in conditions of another element – water. Their anatomical structure and physiological properties are designed for the animal to be in water, even ice water, without harm to health. This is the third eyelid, paws and ears special structure, interdigital membranes and non-wetting wool. Newfoundlands have incredible diving and swimming abilities, as well as an amazing instinct to rush to the rescue. the slightest sign, indicating that a person is in trouble.
– for a long time protecting livestock from attacks by predators, and living in harsh conditions, representatives of this breed acquired a lot of qualities necessary for survival. Naturally, this matter cannot be accomplished without developed intellectual abilities. Having become an almost universal dog, the German Shepherd has also proven itself in rescue work.
– the history of the breed is such that from its very origins, dogs have already been rescuers. They helped fishermen catch fish and also looked for people during storms. In addition, thanks to their strength and endurance, they were draft animals and assistants during the hunt. Modern intellectual abilities allow these dogs to remember two hundred commands!

Of course, this is not a complete list, and representatives of other breeds are often involved in rescue operations. But in these dogs, whatever you say, the rescue instinct is embedded in their genes.

Among the skills required of rescue dogs, two main ones can be identified: to find a person in trouble and to inform their human colleagues about it. Of course, some strong dogs are able to get victims from under the rubble and dig them out in the snow, but more often they still need the help of specialists. In addition to a fine sense of smell, physical strength and a desire to work, a number of other requirements are imposed on the dog:

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

Needless to say that a dog may be the only chance for salvation, risking itself and not demanding anything in return? These smaller friends can perform heroic deeds, which once again confirm their dedication and fearlessness.

Watch how rescue dogs are trained:

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

Content

First steps in PSS

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

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

The main goal of the dog handlers united in ROSSPAS-KV is to help people who find themselves in a disaster zone or disappeared in a deserted area. For this purpose, ROSSPAS-KV creates volunteer groups in which anyone can undergo search training. rescue service(PSS) with his personal dog, and over time, pass certification for admission to real search work. There are already several such groups working in Moscow now. Some groups were created just a few months ago, others have been working for quite some time. Some of the participants in such groups even became certified dog handlers - rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Now the volunteer society ROSSPAS-KV is creating its own units (and, accordingly, groups) in the regions so that anyone who wants to help the rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in their city or region can do so. Groups in the regions will operate independently, taking into account local specifics, but within the framework of the organization’s charter and volunteer code of honor.

PSS volunteer groups

Volunteering is hard work. You have to spend a lot of time training the dog and learning yourself. Training in a volunteer search and rescue group is quite different from any traditional training at a training site. It differs primarily in that there is no training area. Most of the classes take place in places where people usually do not voluntarily go - construction sites, destroyed buildings, basements, forests and rough terrain. And, the main difference from training with a dog that is usual for many dog breeders is that here you need to help others a lot. Here you won't have to stand around and wait until it's your turn with your dog. Or rather, the dog will probably wait its turn, but you won’t. Search training - rescue dog is impossible without the help of a large number of people, the so-called extras, who portray the victims during the lesson. Every dog handler has to be such an extra during a lesson more than once. First, you help others by pretending to be a victim, and when you come to work with the dog, extras will also be ready for you, cleverly hidden in bookmarks - these are the names of places that imitate natural rubble, wells, etc., in which victims may find themselves People. The correct arrangement of a bookmark is a whole science, and you will also have to learn it during your classes. In the bookmark, you not only need to accommodate an extra with all the amenities (and sometimes you have to stay in such bookmarks for a very long time), but also take into account all the scent outputs in order to correctly evaluate the dog’s work and avoid mistakes in training.

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

Dina Kuznetsova, instructor of the PSS group, says:

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

First steps in PSS

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

Choosing a place to study

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

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

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

Building bookmarks

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

It should be borne in mind that dogs very easily “disassemble” bookmarks, sneak through, squeeze through, and jump on. It is also a mistake to prepare a bookmark into which a dog can stick its head and see a person.

