Dogs have been man's friends and faithful helpers for many years. They perform many functions: nanny dogs, guide dogs, service dogs, and of course, rescue dogs.
Speaking of the latter, one immediately imagines a deathly blue sky in the mountains and 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, so it is better not to look for an outstanding, ideal “ready-made” dog - a searcher or rescuer, but to engage your puppy in serious, professional training in this type of activity.
It is unlikely that dogs, desperately rushing into water or fire to save a person, think about any rewards. Animals are completely devoid of vanity. Therefore, such dogs are real heroes.
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Hero's Journey
History knows many examples of dogs rescuing people from trouble on their own impulse. People realized that such qualities of dogs as loyalty, courage, sacrifice can serve to save more than one human life. So the dogs got a job: “rescuer”. And the emergency services have unique assistants, dedicated and reliable.
However, the first rescue dog appeared long before the Ministry of Emergency Situations. We know her name - Barry, her breed - St. Bernard. And its history, which is already more than two hundred years old and which, from generation to generation, was passed on by French monks.
Barry was raised at the monastery along with other rescue dogs whose duties included searching for lost strays. Every morning on the neck of each of four-legged rescuers the monks secured a barrel of brandy and sent the poor fellows in search.
Barry has saved dozens of lives of people who could have died on a deserted road in a snowstorm. But they survived, having met someone in Barry who, at a critical moment, gave them a sip of a warming drink and brought them under the roof of a hospitable monastic cell.
Even exact information has been preserved about the number of lives Barry saved: 40. Among them is the life of a child. Barry found him in the Alpine mountains, under the thickness of the snow of an avalanche. He warmed the half-frozen baby with his body and licked his face until he woke up.
Barry's fate is tragic. He was wounded by a man who, in the dark, took a huge shaggy dog for the bear. Barry survived, but his career was over. He could no longer perform his job as a lifeguard.
Any resident of a modern suburb of Paris will willingly show a visitor a stone with a carved image - a monument to the legendary rescue dog Barry.
Monument to Barry in the suburbs of Paris
Rescue dog skills
Despite the fact that today rescue dogs work alongside equally heroic people, no one calls them rescue assistants. After all, each such dog is an independent unit. And it’s rare for human rescuers to save as many lives as their four-legged counterparts.
After all, nature itself has given dogs unique, almost mystical abilities:
- find people buried alive at a depth of up to 9 meters;
- find victims by smell even in a fire, when the strong smell of burning interferes with this.
The search work that takes twenty people 4 hours can be completed in 10 minutes by a trained dog!
Nature has endowed dogs with intelligence, endurance, strength, and adaptability to adverse weather conditions.
And people, having selected the best of them, raise rescue dogs capable of:
- report the location of victims;
- lead people to the location of the victims.
The video for the program “Morning with You” talks about how rescue dogs are raised.
Fire, water and copper pipes
During the Great Patriotic War they were not only military. They not only blew up trains and delivered cartridges and secret papers, making their way where not a single person would go. They were orderlies on the battlefield. - with a canvas bag with medicines and stretchers, on which they pulled seriously wounded soldiers out of the heat.
One of them, a nurse named Mukhtar, is responsible for more than four hundred wounded soldiers pulled from the battlefield. The total number of wounded people found by four-legged orderlies during the Great Patriotic War is 500 thousand people!
IN post-war years many dogs became, so to speak, unofficial healers of the souls of surviving soldiers. But there are also qualified therapy dogs. They help former military personnel overcome post-traumatic stress disorder. One of the most famous is a dog named Ricochet.
This Golden Retriever also works with children who have emotional problems or chronic illnesses. He... teaches them how to surf. By developing a taste for life in children, Ricochet restores their mental and physical health.
Special programs to help children with severe autism include working with young rescue dog patients. Dogotherapy is the name of a very effective method of treating complex diseases in children.
Friendly, cheerful and active, dogs help children socialize. Four-legged healers also help create a favorable emotional background during treatment emotional disorders, severe forms chronic diseases psychosomatic in nature.
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Avalanches, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, man-made accidents - the destruction and losses they entail are enormous. But they would be great if not heroic work special services and rescue dogs. Most often these are German Shepherds. Animals of this particular breed adapt to extreme conditions more easily than others.
The work of searching for missing skiers and climbers is entrusted to St. Bernards. Much less often, dogs of other breeds are used in avalanche searches. Among these breeds is the same German Shepherd. A dog of this breed named Ajax became famous.
