Two years now I have spent the Easter holidays in Sweden with Miklos, at
their traditional SAR dogs' Easter training camp. This year it was Diesel's
turn to travel with me. Miklos got a well-deserved diesel-free-holiday at
home.
We travelled in a group of 6 people and 6 dogs. All the other dogs have
passed SAR dog tests and know how to behave, except for Diesel who is still
in the learning. But he managed the whole journey very well. Travelling with
4 other males was no problem - we could go for walks together with dogs on
leash and there was no growling at each other. That is very nice.
Thursday evening. On the ferry travelling to Sweden Diesel got to enjoy
sleeping in a bed of his own.
Early on Friday morning we arrived at Stockholm. It was less than 1 hour
drive to the training site, which is Stora Vika, a big big concrete factory
out-of-use for many years now.
Altogether 52 SAR dog handlers from Sweden, Finland and Denmark took part in
this training camp. We were divided into several smaller training groups for
the 4 days.
In our group there was 2 Danish, 2 Swedish and 2 Finnish people. So it was
quite a mix of languages! It turned out that we all thought we spoke clear
Swedish language to each other, but indeed there still was 6 different kinds
of Swedish spoken! So we did also a lot of English and some German.
All the other dogs in our group were retrievers: 3 golden, 1 labrador, 1
nova scotia. And then Diesel the PON.
The other dogs were very skilled, good working dogs. Retrievers run really
fast, and Diesel seems SO slow compared to them (well, he is diesel after
all so what can you do).
But then again retrievers sometimes ran around many many times before they
realized where the scent was coming from; and Diesel just calmly trotted
there, got the scent, and directly went to the victim.
My main goal for this training event was getting Diesel to walk and climb on
as many different and unpleasant surfaces as was possible. And also training
in dark places.
It was very nice to see that the more we trained, hte more intense and
faster Diesel worked. He did not tired as the days passed by: he got more
excited.
On Friday we first trained in big empty factory halls. It was quite dark
there so there are no photos of video taken there. It was a good start.
After we had trained down in a dark basement a danish from our group said:
Your dog found the fastest even though he is the slowest.
In the afternoon we trained at a mine site outdoors. It was sunny and nice
and we were all red in the face in the evening having spent so much time in
the sun!
The people in our group got to see lots of Diesel-antiques and laughed a
lot... He is not quite "the brightest kid of the class" but he is really
trying!
The first evening we were all quite dirty. And we had entered Diesel to
international dog show in Stockholm the next day! Bathing time!
In the evening Diesel had little problems with his bed. There was a
retriever in it all night.
Saturday morning I drove back to Stockholm, the show place was not so far
away. Diesel was more white than black, so it was good enough.
The judge didn't like him so much, mainly I think Diesel was way too slim.
Working SAR dogs cannot have any fat at all, and after an incident with
diarrhea some time ago, Diesel has only skin and bones (and muscles),
nothing more. Even for me he is a bit too skinny now, so you can imagine how
slim he is compared to dogs in "show condition"... Anyway, he got a
reserv-CACIB and 2nd best male, and we drove back to Stora Vika for the
afternoon.
This is where we trained Saturday afternoon. There has been much snow also
in Sweden this year, and part of the roof had collapsed.
Diesel showed very much will to work after the show, so indeed he prefers
being a working dog much more than being a showdog!
Diesel has a peculiar habit of rearing when he barks. Also he often lifts
his hindfeet in the air as the bark comes out. This is a bit problematic
when he is somewhere up while doing indication bark!
Diesel to the rescue!
Both hindfeet jumping up in the air while barking - that must be very
uncomfortable!
A little bit clumsy
Last summer Diesel had lots of problems walking deep strairs (both up and
down) and in general he did not know he has a behind (and it is huge! lol)
and hindfeet. Little by little he has learned to more and more control and
balance his own body.
In the end of the camp he ran up and down the stairs that some months ago
were still very difficult for him to go at all.
