Working with CsW's in the snow

[mijke]

This night I did come back of a week avalanche rescue training with my CsW in Söll (Austria)


I did enjoy this week and also my CsW was happy with all the activity’s and did with pleasure dig out the victims in the snow.

And then she squeezed herself through the tiniest holes, to reach the victims:


With my CsW Chezka (Berta z vlci chaloupky) I did rescue work before, so for her several things she already did know. But this year also Martine did participate this week with her CsW Nomad(Anomad Debowa sfora)

Nomad did never before rescue training, but he was also prepared for this training week (Martine is active with him in the working dog sport). And also Nomad did joyful this work and at the end of the week he was just as good as Chezka with digging out people out of the snow!


Because we had sometimes also to be the victim under the snow (what was not so funny at all!) we could also make pictures of the dogs when they reached us. So I could make this picture of nomad when he did come to save me:


But besides this kind of work in the sun, it was sometimes very hard work and not joyful at all!

The dogs did not have any problem with going up in the cabin elevator when it was raining or there was a snowstorm. They looked interested outside what was going to happen.
But we were less enthusiastic when we did get explanation about our route and assignments at the top of the mountain!


But when a CsW can and will work, his owner has to do also! So every time again we did put on our snow Shoes and did start as real “die-hards”



Besides the activity’s with the dogs, the owners were also “trained” in: walking with the big snowshoes on slopes, working with transceiver and locator, finding victims with probes, making a snow profile, carry stretchers, working with walky-talky a.s.o.

Lucky the most days it was sunny weather! And when going up in the cabin the dogs were interested in everything outside:

And when going down at the end of the day, they did relax in the last sun:


Besides the work there was also “free time” for the dogs and owners. The CsW did have after the work enough energy for playtime in the snow!

And the owners did even enjoy ski time!
In spite of the low temperature the CsW’s did even like their play time in the River!


And that was the only thing their owners did not do this week!