Search and Rescue

SAR Winter Survival Training

/ Sturmfalken
Yesterday we have had the Winter-Survival Training. We’ve had a great time, not only learning how to start a fire but also how to build a shelter to survive one night out. Since I have a background in the forestry I already knew a couple of things but I have learned a lot, especially about the different ways to start a fire.

We have also learned what is important to carry in your backpack and how to determine what is important and what is only extra weight.

a lighter and an alcohol pad is one way to start a fire 🙂
Cotton Balls dipped in Vaseline 
it burns! 
Building our Shelter

After the training we let the dogs out and did a little obedience training & swissies.  Wednesdays we are going to meet up to work out a better and more constructive training program for every single dog. 

SAR Training – Great Bear

/ Sturmfalken
Today we went to the Great Bear Recreation Area for SAR training. It sure is a beautiful, beautiful place and I now understand why there is a purpose for snow-shoes.
First we let the young dogs out to let them play and socialize a little. That way they got off a little steam. First M. and his two pups went out to do some run-aways. Then Indra and I got to do swissies. 
Swissies is an exercise where the helper takes the toy, runs away but doesn’t hide.
He’s just going into the opposite direction. Once the dog is ready, you let the dog go, the dog runs to the helper…
… comes back and indicates and then you shout “SHOW ME!” and run, with the dog, to the helper where the dog is rewarded. 
We’ve done mainly obedience in the past week but it sure has paid off. Indra showed some beautiful swissies and she impressed everybody. She’s done an amazing and beautiful job today and I am so proud of her and Judge. He got to do “mini-swissies” today.
I call them mini-swissies because he’s not doing the indicator yet. 

Busy with the Dogs

/ Sturmfalken

It’s been quite busy with the dogs.


We have taken a foster Shepherd in, next week he will be transfered to the Mid Atlantic Rescue where he is going to his new family. He is a gorgeous boy and I would love to keep him. Oh my god, I so want to keep him but we have four dogs already, plus Audie to watch so I can’t keep another dog. It’s impossible. Even though he is the sweetest boy ever. Since Mid-Atlantic already adopted a dog out to the family and they are approved and qualified, I have no doubt that he’ll have a great life over at Maryland. 
Yesterday I went to a Greg Doud Workshop in Glenmont. He is the most awesome Helper I have ever met. The way he worked the dogs was amazing. I don’t think there are many helpers like him out there, Most helper don’t even come close to his expertise. It was quite a drive to get there and on the way back I ran into a white-out. Believe me when I say that I don’t EVER want to run into a white-out again. It’s scary. Very scary. The white-out itself is not so bad, what makes it so scary is that people still drive like idiots. Seriously, you can’t see shit and still go 65 MPH? 
At one point somebody almost ran into me and I was happy and lucky to get home safely and alive!

The workshop is once a month and I definitely plan to attend each and every workshop I can take with him. Other than that I plan to go out there every Wednesday for the obedience classes and possibly go to Debbie Zappia to take obedience classes with her as well. We do need to do something about obedience, there is a lot of things that need to be corrected and I still have a lot to learn. 
Let’s face it. Training on your own only brings you so far and not any further. You can only learn if there is somebody that kicks your butt on a regular basis. 
Judge is being a good boy, especially the housebreaking part works perfect. We’ve only had very few accidents so far. I let him outside almost hourly and that makes it very easy for him not to potty in the house. 

He’s such a goofball, isn’t he? 🙂

The snow-search was an interesting experience, it’s been quite an experience to be buried in snow. It is not as scary as I thought it would be but we were safe. We had a kennel cover the upper body and laid on a plastic-sheet and had a radio with us so we were not in real danger after-all.

Anyhow, I am hoping the weather will hold up for Wednesdays & Saturdays training. I missed to much training due to the crazy weather conditions. I wished I could have went to the Greg Doud Seminar today but better safe than sorry. I don’t need to be the next fatal accident on the news.