Ruby and Telli Go to School

Posted October 13, 2022

 

The two newest members of Beaver Creek’s Ski Patrol team were hard at work the past few days, learning all the skills they need to go from rookie to rescuer! Ruby and Telli, alongside their handlers Toby and Gavin, attended Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment’s Fall Course.

Alongside 42 other dog and handler teams from across the Western United States, including teams from sister mountain Vail and nearby resorts Breckenridge and Keystone, Ruby and Telli socialized, focused on obedience, and did numerous drills to build their drive, which will strengthen step-by-step into learning how to become working avalanche search and rescue dogs.

Here are some highlights they learned during their time at school: 

Gavin and Telli at CRAD Fall School

Community

Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment (CRAD) is built on a common goal to help people, and the course was structured to foster connection between the community that supports that goal. With wonderful relationships between the US Forest Service, local law enforcement agencies, search and rescue groups, resorts from across the West, and many other organizations, teams were able to deepen connection between this dedicated and talented group of handlers.  
Toby and Ruby at CRAD Fall School

Obedience

Obedience is taught throughout the course – one of the early learnings was the different tones you can use to signal what you are looking for from the dog; whether using a command, praise or any other inflection. The proper use of commands creates a bond between the handler and the dog that allows the dog to correct itself for a command, as well as know they are doing their job correctly; it creates positive morale for the dog and fills them with pride to continue doing a good job.
Telli and Moxie at CRAD Fall School

Socialization

As pack animals, socialization and observation can be helpful for dogs. This is why going to school with 42 teams is so important – Ruby and Telli can connect with 40 other teams! At the same time, handlers Toby and Gavin can also connect to the community with other search and rescue teams, learn from experienced handlers, and gain relationships. 
Ruby at CRAD Fall School
Runaway drills were a large focus in this week of training – while it may seem trivial to an observer, this is a key tactic in training for search and rescue. By understanding the dog's personality and what drives them, as well as rewarding finding someone, this practice creates a brain connection for the dogs to associate searching and finding as a proud moment. A runaway drill looks like a “quarry,” or person who is being searched for, who is given a dog's favorite toy and is tasked with running away, causing a positive commotion, and finding a hiding spot. The dog is held back for a certain amount of time to test their drive, until they are let loose to go find the quarry. Once the dog has searched and found the quarry, that quarry plays with the dog and celebrates the find with positive reinforcement and affirmation, signaling to the dog that having found the person [and the toy they are now playing tug of war with] is the best thing they could do. These drills build throughout the dog’s training to increase their search and rescue capacity, adding time to the drill, introducing different elements, and eventually forcing the dog to search with its nose to find the human scent.   

As Toby, Ruby, Gavin and Telli return to the office (mountain), they’re excited to keep working on their skills and training to become avalanche search and rescue dogs! If you see them out on the hill, make sure to ask before you say hi, as they could be focused on skills or drills to further their training. And keep watching Beaver Creek’s social media channels to follow their journey from rookie to rescuer!