Search And Rescue Dogs Get Training
One of my favorite series of books is the Atlantis series by Bob Mayer. In the series, the main character, Dane, has a golden retriever and they are a search and rescue team. Search and rescue dogs do work that is at the same time needed during disasters as well as upsetting when you consider they find the deceased as well as the living.
A rescue dog recently passed away after saving 7 people in the aftermath of an earthquake in Ecuador.
Dayko the hero dog, who rescued seven people from under the rubble after a massive earthquake hit Equador, passed away from heatstroke this week. To put it in more emotional terms, Dayko died because he valued saving human lives more than he valued his own life.
The training that these amazing service dogs do is also something to learn about –
They climb ladders, run through tunnels and play hide-and-seek in the snow. They also go for a dip in the pool and get a pilates workout.
Three students at the Working Dog Center work on their agility.The dogs at the WDC are training to do a wide variety of detection jobs. Some will work in law enforcement, sniffing out explosives, fire accelerants and drugs; while others will participate in disaster recovery or have a medical focus, like detecting ovarian cancer or working as diabetic alert dogs. They learn through positive reinforcement and play — and fitness and obedience are keys to their success, too, says Dr. Cynthia Otto, a veterinarian who started the WDC and is the lead investigator in a long-term study on the health and behavior of detection dogs.
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The late Ted Bird, age 22
Ambrose Butterbutt, age 16
Peanut Butter, age 16
Little Ted Bird, age 6 months
The late Sweetie Pie
The late Sweetie Pie