Training Rescue Dogs!
Virginia Beach, VA—… With a large pile of concrete rubble and other practice courses, the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Training Center on South Birdneck Road has one of the best search-and-rescue training sites. The dogs were exposed to scents and scenarios, from being lowered in a harness to sniffing out hidden “victims” to ignoring distractions, like a juicy ham or a caged guinea pig. Turning puppies into lifesaving dogs is all a matter of manipulation, said Jim Ingledue, a local firefighter and search-team manager for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “We like to believe that they care about us,” he said. “They’re just excited that the buried people always, always, always in their training have toys…. We take that and manipulate it for our own use and turn them into lifesavers.” For Bailey, it’s all about her blue and orange canvas Frisbee disc. For Stella, a 1-year-old black Labrador, it’s all about a green rope toy. The dogs, who came from as far as California, were mostly Labradors, German shepherds, Belgian Malinois, golden retrievers and herding dogs, such as border collies. Those breeds make the best rescue dogs, Ingledue said…. (April 11, 2009) —Photo: Hyunsoo Leo Kim | The Virginian-Pilot
[ Source with several more wonderful photos ]
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