First training course for cadaver search teams was successful

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First Baden-Württemberg search teams examined

In the first training round in March and April 2022, 20 teams completed basic training as cadaver test teams over three weekends and were successfully tested at various performance levels.

Teams tested by two judges

Thanks to the competent and sensitive guidance from the highly committed trainers, all participants were able to get their dogs to freely search for wild boar carcasses in the area. Depending on the previous knowledge and level of training of the teams, a reliable display in the forest was already possible.
On the last day of the course, the performance judges Michael Seifert (JGHV performance judge) and Judith Preuss (BRH performance judge) took the sample test for ASP cadaver test dogs in the forests around Mosbach.

30 minutes for 3 hectares of search area

Four teams took on the challenging task of tracking down and reliably displaying at least two of three carcass distributions in a forest area of approximately 30 hectares in a maximum of 3 minutes. In addition to the dogs' performance, the dog handlers' orientation and comprehensive division of the search area were also evaluated.

Four teams successfully tested

At the end of the testing day, all four teams mastered the challenge and demonstrated their quality in the cadaver tests. A big thank you to the two judges and the test director Peter Schumann, who completed almost 15 km of walking that day inspecting and preparing the test areas. The TCRH would also like to thank ForstBW for providing the forest areas.

After the exam is before the deployment review

To ensure they are fully operational, the teams now have to undergo an operational review. The content of this test is the complex part of the operational skills. Here the operational suitability is checked in the overall context. Hygiene lock, GPS, map, compass, search tactics, room layout, coverage of the area, what to do if a carcass is found and tactical and organizational measures in your own area. The relevant training takes place online and at face-to-face events.

Training participants received individual support

The feedback from the participants, who came from hunters and rescue dog handlers, was very positive. The commitment and dog sense of training manager Kai Uwe Gries and his co-instructors, who responded individually to each participant, were particularly praised.

The fact that hunters and rescue dog handlers got to know each other and worked together was also seen as very positive. The participants' very constructive suggestions for improvement will be implemented in future courses. The screening and training of additional teams will follow in the next few weeks.

More information about the project

Minister Peter Hauk on the ASF cadaver search dogs project

At the end of the first course, we asked Peter Hauk MdL, Minister for Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection, about the project he supported.

Minister, what do you expect from the project?

The primary goal is to provide efficient search teams and operational structures for ad hoc operations on behalf of the authorities and thereby ensure the rapid control of African swine fever (ASF). The search teams are trained in the biological and technical location of wild boar carcasses and the practical deployment can therefore be coordinated professionally in the event of an epidemic. The training fulfills an important prerequisite for efficient ASF control in the event of an epidemic.

Why is cadaver testing so important for efficient control of ASF?

The ASF virus remains infectious in the environment for months. If wild boars that die from ASF decay in the forest, other wild boars can become infected with the disease again by ingesting maggots and contaminated soil. Therefore, the search and removal of carcasses is an essential part of eradicating ASF. Thanks to their excellent noses, dogs are far ahead of humans and are essential helpers in the search.

Why did the Ministry of Rural Affairs choose TCRH as a training and coordination service provider?

The TCRH belongs to the BRH Federal Association of Rescue Dogs e.V. (BRH) and offers education and training, training and development in the areas of civil protection, disaster prevention, internal and external security. The BRH is the world's largest rescue dog organization with a focus on biological and technical tracking. Since 1976, it has been dedicated to the task of providing search dog teams for official requests in its specialist departments responsible for training people and dogs with around 100 volunteer trainers. Together with the hunting cynological know-how of the Hunting Dog Association (JGHV), we managed to bring together experts from the relevant cynological areas for the project.

Who can apply to take part in a training course?

The dog handlers should be flexible in terms of time and willing to be available for searches lasting several days throughout Baden-Württemberg. Depending on the employer, exemption from duty is possible as the cadaver testing is a task commissioned by the authorities.

The costs incurred during the training (travel costs, accommodation, meals and training materials) are covered by the TCRH through commission from the Ministry of Nutrition, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg (MLR).

There are no requirements regarding the breed or documents of the dogs trained for cadaver testing. In addition to having a strong nose, the dogs should be in very good physical condition and not too old. Since in the event of an ASF outbreak it must be assumed that the disease will be present for several years, it is of course urgently necessary to use search dogs over a longer period of time.

When carrying out carcass trials, it is important that the dog is available and is not distracted by live game. In order to prevent further spread of the disease through ASF-infected wild boars hunted by dogs, the dogs should only concentrate on the carcasses.

First training course for cadaver search teams was successful