Ok, here’s another little bit about me.
In the 80s I taught myself how to obedience train dogs with books. I’m a book learner and a watcher. I went to the obedience trials per the AKC requirements (which is too boring and complicated to recite, and they are probably different today anyway). I earned a CD, CDX and UD titles for two GSD doggos.
Then I met two Boulder City Mountain Park Rangers (before BCMP and Open Space merged). Ann Wichmann and Jeanne Scholl were training air scenting dogs in Sunshine Canyon. I was curious, bought a book and started training with them. In 18 months I had two certified Wilderness S&R dogs. Ann and Jeanne had the first two certified dogs in Colorado and I had numbers 3 & 4. I learned orienteering, incident command, and how to clear an area with a dog and report back on probability of detection to IC. I got my MOFA cert. I learned high angle rappelling with my dogs. It was so cool. I wore a first responder’s pager, had clearance to go anywhere in Boulder County, Jefferson County and Summit County off leash because I was always running drills.
Then I learned urban, swift water, cadaver and avy S&R techniques. My employer was totally cool with me getting toned out for missions. I loved it.
It lasted 7 years. Body bagging a few lost souls up at Brainard Lake and Allens Park was part and parcel to what we did. Not so cool. Most people who get lost are dumb or depressed. I remember a group of lost hunters who we found. Back at their truck, we asked them to show us their route planning. They proceeded to lay their map out on the hood of their truck and put the compass on the map to show us their route plan. “Uh, that compass does not work on your metal hood, fellas”.
Love the dogs, the science and the mission. I have a Doodle designer dog now. She has an incredible nose. But she won’t leave my side. So, she can’t search. Plus her coat would look like tumble weed after an hour in the field.
Front Range Rescue Dogs still exists. I know absolutely no one in that group today.
Any dog trainers in the group?
Go Find!
Jeanne Scholl passed, sadly. She was such an awesome person. Ann is still working with dogs and participated in so many search efforts including the 9/11 disaster with her incredible dog and skills.