Animal heroes - the mountain rescue dogs

The two are one of over 30 human-dog teams in the province of Salzburg who are alerted in emergencies by the mountain rescue service. Markus tells me about their training, their missions and their life together - and Amy waits patiently in her place next to the mountain rescue rucksack. 

Amy, the clever superdog 

In contrast to many of her colleagues, Amy is rather small, the size of an Austrian Pinscher. Whereas in the past, old German shepherds were mostly used, there are now a variety of different breeds among the rescue dogs. Markus made a conscious decision in favour of an agile dog suitable for alpine use. With its 17 kilos and athletic build, it is ideal for operations in steep terrain. Amy's size also comes in handy when handling the rescue rope during helicopter missions, private mountaineering and via ferrata as well as when ‘shouldering’ (something all rescue dogs should be able to do so that they can be taken on skis). 

Austrian Pinschers are inquisitive, clever and friendly dogs. Their excellent sense of smell, which goes back to their original use as farmyard dogs for hunting mice and rats, is the basis of their work. This natural behaviour is picked up on and encouraged in the training so that the dogs search and find on command - and indicate this precisely. 

The training of mountain rescue dogs 

The training of rescue dogs begins as early as 8 weeks old. Only trained mountain rescuers are authorised as dog handlers, as the teams are deployed in alpine terrain. They begin to intensify their bond with humans in a playful way and encourage certain behaviours. They are rewarded with food or their favourite toy - and of course lots of praise. The training is divided into different courses, starting with the puppy and young dog course, followed by the A, B, C, CW course and various advanced training seminars in different areas. In the courses, experts impart theoretical knowledge based on the latest scientific findings and many years of practical experience as well as practical exercises, which are then repeated independently with the dogs. 

In addition to general basic knowledge of cynology, the different human-dog teams are individually catered for. At home, after the courses, the dogs are then trained intensively. The dog handlers join forces and re-enact possible situations. The training process is always the same, which is important for the dogs. Searches are always carried out with the same harness - so the dog knows what to do right from the start. 

Communication between humans and dogs is essential.

You set off on the search together - the handler indicates which direction to go and the dog searches the area. It is important to clearly indicate when the dog has found a person. A loud bark shows the handler which direction to go in order to find the dog and the person. 

In winter, to track avalanches, holes are dug in the snow layer where people are hiding. Depending on the nature of the snow and the thickness of the layer, it takes some time for the odour particles of the people to come to the surface. As soon as the dogs smell them, they start digging - until they have found the ‘buried’ person. 

What exactly does a search dog do? 

There are two different ways of training a search dog. Mantrailing is about following people's scent and finding the specific person. In area searches or avalanche searches, dogs are trained on the general scent of people. They generally search for people who are in the terrain or who are under the snow cover. 

To make it easier for the dogs to find missing or injured people, it is important that the dogs go into the terrain first in the event of an operation. A lot of odour from searchers makes nose work much more difficult. 

Amy, the lifesaver

Amy has already shown what she's made of twice in the field. She became a lifesaver last summer when she tracked down an injured, already hypothermic person as part of a large search operation. Without her perseverance and determination to fulfil her task despite the difficult circumstances, the person would probably not have been found in time.

On another occasion, when Amy was called out on a mission, the missing person could only be recovered dead. And despite the tragedy of these incidents, it is important for the bereaved that the uncertainty ends and the missing person case can be closed. Dogs do not show any emotions in such situations, as we humans do. Their goal is to find. Of course, this is always rewarded. Perhaps it is also this calmness and tranquillity that the animals radiate that can often reassure people in emergency situations.

What is life like with a mountain rescue dog? 

Amy, like her four-legged colleagues, is a family dog most of the time. They play, cuddle, climb, run and climb mountains together. Markus is always ready for action - he is alerted in an emergency and, depending on the location, is fetched by helicopter and flown to the scene. The dogs also learn this early on - they are not afraid of loud machines or flying. Membership of the mountain rescue organisation and work as a dog handler is 100% voluntary. The time that the teams put into courses, training and missions is unpaid - and that's why I'm all the more fascinated by the passion that the East Tyrolean-born dog handler and his colleagues have for helping in emergencies. 

In principle, Amy lives like any other family dog - until Markus' mobile phone rings and the two of them go on a mission. Then the three-year-old dog shows off her skills and loves working with her human. 

How can you imagine the human/dog relationship?

During our meeting, I was able to get a feel for how close the relationship between the two of them is. Even situations that are unusual for Amy are easy for her to master - simply because Markus is by her side and she trusts him deeply. I think that's also the reason why she enjoys working with him so much. But then, of course, I also want to know from Markus what makes living and working with dogs so special for him and what motivates him to put so much time into his voluntary work. His answer: 

The mountains are my passion - mountaineering is something very special with a dog by your side. You are independent and free, but not completely alone. I often travelled in the mountains with my previous dog too. When you're at the top in complete silence, looking at the mountains together ... it's indescribable. You simply understand each other, even without big words. In everyday life, in training and in action. That's probably what makes a good team. The desire to help people in alpine emergency situations fulfils me. Together with Amy, that's perfect, of course.