1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstock, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey Brainstuff Lauren 2 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: bogobaum here. In the wake of disasters like earthquakes, when 3 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 1: people may be injured and trapped by debris, there are 4 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: often international search and rescue efforts. Teams include structural engineers, doctors, 5 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: logistics personnel, technical search specialists, and dogs. Today, let's talk 6 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: about how search and rescue dogs and their human handlers 7 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: trained to help these teams save lives. Experts estimate that 8 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:42,200 Speaker 1: a single search and rescue dog can search the same 9 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: area as about fifty people on foot could, and in 10 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,480 Speaker 1: far less time. Time is always an issue in search 11 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: and rescue. In an avalanche, for instance, statistics show that 12 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: more than ninety percent of people buried in snow can 13 00:00:55,880 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: be rescued alive if they're dug out within fifteen minutes. However, 14 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: after forty five minutes, only twenty to thirty percent of 15 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: victims will be found alive, and after two hours almost 16 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: no one will. That means search and rescue dogs are 17 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: invaluable in locating people alive when time is critical. A 18 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: trained dog can locate a human being within a five 19 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: hundred meter radius that's some sixteen hundred feet find a 20 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: dead body underwater, or locate evidence like a human tooth 21 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: or an article of clothing at crime scenes, all by 22 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: focusing on the smell of a human being. We humans 23 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: are smelly creatures. We're constantly shedding a combination of dead 24 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: skin cells, molecules of hygiene products, dried sweat, the bacteria 25 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: and fungi that live with us, and various hormones and enzymes. 26 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: This combination makes up tiny flakes called rafts, which smell 27 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: distinctly human. Everyone's skin rafts smell unique, which is how 28 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: a search and rescue dog can smell an items of 29 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: clothing and look specifically for the last person who wore it. 30 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: While some dogs exhibit a stronger desire to track scent 31 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: than others, every canine out there has a powerful sense 32 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 1: of smell. Some handlers have a breed of choice, but 33 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: any medium to large dog in good physical health, with 34 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: decent intelligence, good listening skills, a non aggressive personality, and 35 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: a strong play or prey drive that is an intense 36 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: and enduring desire to retrieve a toy can potentially go 37 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 1: into search and rescue. Search and rescue dogs need to 38 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: be big enough to successfully navigate treacherous terrain and push 39 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: debris out of the way, and yet small enough to 40 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: transport easily. German Shepherds are a popular search and rescue breed. 41 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: They're typically smart, obedient, and agile, and their double layered 42 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: coat insulates against severe weather conditions. Hunting and herding dogs 43 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: like labrador and Golden retrievers and border collies tend to 44 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: be good at this work too, because they have a 45 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: very strong prey drive. Many people consider bloodhounds to be 46 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: the best breed for tracking. Their giant ears and facial 47 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: folds collect and concentrate scent particles right at their nostrils, 48 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:15,839 Speaker 1: making their sense of smell extremely discerning. But not all 49 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 1: search and rescue dogs perform the same type of searches. 50 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: Some dogs are tracking or trailing dogs, and others are 51 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: air sent or area search dogs. Tracking dogs work with 52 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: their noses to the ground. They can follow a trail 53 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: of human scent, typically heavy rafts that fall quickly to 54 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: the ground or onto bushes, through any type of terrain. 55 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: These dogs are not searching, they're following. Tracking dogs need 56 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: a last scene starting point, an article with the person 57 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: sent on it to work from, and an uncontaminated trail. 58 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: They work best when called in to follow a person 59 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: sent immediately after a disappearance, say that of a child 60 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: from a school playground, before other search groups and law 61 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: enforcement personnel contaminate the scent trail. Air scent dogs, on 62 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: the other hand, work with their noses focused toward the air. 63 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: They pick up human scent anywhere in the vicinity. They 64 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: don't need a starting point where tracking dogs follow a 65 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: scent trail. Air sent dogs pick up a smell carried 66 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: in air currents and seek out its origin the point 67 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: of greatest concentration. Air sent dogs might be called in 68 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,679 Speaker 1: to find a missing hiker located somewhere in a park, 69 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 1: or someone trapped an avalanche or a collapsed building. Different 70 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: air sent dogs can be trained with different specialties, like 71 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 1: urban rescue or evidence finding. Dogs can also be trained 72 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 1: to search specifically for human remains and even drowning victims. 