Hard Work

Training is often hard, but real missions are even harder: on the spirit, on perseverance, on showing courage without carelessness, on social behavior, and in particular on relationships. Then everything learned in theory and practice is put to test under the highest stress and living in the dirtiest possible conditions. Please, don’t picture working with a search and rescue dog as a romantic jaunt in nature, just yourself and the dog. After days long walks in the rain through inaccessible woods or living in a somber tent with poor facilities in the stinking surroundings of an area damaged through an earthquake or explosion, you won’t be fantasizing for long.

There is no pleasure in the odor of a debris pile or a disinfectant substance. There are moments you will ask yourself why you are doing this. But the next time your dog alerts on a victim, you’ll be inspired again to work even harder.

Figure 13.4 Training is often hard, but things can become really tough during a real mission: on the spirit, on perseverance, on showing courage without carelessness, on social behavior, and in particular on relationships.

Figure 13.5 It is not just one handler or one special dog, but instead the whole search and rescue dog unit, that succeeds during a mission.

14

International Rescue Dog Tests

With the introduction of the International Testing Standards for Rescue Dog Tests (IPO-R) in 1993, we now have official and internationally recognized examinations for search and rescue dogs.

IPO-R

It took a long time, with a lot of discussion, but all countries connected to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), the international canine federation, along with all members of the International Rescue Dog Organization (IRO), agreed to the International Testing Standards for Rescue Dog Tests of the FCI and the IRO. The name chosen was IPO-R, which is from the German Internationale Prüfungs Ordnung für Rettungshunde.

With IPO-R, handlers from all over the world work together in the same examination programs. We can thus compare the training of different countries, and we also have the opportunity to bring the training of search and rescue dogs to the highest possible level internationally.

Figure 14.1 International IPO-R testing event in Craiova, Romania, in 2008.

Figure 14.2 IPO-R water work in Craiova, Romania, in 2008.

More Than Sports

Although these international examinations for search and rescue dogs are sport-examinations, the final goal is to prepare handlers and dogs for deployment. The general goals of the IPO-R test are as follows:

The rescue dog tests are designed to qualify each dog for its area of use. Successful completion of a test is proof of proper rescue dog training in that particular discipline. This is one of the basic requirements for determining mission readiness in participating organizations. Mission readiness is determined and awarded by home organizations, which can stipulate further requirements such as additional dog handler skills, electronic communication skills, alpine rescue experience or training, age limits for dog and handler, physical fitness, personal equipment preparedness, first aid courses, periodic re-testing, and so on. Dogs may take part in the rescue dog tests regardless of size, breed or pedigree certificate.¹