It's National Dog Week and We're Thinking About Avalanche Rescue Dogs

Avalanche search-and-rescue dogs have been an integral part of Mammoth Mountain’s safety team since 2004. | Image: Mammoth Mountain

There are many people at a ski resort who ensure that skiers, snowboarders, staff, and guests are safe on the mountain. However, avalanche dogs are the unsung heroes of the backcountry, the frontcountry, the sidecountry- anywhere that humans are buried in avalanches. Every year, the last week of September is designated as National Dog Week, and it’s got us thinking about them.

The Swiss St. Bernard is the original avalanche rescue dog. They were first used in the Alps on the St. Bernard Pass between Italy and Switzerland. The crucial passageway was an important route used by pilgrims traveling to Rome and was notoriously dangerous to cross because of weather conditions and Alpine bandits. Bernard de Menthon (also known as Bernard du Mont-Joux) founded the Hospice du Grand-Saint-Bernard in 1050 to accommodate and rescue travelers over the Grand-Saint-Bernard Pass.

The St. Bernard was used to help pilgrims through the pass for its ability to operate in cold temperatures and its sense of direction. They were also originally bred to guard and protect the people at the Hospice. However, St. Bernard also helped save lives when avalanches struck, and people became trapped beneath deep snow. The breed’s official motto: Dignity, Devotion and Sacrifice.

During World War I, the Red Cross would use search and rescue dogs to find and locate wounded soldiers. Word spread of the dogs’ abilities to find people, and a Swiss expert began training the dogs for avalanche rescues. Today, these highly trained working dogs are used throughout the mountains around the world to help save lives. The earliest written records of these dogs being used for avalanche rescues were in 1707.

A total of 23 people were killed by avalanches in 2025, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, and 12 in Canada, according to Avalanche Canada. There are an estimated 200 to 300 avalanche rescue dog teams working across the United States and Canada, according to the American Avalanche Institute. The next time you’re on the mountain, make sure to thank a patroller/avalanche dog for helping to keep you safe.