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Everyone has probably seen an avalanche on the news or social media and has seen the destructive power that is associated with it. Avalanches are something that occur every year and over the last 10 years, an average of 27 people died in avalanches each winter in the United States according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Avalanches can be deadly and it is something the National Ski Patrol and first responders train for every year. Avalanche rescue dogs are a valuable and essential tool that assists rescuers when avalanches occur.
Finding people who are buried in avalanches as quickly as possible is key to survival and dogs are much better at finding people in the snow than humans. Most people die from being buried in an avalanche due to carbon dioxide poisoning and statistics show that 93 percent of avalanche victims can be recovered alive if they are dug out within the first 15 minutes, according to the Utah Avalanche Center.
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A dog’s nose is at least 100,000 times more sensitive than humans according to the American Kennel Club. That is a huge asset in finding the victims as quickly as possible and dogs are also known to cover as much as 25 times more terrain than a human being can in these situations.
Survival Rate Of Avalanche Victims Based On Time
Avalanche rescue dogs receive highly specialized training and are specifically selected and trained by the time they are a puppy. Hunting dogs and breeds such as Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and German Shepards are a common choice for this type of job. However, almost any dog that is trained properly and has the correct skill set can be taught to be an avalanche rescue dog. The traits of being a successful avalanche rescue dog are intelligence, friendliness, mild temperament, and a strong working drive.
Training begins after the puppy is selected and most dogs can begin training between eight to ten weeks old. Puppies begin with basic obedience training just like any other working dog or service dog. The puppies must learn basic obedience if they are going to be successful at becoming avalanche rescue dogs. If a puppy cannot learn the basics like to sit, wait, and lay down then the likelihood of them becoming an avalanche rescue dog is not high.
Dogs train on how to search for victims by using their extraordinary sense of smell and high working drive. The K9 trainers and handlers teach the puppies verbal commands and hand signals to perform their tasks while on the mountain. Verbal commands could range from “Search” or “Find it,” but almost any verbal command or hand signal could be utilized as long as it is used consistently. Most verbal commands are short and are one or two syllables long for faster and more efficient communication between the handler and the dog.
Some might find it hard to believe, but dogs understand hand signals given by their handler and will follow their command. Hand signals are used because of the terrain and distance these dogs can travel and communicating verbally with the dog can be difficult over distances. Many military and police K9s are trained similarly due to the loud sounds of gunfire, explosions, and other loud noises associated with that line of work that can impair the dog from hearing its handler’s verbal commands.
Conducting a mountain rescue is not easy and the avalanche rescue dogs have to be properly trained to operate successfully in this type of terrain. Dogs are also trained on how to ride on ski lifts, on the back of members of ski patrol, in helicopters, on snowmobiles, and how to be lowered from helicopters or ski lifts on ropes. Again, this is similar to military and police units who deploy K9s out of military helicopters and even jump out of airplanes.
The key is for the dog to have the confidence and trust in its handler that everything will be alright. The dog must believe that the handler will not put the dog in danger and have faith that it will not be hurt. If the dog does not have that bond with its handler, it will be difficult for any dog to be lowered from a helicopter or any dangerous situation at all. According to the United States Police Canine Association, Inc., “It’s extremely important that a deep bond is forged because, as all officers know, teamwork can prevent life-and-death situations. Forging a bond between animal and officer is absolutely vital.”
The dog’s training continues until it is about two years old when they are ready for training drills on the mountain. Rescue drills are practiced regularly where the dog must find and locate a mock victim that is buried in the snow. The dogs follow the commands of their handler until they are given the command “find it,” and the dog will search the terrain for the mock victims and proceed to dig in an area until they reach the body.
The dogs learn to do this at an early age through tracking scents under several feet of snow through games of “hide and seek.“ Trainers will hide people’s clothing, boots, helmets, or other gear for the dogs to find and reward the dogs for finding the gear with praise, treats, or another reward. Training a dog to complete this task takes countless hours, training sessions, and years to be done correctly.