In facts and figures, his feat can be described succinctly: 96 hours of continuous work, frostbitten paws, 12 lives saved. Hero of Dachstein - this is how Ajax is now called in Austria, where this battle between a dog and the elements took place for the lives of eleven children and one schoolteacher.
In the Alpine rocks, a dog named Titus saved his owner at the risk of starvation. Titus found his owner on the top of a cliff and dug him out from under the thick snow. For six long days the shepherd dog did not eat anything, keeping watch near his owner who was in trouble and warming him with the warmth of his body. A special group of human rescuers rescued both the climber and his devoted dog from snow captivity.
For fifty recent years two dozen natural disasters were recorded, about which dogs warned their owners in one way or another. Thus, an earthquake in Ashgabat in one of the families was predicted by the “irrational” behavior of a shepherd dog, as the owners regarded it at first. A few minutes before the house collapsed, the dog managed to drag the sleeping child outside, grabbing him by the hem of his nightgown.
The name of the rescue dog Balta, who delivered medicines to a village in Alaska that saved hundreds of children from diphtheria, has become a legend.
At a time when fire crews rode horses to extinguish fires, rescue dogs (these were Dalmatians) worked alongside the draft force. They had a calming effect on horses who were terrified of fire. The dogs ran in front of the horse team, clearing and showing the way. This allowed firefighters to get to the scene without delay. Today, when horses have been replaced by fire engines, these dogs in their homeland are living mascots of fire crews.
IN water element Newfoundlands and Leonbergers can provide the most effective help. The training that rescue dogs receive in specialized centers lasts about a year.
Up to four people a day have to be found by rescue dogs working in the forests of the Moscow region. Inexperienced mushroom pickers, overplayed children, people with not very good navigation skills get lost 40 minutes from the capital. And this happens regularly, even despite cellular communications.
According to stories from volunteers working with rescue dogs in the forest, a person can walk a few meters from a lost person without noticing him. This happens when the search is delayed, the missing person is exhausted, or even lost consciousness.
Rescue dogs can smell someone lost in the forest long before humans can. In this they are helped by their excellent sense of smell and ability to make their way through thickets better than humans. Having discovered a lost person, rescue dogs signal to the search party.
Breeds of four-legged rescuers
Rescue dogs can be any breed. But there are among them more capable of this work. What dog breeds are most often exploited by rescue services?
- Diver (Newfoundland);
- Doberman;
- Drathaar;
- Labrador Retriever;
- Leonberger;
- German Shepherd;
- Rottweiler;
- Saint Bernard;
- Spaniel.
The spaniel was a dog named Lenya, who at the age of one saved 18 people from the rubble formed during the 1995 Sakhalin earthquake.
If in the mountains the abilities of German shepherds and St. Bernards are used, then divers specialize in rescuing drowning people. The latter are able to swim in very cold and even icy water! Their diving abilities are amazing: Newfoundlands dive to a depth of a good three dozen meters!
Let us note that Labradors, Rottweilers and Shepherds also make excellent specialists in a related profession – guide dogs.
Photo gallery
Video “Hero of Russia Yelga”
The video for the program “Such a Life” talks about a dog awarded the title of four-legged Hero of the country.
Real heroes who serve completely unselfishly and selflessly, without any doubts about those they helped, and about how dangerous and difficult the work they did not consciously choose can be. At the same time, the owner of such a service dog is always with his pupil (pupil) and devotes a significant part of his life to his noble cause. Additionally, you can read about other breeds of rescue dogs by following the link on the profile portal.
According to their qualities, dogs are suitable for performing various services and can be involved in activities in services, for example:
Protective guard;
Wanted;
Search and Rescue;
Convoy;
Mine detection;
Intelligence;
Ore prospecting and gas prospecting;
Drug investigation;
Shepherd's.
In addition, these magnificent, intelligent animals are used in social types services, such as guides, water rescuers, firefighters, for the rehabilitation of people with disabilities and others. Today we will talk about what could be the list of dog breeds found in search and rescue activities.
