Welcome to Rocky Moutain Rescue Dogs!

The Management, Board of Directors and Members encourge you to observe and participate in training our dogs. Group training is scheduled one weekend each month. Please click on the Calendar to see our current training schedule.

Our dogs train in the following areas

Wilderness Tracking Water HRD Obedience Agility Avalanche

Wilderness or Area searches involve a victim lost in an area. The area is broken down into grids and each grid assigned to one or more searchers. Searching the grid is done with the dog off lead and free to move about. The handler works the dog back and forth watching for signs that the dog has caught a scent in the air. Wind direction is an important consideration when searching an area. Tracking or Trailing searches involve a victim with a known position before they were lost, such as at their vehicle or camp site, and an article with the victim's scent, such as a piece of clothing, car seat, etc. The dog is worked in a harness with a long lead attached and will follow the victim's trail after being introduced to the scented article. Wind direction is not important as the dog works with their nose to the ground. Water searches involve a drowned victim. The dog and handler will search an area by working a grid on a boat. The dogs are trained to indicate when they have the scent. A GPS is used to mark the position of the boat every time the dog indicates which allows the handler to zero in on the source of the scent. Divers are sent into the water to finish the search once the location where the scent leaves the water is found. Cadaver or Human Remains Detection(HRD) searches involve a deceased victim. The dog and handler will search an area by working a grid. The dog may be able to smell remains as small as a tooth or buried several feet underground. Obedience training involves teaching the dogs the standard commands of sit, down, stay and come. More advanced obedience commands include stopping, alerting (such as a bark), moving slow or fast, staying while the handler is out of site and loading into a vehicle or crate for travel. Agility training prepares the dog for working on a variety of surfaces and conditions. The dog is taught to climb ramps, jump onto platforms, go through tunnels and walk, sit or stay on elevated platforms. More advanced agility includes climbing ladders and jumping over obstacles. Avalanche work is one of the greatest challenges that we face. Many of the searchers and dogs also find this the most thrilling areas to search. The most critical element in finding a person alive is time. Most victims, who survive the ride, will not live past 20 minutes if they are fully buried. This means that the members of the victims party have the best chance to unbury their peer alive. This is why we preach and live the essential skills of proper transceiver use and snow safety.

What you should expect at a training session

Weather plays an important role in our our training sessions, be it blizzard or blazing sun. Training in all weather conditions is important to our mission. Be prepared with proper gear for all types of weather conditions.

If you are interested in participating

Call the non-emergency number 801-241-0250. If you are interested in becoming a member see our Candidate Package for details.

Upon arrival at training session

Contact a member of the Management Committee to receive the days agenda.