You should start with simple bookmarks. These are bookmarks that stand out visually, that is, they stand apart from others, so that the dog, having smelled the smell, can easily determine where it comes from. It is necessary to ensure that the dog has a free approach directly to the place where the smell comes from. The source of the smell and the source of the smell should be in the same place. This is how we teach dogs to identify the source of the smell in the immediate vicinity.

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

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

You can determine where the smell comes out and the draft (that is, in which direction - air comes out of the hole or into it) using a lighter or torch. We bring the lighter to the hole and see which way the flame leans. This is where the air is drawn. The torch gives us smoke. Having smoked it properly in the stash (you just need to do this in advance so as not to confuse the dogs with the smell of smoke), we look to see where the smoke will come out. Thus, we determine possible odor outputs.

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

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

When preparing a bookmark, we must remember that dog handlers, as a rule, prefer to carry out the search process visually for them. You constantly have to fight this, using bookmarks that the human eye will not stop at, and the handler will not be able to give a tip to the dog.

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

Maintain safety

The places where we practice PSS are rife with all sorts of dangers. These include holes in the floor where you can fall, sand pouring in, and falling bricks. Old, unsafe buildings are especially dangerous, where a wall, ceiling or floor can collapse at any moment. Therefore, when choosing a place for an activity, first of all you should think about safety, so as not to turn from rescuers into those being rescued. The holding area (where people and dogs wait their turn) should always be in a safe location. Bookmarks should be organized in places where there is no danger of collapse, movement of slabs, etc. You should also make sure that the design details of the bookmark do not fall on the head of the extra or the dog. Since dogs work without leashes, it is necessary to ensure that there are no unnoticeable holes in the floor and the like, especially at first, when the dogs do not know how to move correctly in such places.

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

Never forget how many extras are hidden and in what places, as well as how long an extra remains in the stash. In winter, this time should not exceed 40 minutes, and preferably within 20 minutes. In summer, more is possible, but it depends on the bookmark. If it is a cold, wet basement, then you should not keep a person there for 2 hours. When burying in the snow, remember the location of the extra using landmarks. Of course, checkboxes and the like cannot be placed above a bookmark.

“Combat kit” for classes

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

For classes you will need:

What other devices can you dream of? The dog handler's imagination is very developed. Moreover, there are always not enough “devices” for our business. These include:

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

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

How is the lesson going?

The structure of the lesson depends, first of all, on the experience of the dog handlers working with their dogs. If these are beginners, then it is possible to work only in turns, since at the beginning of training constant supervision of the trainer is required. Further, when the dog handler is already experienced and knows what he wants to work on in a given lesson, he can take extras himself and go to work.

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

If the group is large, and some of the handlers have to wait a long time for their turn, you can use this time to introduce the dog to the territory (if space allows, so as not to disturb working dogs), so that an indicative reaction does not arise during the search (beginner dogs need this) , teaching the dog to move around the rubble, fearlessly overcome obstacles encountered along the way, and enter dark rooms - this is also part of the training.

For beginner dogs, the lesson should not last long, intensely, quickly, in one breath and very exciting, especially the lesson with puppies. The dog should not get tired under any circumstances, including while waiting for its turn. Experienced dogs already calmly endure the wait. The search itself should be in such a volume that the dog does not get enough of it and wants more.

It is worth taking into account that the more experienced the dog, the more determined it is to do serious work. Try doing beginner exercises with such a dog and you will see that something that he did a few months ago, now he does completely differently, taking into account all the experience that he has gained over this time.

Primary training of dogs

Dog selection

The dog must first of all be healthy, or at least not have diseases that interfere with service. This is especially true for diseases of the musculoskeletal system, because The workload in our service is very high. A PSS dog must have a good psyche that is resistant to influences, expressed food and (or) play motivation, a good connection with the owner, and be active and mobile. No aggression! The dog should be calm towards strangers, and preferably willing to communicate with them.

Pre-preparation

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

Let's start working on the search

The initial lessons are the most important. We use them to develop motivation in the dog. The motivation is that the dog knows that only by performing a certain set of actions in a strictly defined order - launching the skill with the command “search!” or “look for the person!”, search for the person, designate him, without leaving the extra – she will receive encouragement. At the same time, the dog should be interested in this encouragement. If we work on treats, then the dog must be hungry (1-3 days of hunger strike).

