HOW I WAS INTRODUCED TO SEARCH DOGS
Elke & Jochen, USAR dog team
Back in the late seventies, I joined a small, private dog training group which had invited the late Reddy Toman (a Czech who had moved to Amsterdam after the 2nd World War) to Australia to teach us some serious obedience German-style, tracking and search and rescue. I had never heard of search work with dogs or seen anything like it but was hooked from that time onwards. The German Shepherd Dog Siegfried I had at the time was a very good tracker and to the level I was able to train him in wilderness search at the time with very limited resources, showed that he could have been a very good search dog.
As often happens in life, I had to focus on other things whilst at the same time keeping the dream of training my dog for search work alive. It was not until I met my now husband Peter who was just as enthusiastic as me about search dogs that with his help and support I was able to commence this part of my life's journey. From here on, Peter and I worked in tandem and what I write about my progress also applies to him.
Together, Peter and I went to Switzerland in 1994 (this was also the year we married and part of our honeymoon was the trip to Switzerland and search dogs) and had the very good fortune to have the then president of REDOG design a program for us that admitted us into the inner circle of both canine wilderness and USAR training.
As often happens in life, I had to focus on other things whilst at the same time keeping the dream of training my dog for search work alive. It was not until I met my now husband Peter who was just as enthusiastic as me about search dogs that with his help and support I was able to commence this part of my life's journey. From here on, Peter and I worked in tandem and what I write about my progress also applies to him.
Together, Peter and I went to Switzerland in 1994 (this was also the year we married and part of our honeymoon was the trip to Switzerland and search dogs) and had the very good fortune to have the then president of REDOG design a program for us that admitted us into the inner circle of both canine wilderness and USAR training.
The Australian Swiss Search Dog Association Inc. was born
On our return, and together with a group of people we were working with in obedience and tracking at the time, we founded the Australian Swiss Search Dog Association Inc. www.assda-sardogs.org.au on 19th February 1995. Peter purchased his German Shepherd bitch Olga and eleven months later I purchased my German Shepherd Dog Achim. Both dogs were very well bred with very good pedigrees having top show dogs in their lines - both being Haasenway Wild Knight progeny.
Labyrinth 2003
Achim was a high energy dog who taught me much. Together we became operational in three disciplines, wilderness, snow/avalanche and disaster search. Although not fully trained at the time, Achim and I took part in the the biggest USAR exercise ever held in this country (as did Peter with his bitch Olga). This was Labyrinth 2003 and was held at the Maygar Army Barracks in Broadmeadows near Melbourne. It was conducted over eight days and nights and we participated for about 80% of the duration. We were detailed on 16 searches and both teams had a 100% success rate. We worked with Task Forces from Victoria, NSW and Queensland. We provided these Task Forces the first opportunity to work with purpose-trained disaster search dogs.
Achim and I learned to crawl through endless tunnels, we learned how to work under trying conditions and most important of all, I learned how to put a bubble around my dog and me, thus getting into the 'zone', able to work regardless of distractions and difficulties. My learning curve was huge.
We went on deployment searching for a missing person near Mt Baw Baw and this was yet another learning curve for me. Training and exercises is one thing, deployment is yet another big step.
Wilderness & Snow/Avalanche Search
As we had twice been called out to assist in searches for missing persons in the Victorian and NSW alps but declined as we had never trained in the snow and had no idea how our dogs would work, we then spent three winters in Falls Creek training in snow conditions under the guidance of REDOG trainers. Achim and I passed the snow/avalanche operational test adapted for Australian alpine conditions. At Falls Creek I learned how to handle my dog on skidoos and on the chairlifts, an exhilarating and somewhat scary experience. Imagine being 50 meters up in a chairlift with a dog almost as big as me. For those who do not know me, I weigh 47 kg and Achim weighed 38 kg.
Under the guidance of another REDOG trainer and assessor, in May 2004, Achim and I became operational in USAR or disaster search. Together with Peter and Olga and our Adelaide member Alex and his German Shepherd Bitch Uschi (another beautifully bred German Shepherd and an Iwan vom Lechtal daughter) passed the then USAR operational test and Achim and I formed part of the first canine USAR equipe in Australia.
Achim died of bloat in August 2004. I was bereft. It was three years before I could talk about his death without bursting into tears.
