How Are Search and Rescue Dogs Trained?

Sıla, Lezzet, Talo Tetik, Şilan, Maria, Rita and Proteo, whose names we have listed, deserve to be remembered for losing their lives during the search and rescue efforts. search and rescue dogs They came to save our lives through serious training.

Until your capeless heroes get to this stage what kind of education did he get is a matter of curiosity. Here is our content that we try to clarify the subject with the information we obtained from our trainer.

No advanced technological device is as effective as dogs.

All the developing despite the technology Dogs are still the best choice for search and rescue operations. Their noses are more sensitive than we can imagine that neither the thermal camera nor the seismic sound scanner detects them as well.

For this reason, dogs are still used in all search and rescue organizations. Even have certain standards A dog is a requirement to become a search and rescue organization.

The basic criteria for dogs to be search and rescue dogs: They like to play!

Unfortunately, not every dog ​​is eligible to be a search and rescue dog. Especially game like Golden Retriever or Labrador high enthusiasm for playing dogs are more likely to be search and rescue dogs.

The most basic criterion is that the dog loves to play and plays ambitiously. for this game ball or rope like a toy.

The most used method is to play with a toy.

The method mostly used in search-and-rescue training is that the dog’s with a toy and a playmate motivational training.

Apart from this, there are also trainings using food instead of toys, but it is not an ethical way to train the dog by starving it. Also, since a real wreck can have a lot of food, our pawed friend is very correct predictions may not be able to.

Dogs are being trained by creating a fake debris environment.

The trainer first plays with the dog and then hides somewhere in the rubble. Dog, to find your playmate He begins to search the wreckage. Since he can’t see or hear his friend, he uses his nose, which is the most important sense organ for dogs.

When our player friend finds the so-called casualty and barks a certain number of times, the casualty comes out and plays with him. Every time the dog finds his friend from now on starts barking. In short, he thinks himself in a game.

Additionally, the person in the role of the casualty constantly changing so that the dog does not get used to a single smell and constantly seek that person.

As soon as the dog gets bored of the game, the search is over.

Our pawed friends who come to our aid in natural disasters usually make 4-5 calls a day. more energetic Of course it can do more. If they get bored with the game, the training is finished immediately so that this game does not become boring for them.

In fact, he usually enjoys the game the most, at the peak of fun when it is left. So our cute friend continues his excitement to play again.

They are trained for at least 2 years.

Our dear friends, who are trained almost every day with command exercises, continue their training in wreckage once a week, and they are the most for at least 2 years After studying in this way, they attend AFAD exams.

Every search-and-rescue dog has to pass the AFAD exam.

Whether it is a member of AKUT or another institution; every dog ​​has to pass the AFAD exam. These exams ‘educational qualification and task proficiency’ consists of two stages.

Basic commands such as ‘sit-down-wait’ in the training proficiency test; may encounter in the wreckage area. on rocking floors and stairs It includes stages such as walking.

In the mission proficiency exam, a search is made in the debris simulation. In this exam, where few people are hiding, the dog, responsible for finding these people. He becomes a search-and-rescue dog when he passes all the exams.

The proximity of the trainer and the dog is very important.

It is vital that the dog and the trainer work as a team. Instructor; By watching his animal friend, listening to his voice, he can get many messages. your dog the certainty of his voice, the posture of his body, his gaze It can even give indications of how close the casualty is to the surface or whether they are alive.

For example, the level of confidence in our paw friend’s voice: “I smelled it, but I don’t know where it is.” in the form of a can send messages. So his trainer steers him the other way.

They may not react to a person who has died.

Dogs often only respond to live ones because the smell of a dead person is different from the live ones they are used to in training. Thus, when they bark that you’re alive in the wreck we can understand.

Pitbull dogs cannot participate in search and rescue efforts.

Pitbulls, which have recently been banned from breeding and have been called ‘forbidden breeds’ with strap and mouthpiece They are no longer allowed to take part in search and rescue organizations, as they must be

According to trainer Kutay Özkan, two trained pitbull dogs will go to the earthquake area to help.because of their gender they were disqualified from the exam.

Anyone with a dog can become a member of any search and rescue association and work.

Trainer Kutay Özkan finally states the following:

“For search-and-rescue much more we need the dog. Our current number of dogs may only be enough for İzmir. As the ‘Dog Garden’ training team, we are also working on these trainings.”

“All animal lovers can do this, discipline is required But you don’t have to be a professional. Any person can work with their dog as a member of any search and rescue organization.”