Water rescue dogs
Once upon a time, Spanish and Portuguese fishermen were such strong friends and coexisted harmoniously with dogs that they entrusted them with pulling nets out of the water, and if it happened, then saving their own lives. The dogs of the island of Newfoundland, located at a considerable distance from the two mentioned countries, became especially famous. When dogs of the breed, named after the island, became widespread in Europe, they began to serve on merchant and military ships. They were otherwise called “divers.” Dogs of this breed are distinguished by their intelligence and endurance, they are capable of dragging heavy weights and can jump into icy water without a command to help a drowning person. Their physiological characteristics allow them to stay in very low temperature water for a long time, and this will not harm their health. Anatomical structure eyes (presence of a third eyelid), interdigital membranes on the paws and a special device ears allows them to dive to depths of up to 30 meters or more.
Training of Newfoundland puppies is carried out according to the methodology used for all breeds service dogs until about 4-6 months, and then specific techniques are used: learning to be in a boat, the ability to swim behind a boat for a distance of up to 500 meters, and the like. If the dog owner is a beginner, he should be trained in first aid techniques for those rescued from the water - artificial respiration, warming massage, treatment of fractures and wounds.
In 1949, Germany established an official standard for the Leonberg breed, which is a mixture of St. Bernard, Pyrenean Mountain and Newfowland. Heinrich Essing was involved in breeding a new breed. The bred dog had a strong instinct to save drowning people, muscularity and strength, a height of up to 80 cm, a weight of up to 40 kg and waterproof wool. To serve as a water rescuer, a dog requires absolutely short course special training.
Initially, fate destined the Labrador breed to be water rescuers - these animals were excellent at finding those who found themselves in the water due to a storm. They are strong and resilient and remember up to two hundred different commands.
Breeds of mountain rescue dogs.
It is believed that oldest breed rescue dogs – Alaskan Malamute. This breed has the habits of a wolf, it rarely barks and its external characteristics strongly resemble its forest counterpart. In a very short time, a devoted dog can dig a hole. large sizes, so great is his strength and agility. But he will not dig just like that: from afar he will sense the rubble and the injured person, and will never confuse him with an animal, and will dig him up in the shortest possible time, carefully, without causing harm, and deliver him to the nearest rescue point.
Rescue dogs in the mountains
Main tasks search dog in the mountains are the following:
Find the victim and indicate his location by barking, or by grabbing a special diarrhea with your teeth;
Do not be distracted by extraneous stimuli (noises, smells);
Be friendly, do not show aggression towards those who appear at her call medical workers, human rescuers and other dogs;
Have a keen sense of smell and endurance;
Have the ability to concentrate on the task at hand.
The following skills can be taught and used in search and rescue operations in the mountains:
Spaniels;
Labrador Retrievers;
Drathaars;
Rottweilers;
Laek;
Border collies (mainly abroad, as their cost is high) and other breeds.
Dog serving in search expedition, should not be too large, as it will have to get through rubble and small holes. In order not to get confused and not to be injured in caves, the surfaces of which are covered with rhizomes, it is better for the animal to have not too long hair, but it will be difficult for short-haired animals, the optimal coat is medium. Such a dog must be obedient and, at the same time, be able to make decisions independently.
Despite these requirements, which would seem to exclude the possibility of participation in mountain expeditions to save St. Bernards - large dogs with rather long hair, employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are well aware of the story of a selfless rescuer - St. Bernard Barry, which happened in the Alps back in the 19th century. Barry managed to save 40 people. The dogs of the monastery founded by Saint Bernard were trained to find people covered in snow or fallen through the Saint Bernard Pass and warm them up with their bodies and licking their faces while their relatives ran away for help.
Dogs in service in the Ministry of Emergency Situations
Canine services exist in every regional center; it is a branched structure of professional and volunteer teams. There are such well-known canine units as PSSC (Search and Rescue Canine Service) and Tsentrospas. Dogs undergo special selection through testing, which is carried out for puppies in the first three months of birth. Puppies that do not have a sufficient sense of smell or exhibit fear will not be accepted into rescue services. Upon completion of training, each animal passes an exam and is assigned to the Ministry of Emergency Situations that is optimally suited for its demonstrated qualities.
Man's best friend, everyone has known this for many years. However, there are not just friends, but real savers of human lives. Some breeds are better than others amenable to training to provide first aid in any extreme situation - we’ll talk about them in the article.
Of course, special, inflated requirements are put forward for those who are called upon to save human lives:
- Excellent sense organs: eyes, ears, nose.
- Determined but good-natured character. She must communicate well with any person, because she will have to save hundreds of different “souls.”
- Good physical fitness and endurance. On the path to a noble goal, you will certainly have to overcome many obstacles.