The Wasatch Backcountry Rescue (WBR) is a 501c3 non-profit organization working in the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City, Utah, and is under the direction of the five Wasatch Front County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue divisions. They use three Levels of Validation for avalanche rescue dog testing which are Candidate (C), Resort (B), and Operational (A). A new puppy is a Level “C” or Candidate Rescue Dog. WBR conducts a very intense training program and this is the process for a puppy to become certified at an Advanced Level Certification:
The Candidate Level is the first step in the progression from puppy to a fully certified Level A WBR avalanche rescue team. Responsibility for determining candidate-level status is given to each WBR member organization.
“A” Candidate Level dog should be able to consistently perform Phase I of a IV Phase progression. Phase I consists of:
- The handler runs away to a shallow snow pit.
- The handler gets the Candidate dog’s attention and ducks into the hole.
- The Candidate dog is released.
- The Candidate dog should dig and bark at the handler in the snow pit for a tug reward.
At this level, the dog must demonstrate the basic behaviors necessary for a successful avalanche rescue K-9. These behaviors include a strong desire to dig in the snow, an energetic response to a positive reward (i.e. tug), proper social skills, and basic obedience.
The “B” Level certification is the second step on a WBR rescue team’s journey to Level A status. At the Resort Level certification, the rescue team is allowed to perform avalanche searches at the team’s area of operation. A rescue dog team must perform a simulated avalanche search to certify at the B Level. The test site will be organized at the rescue team’s area of operation, and the simulated avalanche site will be 1 hectare, approximately 100 yards by 100 yards.
The rescue team will safely navigate to the avalanche site and locate two victims buried at a moderate depth (3 to 6 feet). The “victims” must be located in 20 minutes or less. The Resort Level rescue team must also complete an obedience test to certify at this level. To maintain a Resort Level certification, the rescue team must perform a B Level search every two years. Typically a rescue team will attempt an A Level certification within two years of completing the B certification.
The A Level certification, or Advanced rescue, is the highest level certification offered by WBR. The Advanced Level rescue teams are authorized to respond to avalanche accidents throughout Utah. Handlers are capable of being responsible for all aspects of an avalanche rescue including forecasting the safety of the rescue party, dog search strategies, and overall strategy as an accident site commander. A Level handlers are full-time avalanche professionals at WBR member ski areas and agencies. The prospective dog must be at least 18 months old to test for an A Level certification.
To certify at the Advanced Level, the prospective dog and handler must pass a simulated avalanche search at a site outside of the rescue team’s home ski area, usually at another ski area. The two WBR evaluators for the test cannot be from the same ski area as the rescue team being tested. The Advanced Level rescue team must also pass an obedience test to certify at this level.
The size of the simulated avalanche site is 1 hectare, an area approximately 100 yards by 100 yards. Test site size may be adjusted depending on snow conditions and at the discretion of the evaluators. To pass the evaluation, the rescue dog team must perform several tasks. First, the handler must transport the dog to the site quickly and safely. The handler must then identify hazards and formulate a search plan.
Finally, the rescue team must locate all of the 1-3 “victims” within 20 minutes from the time they arrived on the scene. The rescue team must also work the entire 20-minute duration to demonstrate physical fitness and endurance. To maintain the Advanced Level certification, the rescue team must complete an A Level test every two years until the dog is ten years old and annually thereafter.
It is a long and in-depth process that the dogs must go through to become Level A dogs and be able to leave their home resorts and go to other mountain rescue operations. The training process costs thousands of dollars for the dog to become fully trained. However, you cannot put a dollar amount on the value of the lives of avalanches or any victims who need to be rescued. Everyone has heard the saying that dogs are man’s best friend. If you ever find yourself in that horrible situation of being saved in an avalanche by a rescue dog, there is no doubt that that dog will be your best friend.
