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Dog lovers from Breitenworbis: Volunteering saves lives with Team Dogs!
Volunteer “Teamdogs” from Breitenworbis have been searching for missing people for 19 years. Insights into training and operations.
Dog lovers from Breitenworbis: Volunteering saves lives with Team Dogs!
In Breitenworbis, a small town in Eichsfeld, the “Teamdogs” are committed to rescuing missing people. This volunteer rescue dog squad consists of 23 dedicated members who prepare themselves and their loyal companions for emergencies in intensive weekly training sessions. Loud MDR The exercises take place every Sunday in fields and in the forest. In addition, obedience training is carried out every second Friday at the dog training area, which is essential for the effectiveness of the operations.
The Teamdogs have established themselves in the region since they were founded 19 years ago and have already completed 243 missions. During these operations, which often lasted several hours, a total of twelve missing people were found. Trainer Lutz Behrend and his colleagues simulate realistic scenarios in order to optimally prepare the dogs and their handlers. For example, one of these scenarios could be a group of young women who do not return after a bachelorette party. During the exercises, the members play different roles - in one of the last scenarios, Deborah Stallknecht hid in the forest and was discovered within a short time by Andy Keilholz and his dog Nova, a Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog.
Training and techniques
The dogs' training includes various search techniques, including area searches, debris searches and mantrailing. The dogs can do a lot, especially when searching for areas: This method enables a dog-human team to search up to 30,000 square meters of confusing terrain in just 15 minutes, which corresponds to around 40 to 50 helpers. Dogs show their finds through various behaviors, such as barking, fetching or expelling people, which makes finding the missing people much easier, informs Johanniter Accident Help.
Another important aspect is regular training for dog handlers and their four-legged friends. The Federal Association of Rescue Dogs (BRH), founded in 1976, has set itself the goal of creating standards for training and continually improving them. All BRH squadrons adhere to uniform guidelines that guarantee the quality of the operations. Each team must pass tests to be operational, and annual re-tests ensure that skills remain up to date BRH website can be read.
The rescue dog team is financed from donations and membership fees; Members cover 95% of their expenses for training materials and fuel costs themselves. Such volunteer initiatives are a fantastic example of how community and a good hand for dogs can help save lives!