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For these dogs, the deadly serious business of avalanche rescue is all a game
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/03/12/avalanche-rescue-dogs/
It hardly looks like anything other than a fun romp: A dog happily sticking its snout into deep snow, tail wagging in the air as the nose goes deeper and deeper. But for dogs trained in avalanche rescue, it could be a lifesaving mission.
Canines have become invaluable at many backcountry areas and ski resorts, a role highlighted during what has been an especially deadly winter season. Thirty-three people in the United States have been killed by avalanches since Dec. 18, according to statistics kept by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Its figures show that deaths this season (a season typically extends from November into June), are on pace to exceed the modern record of 36 recorded in 2007-08 and 2009-10. Over the last 10 years, an average of 27 people have died in avalanches in the U.S.
The ideal dog for search and rescue is energetic, goal-oriented and playful. They come from a variety of breeds. Some, like hounds, are gifted at tracking; others, such as Labrador retrievers, have a keen sense of smell and can search in minutes an area that could take humans hours.
With their heightened senses, trained rescue dogs can find “a bullet shell, a piece of plastic, a ballpoint pen or a set of keys,” said Scott Guenther, who works alongside his yellow Labrador, Nahla, with Jackson Hole Search Dogs in Wyoming.
It hardly looks like anything other than a fun romp: A dog happily sticking its snout into deep snow, tail wagging in the air as the nose goes deeper and deeper. But for dogs trained in avalanche rescue, it could be a lifesaving mission.
Canines have become invaluable at many backcountry areas and ski resorts, a role highlighted during what has been an especially deadly winter season. Thirty-three people in the United States have been killed by avalanches since Dec. 18, according to statistics kept by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Its figures show that deaths this season (a season typically extends from November into June), are on pace to exceed the modern record of 36 recorded in 2007-08 and 2009-10. Over the last 10 years, an average of 27 people have died in avalanches in the U.S.
The ideal dog for search and rescue is energetic, goal-oriented and playful. They come from a variety of breeds. Some, like hounds, are gifted at tracking; others, such as Labrador retrievers, have a keen sense of smell and can search in minutes an area that could take humans hours.
With their heightened senses, trained rescue dogs can find “a bullet shell, a piece of plastic, a ballpoint pen or a set of keys,” said Scott Guenther, who works alongside his yellow Labrador, Nahla, with Jackson Hole Search Dogs in Wyoming.
More at the link.
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