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

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

When the dog confidently follows the extra and, having found it, barks until the owner approaches, we begin to make complications. We use several nearby shelters, in one of which an extra is hiding. We let the dog see only the direction of movement of the extra until halfway. Or, in front of the dog, the extra hides in one shelter, then they cover the dog’s eyes, and the extra hides in another, then they let the dog in. Increase the launch distance. They make more complex bookmarks with more complex approaches to them. Gradually, the escape is made so that the dog sees that the person is running away, but does not see the escape route. Then we enter the “call” of the dog as an extra only from the bookmark, and then remove it altogether. Then we begin to teach the dog that a person does not necessarily run away while searching. To do this, we run away two people at the same time, each of whom teased the dog with a treat. First the dog finds one, then the second “previously hidden”. So we gradually move on to working with previously hidden people. The work of the extras in the bookmark is also important. Rudeness, unspecified silence in advance, incorrect encouragement (when a dog, for example, is silent) or its absence are not allowed. You need to remove contact with your dog carefully and gradually. Barking must be achieved for a long time. Encouragement should be mandatory for every person! Gradually, the moment of rewarding the dog is delayed from the beginning of barking until the first bite. When the dog already understands what is required of him (this happens quite quickly), we introduce glass jars in which we put the treat, close the lid so that at the time of marking in the bookmark there is no smell of the treat. If sitting or laying is chosen for designation, then when a person is found, the owner, or better yet an extra (this must be determined in advance), gives the dog a command. After giving a short time for exposure (10-15 seconds), the owner comes up, gives a treat to the dog (and if possible, the extra gives a treat), after which the extra is opened, he communicates with the dog and feeds him pieces.

When dogs are already normally looking for pre-hidden people, additional complications begin to be introduced. These include more complex bookmarks, increased search duration, various physical activities immediately before the search, work in dark rooms contaminated with foreign odors, etc.

All complications, order, methods, etc. are the fruit of the instructor’s imagination :) and his ability to determine the dog’s readiness to move to the next level. In general, full training of a dog according to PSS takes about 2 years.

Even well-working dogs at some point may stop working correctly and begin to make mistakes, for example, problems with signal behavior may arise. The main thing is not to despair and continue to work, only regular exercise will give results.

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

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

Test classes– here it is planned to complete one task for all dogs and compare the work of the dogs, check the quality of the work and identify errors that require elimination.

Joint activities– they involve several (at least two) search and rescue groups. They are good because it is possible to use extras unknown to the dogs. It is best when first one party - one group - organizes bookmarks for the other, and the second works on them, without knowing their number and location. Another time, this group will organize the same for the first.

Exercises– checking the readiness of dogs as close as possible to real working conditions, in accordance with the standard. Additional complications may be introduced in the form of rappelling with dogs, working in difficult conditions (night time, rain), taking into account the fact that dog handlers do not know in advance the number of victims, the location of the traps and working conditions. You can do a “team” search, when dog handlers must work together according to pre-thought-out tactics (for example, dividing the territory into search squares for each dog, or sequential search). And also combine checking the dogs with checking the dog handlers’ readiness for rescue work (for example, knowledge of the basics of first aid, when he must provide first aid to the found “victim”).

Tests (certification)– checking the readiness of the crew (dog handler) to act as intended. They are carried out in the Ministry of Emergency Situations system. Successful completion of certification gives the crew permission to participate in rescue operations for 1 year.

Competitions– are carried out with the aim of improving professional skills, exchanging experience in training and using dogs, checking readiness for actions for their intended purpose and certification, as well as identifying the best calculations. At competitions, various additional complications that may arise in real work are organized for calculations. So they can be called a real holiday for dog handlers. It is worth remembering that competition is not an end in itself, but a means to achieving mastery in real work, and therefore obtaining a greater chance of saving a person.

We recommend that owners and trainers keep diaries on the work of each individual dog in each lesson. For the dog owner, this is a way to better understand his dog, and for the instructor - to see how much the owner understands what is happening, to complement, discuss with him the work of the dog, and maybe see it from the other side. Diaries also help you remember what a particular dog did and track its development over the entire period of training. It is most convenient to keep diaries electronically and then send them by mail to the instructor.