We also did one training session with lots of noise around us. People were
banging stuff and making horrible sounds. Diesel has never before
experienced this so I was little nervous how it would go. But it was good!
He even went to see all the people making the horrible noise, thinking about
doing indication bark at them.
Saturday evening there was a big surprise at the camping site - a surprise
wedding! One of the arrangers of the camp got married there and we all were
his party guests.
I always imagined the Finns are great party-animals and drink a lot, and
that the Swedes sing most drinking songs. But then came the Danish and beat
us all!
In the evening it was the same old story again.
On Sunday we first trained in a building with one big hall full of vehicles
and equipment, and many small rooms like a labyrinth. Diesel was really
excited! This day he barked in the car constantly, he did not want to wait
for his turn!
In this place we trained some very difficult hiding places with Diesel.
Diesel thinks he can jump really high up...
He really doesn't realize he is not so big!
Training outside another smaller building, next to a hillside, Diesel really
scared me. He jumped down from the hillside to the roof of the house, and it
was at least 1,5 m fall. He did not at all look how big fall it was, he just
ran and jumped down. Pheeew!
There was a victim inside the house but no doors that could be opened so we
had to go in through a broken window on second floor. It sounds odd and
dangerous but everything went nicely.
We decided to do some extra training and went to a long tunnel under ground.
It was complitely dark there and water was dripping down from the roof. You
had to enter the tunnel walking across water that was 20-30 cm deep. That
was really difficult for Diesel! He does not even like swimming at all. In
the end we all (people) went in and left him there to work it out. After a
moment he got the courage to walk across the water aswell. Otherwise he
worked nicely in the dark tunnel.
In the afternoon we returned to the chalk mine site. We chose anther area
that previously. There was an "ice mountain" in the middle of small pond, so
of course I wanted to use this hiding place for Diesel. It took him a while
before he got the courage to walk into the water but in the end he managed
to do it. I don't know why he dislikes water like that!
Third evening was no different from the two previous nights...
Monday morning most people had already gone home but we were still training
until 5 pm.
We had booked harbour buildings for us for the morning. In this place there
is 100% dark inside and long corridors and there is one really odd room: it
is probably 30-40 m high, walls are round, the floor is tilted, and there
are "ditches" on the floor. And the walls, floor, ceiling are all black.
Even with the best flashlight, the light just disappears there. And the echo
is magnificent!
We just had to train there.
We got some visitors Monday morning: two PON breeders from Sweden had asked
for permission to come and see Diesel in training. Of course they were
welcome! And I have to say they were quite courageus: they also acted as
victims and got really really dirty!
Training outside in the harbour: Diesel found his way to the victim.
The victim is behind the tyres. Diesel tried to find a way there from all
directions: he even boldly climbed on the tyres.
Inside the harbour building. There was complitely dark inside.
Because the harbour building is really high, there are lots and lots of
stairs. I wanted to make one more special training with stairs for Diesel so
I asked a victim to go at least 6-7 floors up. And boy, did we get to climb
some stairs! But all the training had been worth it because now we were
running up the stairs! (and down!)
One very dirty, muddy and dusty Swedish PON breeder.
When we got back out, Diesel was rather black and dozens of dove feather
were attached to his feet!
Making the best use of all people, we still decided to train carrying the
dogs a little. Diesel thinks he does not have time for this and is not
always so calm while being carried. We have to train a lot of this in the
future.
Oh, look! Happy Easter everyone! The Easter Bunny is here!
In the afternoon we got together with other Finns and trained together in a
couple of more factory halls and buildings where we had not trained yet.
And this is Diesel after the camp! One happy working dog!!
Like dog, like owner... I was not much cleaner! Ready to start the journey
back home. As you can guess, when going to the ferry, nobody wanted to kiss
and hug with Diesel.
Diesel had his hands washed.
It was one great Easter holiday again. In the tuesday afternoon I got home
so so tired... And Diesel was thinking: Hey, could we do something now?
_________________