The battle of recent days in the ruins of areas of Turkey and Syria, affected by a devastating earthquake, is uneven. The death toll in both countries has topped 15,000 and time is running out.

Rescue teams in all senses peace with Turki rescuers and ordinary citizens are looking for the last traces of life in the flattened areas.

But they are not alone in the battle. They have with them faithful “friends” who speak a hundred thousand times better smellthey can climb, dig and run much faster than even the best lifeguard in the world.

The reason is that more than 100 trained rescue and search dogs that are in Turkey and Syria with the main purpose of finding living people in ruin.

Unfortunately, their work will not last long, as it is the turn of dogs trained to “sniff out death.”

Almost all rescue teams currently in Turkey and Syria have dogs with them. Greece sent three rescue dogswhile Mexico stands out from the rest, sending 16 rescue dogs with their trainers, as well as Croatia and Switzerland with 10 and 14 dogs respectively.

How they are taught

“EMAK dogs start training at the age of 5 months. They do not belong to any particular breed, as each dog has its own characteristics. Peculiarities. malinois they are amazing dogs, but sometimes I didn’t listen. German Shepherds are extremely obedient, as are Labradors. Also, in general, males are more enduring, and females are more intelligent, ”sources in EMAK tell K, indicating that their training takes place in stages.

Also training takes place in ruin where the dogs are looking for their trainers, who usually hold a ball in their hands.

“The whole process is carried out through the game, and each time the training is carried out in different buildings. Every six years, dogs and their trainers are evaluated head services,” EMAK sources say.

Half an hour of exploration by a dog corresponds to three hours of human walking.

The participation of dogs in rescue operations is critical, as studies have shown that half an hour searching for a dog corresponds to three hours walking for a human.

And where human endurance fluctuates, working dogs continue to work, with a sense of smell 100,000 times more sensitive than that of humans due to 300 million connected receptors in their noses.SS. we have about 6 million).

In fact, like most animals, they also have a special organ called an organ. Jacobson. It is located behind the palate and helps them detect hormones, pheromones, and other chemicals released by the body.

However, the fact that a dog has a good sense of smell does not automatically make it suitable for a rescue operation. It takes years of study to be able to participate in such ventures.

“Search and rescue dogs fall into three categories. Those trained in “open mountain exploration,” those on avalanche expeditions, and dogs trained in the wet element,” says Nikolaos. Vavatsikosdog trainer specializing in search and rescue.

“These dogs are called “working dogs” and are ready to go when they are 2 years old. The main characteristics they should have are to be outgoing and fearless. In the Rescue Dog training area, we will see various tunnels, stairs, swings and many other obstacles that they may encounter during their work,” he adds, pointing out that there is a whole philosophy behind this, since the Rescue Dogs have combined more important affairs in their life with people, so basically they are completely loyal to their trainer.

Air aromatization method

Mr. Vavatsikos points out that there are various modes of learning that can be followed, but the most common one is called “Scent of the Air.”

Dogs learning this method are basically trained to find live humans in mountains, forests, parks, or urban environments. Dogs usually work off-leash with their handler and don’t need a sample of the clothing or other item that smells like the person they’re looking for. These dogs are also capable of working in adverse weather conditions for hours at a time, ignoring distractions such as wild animals and strange sounds.

“Rescue dogs completed thousands of these exercises before going on a real mission. At the end of the exercise, the trainer always rewards his dog. However, in such difficult conditions, as now in Turkey and Syria, it can be difficult to do this. This, of course, will not deter a trained dog from continuing to search the ruins,” Mr. Vavatsikos pointing out that working dogs retire at the age of 10 years.

At the same time, photographs of rescue dogs looking for people in the wreckage are circulating the Internet and reminding us that we are talking about either LabradorWhether it’s a Golden Retriever or a German Shepherd, a dog is not only man’s most loyal friend. Many times he was also his… savior.

#TurkeyEarthquake: Mexico is sending its famous search and rescue dogs to Turkey to help find survivors under the rubble after Monday’s devastating earthquake. #ArianaNews #Mexico #Turkey #dogs #save #survivors #rubble pic.twitter.com/2BZ1WcfUnB

— Ariana News (@ArianaNews_) February 8, 2023

#TurkishQuake Now #dogs are Heroes because you rely on them. #irony #dogs Shame #Turkey decided to round up and kill all the stray dogs as inhumanly as possible. #erdogan https://t.co/hr6lXOJhV7

— PepeForNature (@nature_pepe) February 7, 2023