Labyrinth 2003
Achim was a high energy dog who taught me much. Together we became operational in three disciplines, wilderness, snow/avalanche and disaster search. Although not fully trained at the time, Achim and I took part in the the biggest USAR exercise ever held in this country (as did Peter with his bitch Olga). This was Labyrinth 2003 and was held at the Maygar Army Barracks in Broadmeadows near Melbourne. It was conducted over eight days and nights and we participated for about 80% of the duration. We were detailed on 16 searches and both teams had a 100% success rate. We worked with Task Forces from Victoria, NSW and Queensland. We provided these Task Forces the first opportunity to work with purpose-trained disaster search dogs.
Achim and I learned to crawl through endless tunnels, we learned how to work under trying conditions and most important of all, I learned how to put a bubble around my dog and me, thus getting into the 'zone', able to work regardless of distractions and difficulties. My learning curve was huge.
We went on deployment searching for a missing person near Mt Baw Baw and this was yet another learning curve for me. Training and exercises is one thing, deployment is yet another big step.
Wilderness & Snow/Avalanche Search
As we had twice been called out to assist in searches for missing persons in the Victorian and NSW alps but declined as we had never trained in the snow and had no idea how our dogs would work, we then spent three winters in Falls Creek training in snow conditions under the guidance of REDOG trainers. Achim and I passed the snow/avalanche operational test adapted for Australian alpine conditions. At Falls Creek I learned how to handle my dog on skidoos and on the chairlifts, an exhilarating and somewhat scary experience. Imagine being 50 meters up in a chairlift with a dog almost as big as me. For those who do not know me, I weigh 47 kg and Achim weighed 38 kg.
Under the guidance of another REDOG trainer and assessor, in May 2004, Achim and I became operational in USAR or disaster search. Together with Peter and Olga and our Adelaide member Alex and his German Shepherd Bitch Uschi (another beautifully bred German Shepherd and an Iwan vom Lechtal daughter) passed the then USAR operational test and Achim and I formed part of the first canine USAR equipe in Australia.
Achim died of bloat in August 2004. I was bereft. It was three years before I could talk about his death without bursting into tears.
Advanced Canine USAR Dog Handler
Elke, USAR dog handler with Jochen
In October 2011, together with my dog Jochen, I became operational at the Advanced Level. The test was held at the South Australian Task Force USAR site at Angle Park and at the SES USAR site in Noarlunga, SA, and hour's drive from Angle Park.
I am very fortunate that usually I do not suffer from exam or test nerves and apart from the usual stresses and strains that apply to remote living, driving from one site to another and being ready to search depending on the timetable. I usually manage to stay cool and detached.
This means that as I am able to keep myself calm, I am also able to keep my dog calm, motivated and relaxed. This means that he can do his work without getting any emotional stress from me.
Deployment after the Black Saturday Fires 2009
Together with another ASSDA team Luke Edwards and Golden Retriever bitch Delta, Jochen and I have been on deployment after the Black Saturday Fires near Kinglake. Peter was our team leader. Jochen found a handful of small human bones, confirmed by Delta and then by the Disaster Victim Identification officers.
This was an astonishing feat as all our dogs are only trained on live 'victims'.
Switzerland
My handling, training and assessment skills in wilderness, snow/avalanche and USAR have been honed on several trips to Switzerland as well as working under the guidance of Swiss trainers/assessors invited to Australia.
I am now a qualified canine disaster search assessor and equipe (team) leader, an instructor and assessor for wilderness search and an instructor for snow/avalanche search.
I am looking forward to increasing my skills, knowledge and experience on this trip to Switzerland with my canine USAR partner Jochen. It will be a very real and exciting privilege to finally be able to have my dog with me when in Switzerland. Up until now I have only been an observer or been in courses, or an interpreter.
Prior to my life with Search Dogs, I worked with many teams in the field of tracking, obedience and in the very early years, Dogsport. I also developed an interest in helping people with difficult dogs.
Germany
In 1983 I spent 9 weeks in Germany, Switzerland and Holland visiting police dogs in training, attending the German national sheep-herding trial, their main breed show held in Frankfurt that year and their national working trials which in those days was held in conjunction with the police dog trials.
I have been blessed with being able to work with some top trainers in obedience, search and rescue, tracking and dogsport. However, I am even more blessed with the wonderful dogs I have had the privilege to share my life with and who have taught me the most.
Peter, Cesar Millan, Elke & Jochen
Ceasar Millan
Through the Victorian German Shepherd Club, Jochen and I were invited to go on stage with Caesar Millan at the HiSense Arena in November last year, 2011.
And, as I have already said, because I don't suffer from nerves all that much, this was a lot of fun. Jochen looked bored and Ceasar asked me if he is always so calm!