73 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: When a body is underwater, skin particles and decomposition gases 74 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: rise to the surface, so dogs can smell a body 75 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 1: even if it's completely immersed. Due to the movement of 76 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: water currents, dogs can seldom pinpoint the exact location of 77 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:06,799 Speaker 1: a body. Instead, a more than one search and rescue 78 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 1: team will search an area, and divers will use each 79 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: dog's alert point, along with water current analysis, to estimate 80 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: the most likely location of the body. No matter what 81 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: their specialty, both search and rescue dogs and their handlers 82 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:25,239 Speaker 1: must train extensively. On average, a search and rescue handler 83 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: spends about one thousand hours to become field ready. They 84 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:31,840 Speaker 1: learn how to properly train a dog to find an alert, 85 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: and train themselves in things like land navigation, weather patterns, 86 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: radio communications, map and compass skills, wilderness survival, advanced first aid, 87 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: and various physical fitness certifications. Most search and rescue dogs 88 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: live and train with their handler and will spend about 89 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 1: six hundred hours to become field ready. Sometimes search and 90 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: rescue associations adopt dogs from shelters to be trained at 91 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 1: a special facility and then paired with a handler. The 92 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: central job of any search and rescue dog is to 93 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:06,720 Speaker 1: find a human scent, that is, find it an alert 94 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: to its location, no matter what weather conditions or other 95 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 1: distractions there may be. Depending on the dog's specialty area, 96 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 1: their core training may also include the recall, find or 97 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: show me, in which they find an objective of a search, 98 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,359 Speaker 1: return to their handler, and lead the handler back to 99 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: the objective, or what's called victim loyalty, in which the 100 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: dog stays with a found person and alerts their handler 101 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: by barking. The general approach to training a dog for 102 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: search and rescue is no different from any other dog training. 103 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,600 Speaker 1: The first step is to figure out what reward the 104 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: dog will work for, perhaps a treat or playtime with 105 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: a favorite toy, and then always immediately reward the dog 106 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: for correct behaviors. The training starts out with very simple 107 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 1: tasks and gets progressively more complex as the dog completes 108 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 1: each level. Obedience, focus, and confidence are crucial. Search and 109 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,359 Speaker 1: rescue dogs must be able to think for themselves, a 110 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: working off leash and away from their handlers in chaotic conditions. 111 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:14,239 Speaker 1: The ideal search dog can solve problems on their own, 112 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: but also always be aware of their handler. Search and 113 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: rescue teams are on call all day, every day. Dogs 114 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: often accompany their handlers to work and on vacation in 115 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: case a call comes in from law enforcement authorities. Typically, 116 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: a law enforcement unit will alert a search and rescue 117 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: organization to a case, and the organization then alerts its 118 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: team members. The case might be a missing child, a 119 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: group of hikers who never arrived at their campsite, a 120 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 1: collapsed building, an earthquake, or a new tip. In a 121 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: crime investigation, the places a victim's body in a particular lake. 122 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: The team loads up its equipment, which may include severe 123 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:58,679 Speaker 1: weather gear, ropes and harnesses, radios, compasses, maps, food, and water. 124 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: Depending on the dog and handler's specialty, they have to 125 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: be prepared to travel by helicopter or boat, or perhaps 126 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 1: to hike and repel to an area. Once at the scene, 127 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: the dog's training is fully tested. Distractions are everywhere a 128 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: people in dogs, searching reporters, floodlights, bullhorns. The search and 129 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 1: rescue unit leader is in charge, reporting to the head 130 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 1: authority at the scene. That leader gives each dog and 131 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: handler team a location to clear. If a dog shows 132 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 1: interest in a particular spot but doesn't do a full alert, 133 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: the handler will note the location. If the dog gives 134 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 1: a full alert, everyone mobilizes while human searchers dig or 135 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: dive or clear rebel to find the missing people. The 136 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 1: dog in their handler may be off to the side, 137 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,280 Speaker 1: playing tug of war or whatever the dog's reward of choices, 138 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: so that the dog knows that they won the game, 139 00:08:57,240 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: even if the missing person turns out to be deceased, 140 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 1: the handler will discreetly play with the dog. As long 141 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: as search and rescue remains a game, the dog will 142 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:10,200 Speaker 1: happily do their job until the handler decides it's time 143 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: for retirement. Yes, search and rescue dogs do retire, often 144 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:17,319 Speaker 1: when the physical rigors of the work start to get 145 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 1: to them, when they're around eight to ten years old, 146 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: depending on the dog and its specialty. Urban disaster work 147 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: in particular is hard on dogs and handlers due to 148 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: the physical and mental stress of dangerous, unstable terrain. In 149 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 1: the saddest news you'll hear today, some of the three 150 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: hundred dogs that assisted in the search following the collapse 151 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 1: of the World Trade Center on nine to eleven became 152 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 1: too depressed to continue working. So few people were found 153 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 1: alive and there was such an overwhelming smell of death 154 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 1: that the dogs were affected. When a search and rescue 155 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: dog does retire, they usually live out their retirement with 156 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: their handler. If the handler can't care for the dog, 157 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:04,679 Speaker 1: there are organizations that specialize in finding adoptive homes for retirees. 158 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: In either case, the dog enjoys a life of fun, 159 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 1: games and leisure, a much deserved reward for a career 160 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: of fun games and public service. Today's episode is based 161 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:25,040 Speaker 1: on the article how search and rescue dogs work on 162 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:28,319 Speaker 1: HowStuffWorks dot com, written by Julia Layton and Sarah g Lyme. 163 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:31,679 Speaker 1: Brain Stuff is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with 164 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 1: how Stuffworks dot Com and is produced by Tyler Klang. 165 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 1: Four more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 166 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.