What you should pay attention to:

You can't keep using the same people as extras, even at entry level.
Train your dog immediately different quantities extras on the lookout. At the beginning 1-2, then we introduce the third. In this case, it is advisable that he first run away or call the dog from the stash.
On initial period classes, when the dog needs to reinforce signal behavior, you should use only sane extras who know how to communicate with dogs, because inept work can ruin everything at once.
After each search, the encouragement of communication with the extra should be maximum; the dog should be interested in communication and, as a result, in searching for the person.
Don’t forget to pay attention to training dogs to deal with rubble, moving over obstacles, darkness, and heights.
Before searching, you should familiarize the dogs with the area, allowing them to run around and sniff everything, so that the dogs do not have an indicative reaction while working. When the dogs are already more experienced, you can smoothly move on to working in unfamiliar terrain.
Regardless of the chosen preparation method, it is important to remember that there are several “components” that only together give an excellent result.
- This is the search itself: search style, passion, speed, focus on results, i.e. The dog must search for the sake of finding (remember motivation), and not just because he likes to run.
- Signaling behavior: very important. If the dog finds, but does not mark, consider that you have not found anyone. It's scary to imagine yourself in a situation where, during real rescue work, you cannot help a person because the dog does not make a clear, good sign.
- The dog should not be “removed” from the stash, i.e. leave without permission.
- Endurance and mental preparation: the dog (and the dog handler too) must be prepared for long work and emotional stress. This is not a matter of one day, you need to go to this gradually, without overloading the dog.
False designations are a separate matter. They can happen due to improper organization of the bookmarks, due to frequent work on monotonous bookmarks, when the dog begins to navigate by external signs, due to increased excitability dogs, due to residual human odors in the stash (especially in beginner dogs), the smell of food, and freshly worn things. These additional provocations are introduced later, when the skill is already formed and quite stable.
It is worth accustoming dogs to the smells they don’t like coming from “homeless people” (perhaps by recruiting them to work with experienced dogs), since this smell is closest to the real smell of a victim who has been under rubble for several days.
To play with a dog, it is highly undesirable to use forest sticks (i.e., special dumbbells are fine), since dogs, especially when searching in the forest, can begin to pick up sticks near the bookmark, thus self-rewarding, without fully developing the skill.
When practicing both searching and tracking, it is necessary to move from one type to another when the primary skill has already been formed (the dog clearly knows what they want from it on the track or on the search), otherwise you can confuse the dog.
Don't do it in one day various types services (including obedience), especially if new skills are learned in both types of services (that is, the courses are mastered in parallel). It is recommended to study only obedience during search and tracking training, otherwise the dog may become confused, lose control and become very overtired, which will lead to bad work everywhere.

What to pay attention to in tracking work.

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

Training a search and rescue dog is complex and full of nuances. But if you are interested in this service, and your heart is touched by the opportunity to really come to the aid of people with your dog - welcome to ROSSPAS-KV. We will help you organize a group in your city or region, go to seminars and gatherings, and obtain the necessary information. Contact the leaders of groups and regional branches of ROSSPAS-KV:

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

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 make artificial respiration. In very rare cases, she is able to get the victim out from under a pile of stones. To help, even the most dexterous and strong rescue dog itself needs 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”). That's why strict framework There is no rule 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. Serve in different armies german shepherds, Collies, Dobermans and Rottweilers. 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 this 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.

IN Lately More and more advanced technology is coming 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 the 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 The “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 are very intelligent and trainable, and can be used as guards, 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 just 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 (formation of healthy nervous system and a certain type of behavior) are independent concepts, they are inextricably linked and cannot be implemented 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.

TO necessary qualities PSS dogs that should be developed from the very beginning early age, relate:

* 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 the “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 is too easy to find, interest in 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 field conditions. 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. Overload leads to breakdown nervous activity, 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 impact, 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, should only be used during rescue operations and in 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, used the following techniques. 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 thoroughbreds 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 both in humans 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. Malice, 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.