- Stable nervous system. The dog will have to work hard, and he must always be in excellent shape.
- Obedience. The dog must be easy to train.
Did you know? named Trepp was included in the Guinness Book of Records. He helped catch hundreds of criminals and more. One day, at another demonstration of dog skills, Trepp had the task of finding a dozen bags of illegal substances. The dog found 11.
The best of the best
Very often there are representatives of canines that save a person without having an impressive pedigree. However there is certain breeds, who literally have a zeal for exploits in their blood.
Depending on the breed, there are certain rescue jobs that a particular dog will do better than others, and specialized training will come easily to them.
It is considered a breed that will make an excellent water rescue dog. This large dog with an unusually kind character is able to overcome enormous distances on the water, swims perfectly and has a physical ability pull a drowning person out, even from icy water.
This canine representative has very developed instincts, so without hesitation he will rush to the aid of a drowning person and effortlessly pull him to shore. Another important advantage is the ability of the four-legged giant to dive to a depth of 30 meters. 
Retrievers are perhaps the most good-natured dogs that can often be found among search and other rescue teams. Their incredible ability to learn, be patient and express compassion plays a huge role in those called upon to respond to floods, landslides and other natural disasters. 
Dogs can flawlessly go on searches for several hours, and even days, without requiring much time to rest. And the good disposition and eternal positivity of Labradors can lift the spirits of affected children.
Since childhood, he has been associated with a large, imperturbable dog named Beethoven. However, few people know that this breed has saved many human lives high in the mountains. Saint Bernard is a dog that is an indispensable rescuer in the mountains. 
The impressive size of representatives of this breed, physical fitness, as well as a dense coat allow them to feel great in conditions of negative temperatures and snowfalls. Serious temperature changes in the mountains are tolerated by these dogs without problems.
Did you know? The most famous mountain rescuer was a St. Bernard named Barry. During his 12-year rescue service, the four-legged hero saved 41 people, including a small child.
“Of course,” - this is how you can answer the question about what other dogs, besides St. Bernards, help rescue climbers in case of unforeseen situations on the mountain slopes. 
German Shepherds They have an excellent sense of smell and are well oriented in the area. Exceptional mind and high learning ability German Shepherds have long been noted by many dog handlers. If this dog senses a person who needs help, nothing will stop him. low temperature, nor snow. Literally risking their own lives, shepherd dogs have been saving mountain climbers for many decades.
The ideal service dog. Many American policemen have such a valuable partner, because these dogs can catch up with any offender and protect the policeman from attacks. Loyal, intelligent and hardy Dobermans cope well with official duties, perfectly guard the objects entrusted to them and are very often awarded various medals and even titles. 
The Leonberger is a versatile dog that is highly trainable. A person can instill in it any important characteristics for many rescue missions. The main trump card of this dog is its excellent sense of smell. Most often, for this reason, representatives of this breed become detectives. 
The Leonberger is quite large, hardy and has excellent muscles. With proper training, this dog will become an excellent companion in extreme situations of any complexity.
Important! When choosing quadrupeds for certain missions, external data must be taken into account. Long-haired German Shepherds will be much more at risk in a fire, and smooth-haired Dobermans are unlikely to be able to jump into icy water.
Belgian Shepherds are quite large and have a dense double coat. The character is good-natured towards humans, however, it is very aggressive towards representatives of the animal world. Man uses the excellent natural qualities of this dog to his advantage: for service, protection, hunting, and even during fires. These shepherds are rarely seen as fire dogs, but there are also heroes in the fight for the lives of people in fire. 
A hunting breed that shows excellent results in chasing game. However, people have learned to use the energy of representatives of this breed for rescue purposes. Drathaar often assist humans in the coast guard. They are excellent swimmers, able to quickly reach and save a drowning person. 
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?
The main tasks of a search dog are to find a person and indicate the find by barking or by taking a special “diarrhea” in its 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 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”). 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. 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 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 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 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 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, which are 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 food ration, vegetable fats - no more than 25% of the food ration. total amount of 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, 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 (distracting stimuli), it 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 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, etc. 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 easiest way to avoid poisoning is to give your 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 as belongings unworn underwear of assistants or used in classes for a long time and lost its 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 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 major city there are monuments to rescue dogs; in every major city there live people whose destinies once depended on leather wet nose. Thank you, amazing and irreplaceable search and rescue guardians of human lives!
dog rescue training content
Bibliography
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- 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.
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