Search and rescue training
Rescue training of a dog is serious work. It is not a hobby you can actually compete in but training yourself and the dog for practical situations of searching lost persons from woods or ruins after catastrophe or accident. The readiness of the dog and its handler to work on these purposes is being tested with different tests of levels A and B. The dog has to master agility on different kind of obstacles, obedience and a searching part on field (ruined buildings) to pass the test linked with ruins. Another part of the training is search in the woods and other difficult terrains including obedience, searching and tracking.
It is surprising how various different breeds, not only alsatians, can have ideal tendencies for this sort of working. One of these breeds is the poodle. On this page one brave and enthusiastic young poodle boy, which has begun his trainings for searching and tracking almost as a puppy is being presented (pictured below).
This dog is 2 year old miniature poodle male, Woolly Bohemia's Dream Weaver, "Leevi". Leevi goes in for obedience trainings since 4 months of age and is flourishing on agility fields. He took part into the first agility competition only in the midsummer of 2000 and was qualified for the second highest class already in September in the same year! Leevi has been awarded with the first prize in a dog show, which means that his conformation is excellent quality. He has healthy knees, C-hips and no signs of PRA.
Leevi has turned out to be the most promising little rescue dog. His learning capacity is high as well as the motivation for patient tracking and searching.
He was taken to the training sessions only as a four month old puppy. The practices included play and tit bits given by other handlers who were gathered in a circle around him. The puppy was let to run from person to person to fetch a bit of a sausage. This is how everything began, little by little. Now Leevi is already searching people who are hiding in odd places and learning how to reveal the found person by barking.
Here is a rare series of pictures of this working miniature poodle in action:
Leevi is getting ready...and the rushing after a hidden woman. The dog on search has an orange vest on.
The woman has been found and Leevi is waiting for his reward, the rope.
The tug-of-war must be the best part of the practice!
The happy poodle boy after the training