Rescue Dogs Demonstrate their Skills
Yoshinori Ishii
The Nippon Foundation
The Nippon Foundation
International Tests held in Hakone, Japan
Indepth Articles
[Jan. 07, 2010]
A handler and a dog take part in schoolyard testing
Rescue Dogs, who use their sense of smell to search out disaster victims pinned down by earthquake debris or buried in the earth following a landslide, are increasingly in the spotlight. This past November, an NPO named "Rescue Dog Trainers' Association" (RDTA; director: Hidehiro Murase), held international rescue-dog tests at an abandoned school in the famous resort town of Hakone, Japan. Tests also included recruitment testing for rescue dogs being considered for the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Department.
A dog traverses a seesaw
This was the 11th time that these tests have been held. This year, the tests were overseen by two judges: Kazuhiro Sawada, director of the Sawada Dog Training School, and Alphonse Fieseler, an official judge with the International Rescue Dog Organization and former head of the German National Railways security dog training school. At the opening ceremony, Murase described the aftermath of a September 30 earthquake on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where he and his six-year-old German shepherd Eros contributed to rescue activities.
Listening to the review of judge Fieseler after completing the tests
A total of 46 dogs were tested over four days in tests ranging from basic aptitude testingto the very advanced level-B testing. Each level was divided into the three categories of obedience, proficiency, and searching through rubble. Dogs were judged in tests incorporating a seesaw, cloth tunnel, rubble, horizontal ladder, and various other equipment. In the tests administered on the morning of the 27th, only one dog passed with flying colors—a score of 48 out of 50. 35 points was the cutoff point, but only about 20% of the dogs passed.
Discovering a person in a demonstration
Regardless of size or breed, says Murase, rescue dogs “are mainly dogs kept by ordinary families overseas, who undergo steady training in each household while practicing to increase their capacity to focus.” During one break in the testing, a demonstration showed how a dog searches for people trapped in wreckage. A 10-year-old Belgian Shepherd Dog named Al entered the abandoned school building and found two people hidden inside. According to judge Sawada’s review, the dog performed remarkably well, scoring a total of 197 out of a possible 200 points over the four days.
Observers from Taiwan and Murase (center)
Based in Salzburg, Austria, the International Rescue Dog Organization (IRO), is an international volunteer organization with 84 member organizations in 35 countries. In 2003, it was incorporated into the United Nations’ international rescue system. It stands ready to deploy immediately upon request when disaster strikes anywhere in the world. The RDTA also certifies and trains water rescue dogs; the Nippon Foundation provides the funding support needed to purchase the equipment required for this certification and training.