Search and rescue dogs do incredible work.
Using their powerful sense of smell, dogs are able to find victims who are buried under huge piles of snow. Dogs have to go through a lot of training before they’re able to perform these rescues, though. And that’s where organizations like Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England (MRSD) come in.
MRSD trains pups on how to do search and rescue missions in England. Currently, the organization has 36 dogs on their call list. These dogs live all over England.
It takes about two to three years for the organization to train these dogs. During this training, pups learn how to ‘air scent.’
“The dogs will react to a human scent being blown towards them by the wind or air currents… The dog is very sensitive to any human scent it finds and will immediately follow that scent to where a human is located. It will then indicate to its handler to let them know it has had a ‘Find,’” MRSD wrote on their website.
MRSD also made sure to emphasize that all of the dogs get treats and praise as rewards during their training. These hardworking dogs deserve all the treats they want!
One of the most important skills dogs learn is how to find people who have gotten trapped in an avalanche. Dogs learn how to sniff out these people and how to free them from the snow.
In February 2019, MRSD put out a video showing what it’s like to be rescued by one of these dogs from the victim’s perspective. MRSD used one of their trainees, four-year-old Flo, in this video.
The incredible video shows Flo’s handler lying buried in the snow.
As the handler watches, Flo digs through the snow, trying her hardest to reach him. Eventually, she’s able to break through the snow and reach him. Flo’s tail wags as she runs up to her handler, and he makes sure to tell her she’s a good girl.
MRSD posted the video of Flo to their Twitter page, and it quickly went viral. Everyone loved seeing Flo hard at work.
Everyone fell in love with adorable Flo, and many people asked if it would be possible for her to come and rescue them!
After Flo’s video went viral, MRSD provided more information about the pup.
Flo lives and works in England’s Peak District, and MRSD said she has only been working as a search and rescue dog since January 2019. In that time, she has already helped rescue more than 30 people! This good girl has some incredible skills.
Flo and the other dogs who work with MRSD are all amazing, intelligent animals! If you want to see Flo’s avalanche rescue, check out the video below. If you’d like to help MRSD pay for their search and rescue dogs’ training, consider donating to their organization.
Ever wondered what it would be like to be buried in snow and found by one of our happy search and rescue dogs? (Video version). pic.twitter.com/AefuhGGCeh
— Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England (@SARDAEngland) February 19, 2019
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