A place for training in a special course, as opposed to a training area, where only a few training sessions can be carried out. elementary lessons, 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 mankind. Irreplaceable, always loyal, intelligent and selfless dogs are one of best gifts that Nature made for 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

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2. Bergman E. Dog behavior. M., 1986.
3. Karpov V.K. About some factors influencing the sense of smell of 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. Training of four-legged rescuers // Military knowledge. 1985. No. 11.
6. http://vashipitomcy.ru/publ/sobaki/interesnoe/sobaki_spasateli_poslednjaja_nadezhda_v_strashnyj_mig/24-1-0-334

Dogs are friends and faithful assistants person for many years. They perform many functions: nanny dogs, guide dogs, service dogs, and of course, rescue dogs.

Speaking about the latter, one immediately imagines a deathly blue sky in the mountains, and a dazzling - White snow. There, under the snow, there is a man. And who can find him, who will help? A large white and red St. Bernard or a fast and agile German Shepherd? Or maybe a cheerful and affectionate Labrador, or an intelligent, smart spaniel? In a word, a dog whose mission is to save people, a dog proudly called a “rescuer”.

Dedicated to Saint Bernards...

“St. Bernards, you know, don’t live long. One is loved in life, and only to him. And then together with him they go to Heaven...” - lines from Diana Arbenina’s song perfectly characterize this breed.

Good-natured, gigantic-sized “teddy bears” are all-rounders for saving people in the mountains. The breed received its name in honor of the dangerous mountain pass Grand Saint Bernard, located in Switzerland. In the area of the pass there was a monastery where the inhabitants lived, and with them dogs. There was also a steep and dangerous road, at an altitude of almost 2500 meters above the ground. The weather conditions of those places were known for frequent snowstorms, therefore, those unfortunate travelers who were forced to go this road had a hard time. Many lost their way and died. The monks provided shelter to travelers, and their four-legged assistants found spotted people, dug them out, and helped them get to the monastery. If the person was so weak that he could not do this on his own, the St. Bernards returned to the monastery and brought help to the victims.

The most famous four-legged rescuer is the St. Bernard named Barry der Menschenretter, or simply Old Barry (1800 - 1814). Over the twelve years of his work, the dog saved more than forty people. One of the people he saved was a little boy.

Barry found a freezing child in an ice cave, he had already lost consciousness. The dog warmed him up and then dragged him along the ground to the monastery. When the child came to his senses, he was able to climb onto the St. Bernard's back. Barry took the injured baby to the monastery. The legendary four-legged rescuer died of old age in Bern. To this day, the stuffed dog is in the Berne Museum of Natural History.

Rescuers of the Second World War

Dogs made a huge contribution to saving human lives during the war. On the account of animals who were in service in Soviet army, over 600 thousand wounded soldiers rescued from the battlefield. The orderly dogs had a stable psyche, they were not afraid of shots, worked under fire and during explosions, and found victims in fog, smoke, and at night. In general, when people could not come to the aid of their comrades, dogs did it. They carefully searched the area, finding wounded soldiers, notified their guides about this (with the help of a diarrhea - a pointer), and brought orderlies to the victims. The most famous orderly was a male German shepherd named Mukhtar. He saved about 400 wounded from the battlefield, including the shepherd’s guide, Corporal Zorin, who was shell-shocked from a bomb explosion.

A dog is a rescuer, what should it be?

For such dogs, a kilometer-long pedigree or a special breed is not important. Rescuers can be German shepherds, St. Bernards, Labradors, Newfoundlands and even collies. A four-legged rescuer must have a strong, stable psyche, a keen sense of smell, developed hearing and vision. To work in the mountains, a thick coat is required. Any rescue dog is strong and resilient, because its work is very hard and selfless. Under no circumstances should the dog show anger or aggression towards people and other animals. An ideal dog for search and rescue activities would be a dog of medium height (45-55cm), dry body type, with a pronounced indicative search type of behavior. Each animal has its own positive and negative qualities, therefore, it is better not to look for an outstanding, ideal “ready-made” dog - a searcher or rescuer, but to engage in serious, professional training with your puppy in this type of activity.