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With its nose, this dog can save lives.
Here in the mountains near Obermaiselstein in the Allgäu, he learns to find people buried in the snow.
Eleven animals make up the Allgäu avalanche dog squadron, which practice their work on a prepared slope.
The dog handlers work for the mountain rescue service.
Dog handler: "Surprised person addressable, male, 32."
Xaver Hartmann, Allgäu Mountain Rescue Dog Unit: »The avalanches are prepared with snow groomers. Caves are dug in there, where we then have figures, two helpers, who lie in there. They are dug in there and then the handler and the dog are used. He then gets a situation from the head of operations: an avalanche, one or two, maybe several people buried.”
The chances of rescuing someone who was buried alive from an avalanche decrease rapidly over time - the victims often run out of air at some point.
Therefore, quick action, especially by other skiers or hikers, is the order of the day.
Nevertheless, the dogs can often rescue buried people in time.
Stephan Dörk, dog handler: »The weather like today is ideal: cold, a little fresh air, freshly snowed, that's great. It becomes more difficult when there is wet snow that is already compacted by nature, where the odorous substances do not come to the surface. If there is also sunshine, then it becomes relatively difficult for the dog.«
Almost every breed of dog is suitable as an avalanche dog.
Because their play instinct is the decisive advantage of the sniffing noses when tracking down the avalanche victims.
Stephan Dörk, dog handler: »You can do it in very different ways. Some do it with toys, some do it with food. Depending on what the dog really likes, he gets that as a reward, as a daily wage.«
Despite rescue helicopters, airbags and avalanche search devices - the dog unit is always an important addition to the technical equipment.
