On the subject of requirements for rescue dogs, see Wikipedia:
Character: Dogs are expected to have so-called character strength; the animal must not show aggression or extreme fear towards people or animals.
Physical requirements: The dog should be of medium size and not too heavy.
Dog breeds: There is no typical rescue dog. In principle, all willing and powerful, open-minded and not too heavy dogs are suitable if they bring along physical health, dexterity, strong nerves, willingness to learn and friendliness towards people and conspecifics. Working dog breeds are used most frequently, but this is not a mandatory requirement. For example, the Nordic dog breed of the Samoyed, which is considered difficult to train, can also be used successfully as a rescue dog under a consistent rescue dog handler.”
One might think that Spitz would be well suited for this demanding job given their medium size, physical dexterity and great willingness to cooperate. Why then do you mainly find working dog breeds such as shepherds and hunting dogs or crossbreeds in the squadrons and only very rarely a spitz?
On the one hand, certainly because the larger laces have become so rare that you don't find them anywhere anymore; on the other hand, unfortunately, sometimes because even experienced dog trainers, out of ignorance, often do not do justice to the tips and do not trust them to be able to solve complex tasks. This is extremely unfortunate, because people who have a "good relationship" with their Spitz and train them with consistency and respect can also grow into successful rescue dog teams with their four-legged friends.
My first Spitz was the male Wolfsspitz "Prinz", and together with him I also got to know the rescue dog work. Luckily, I didn't know then about the common prejudices that unfortunately are still held against the top dogs to this day, nor did our relay comrades let us feel their concerns, so that we were ready to take our first rescue dog test in the usual two-year training period. Prinz was not only always highly motivated and enthusiastic in training, but also in the many missions that we have endured together over the years, he was more reliable and resilient than almost any other dog. With complete trust in me, his handler, he climbed over every obstacle, searched pretty much every terrain and the most diverse debris layers in heat, cold and darkness and completed a lot of demonstrations. He passed his final exam at the age of 11 and still enjoyed training until he was 15.
With my Großspitz bitch Aska I started training when she was 6 months old and she has been enthusiastic about it from the start : Her agility and low body weight is a great advantage when climbing over the equipment or debris, she is almost as fast as the Malinois off-road, and the praise of the whole group when she has mastered a new task easily passes her by grow 10 cm. We never get bored here and with this job I can really satisfy their curiosity, joy of discovery and enthusiasm for work. The adventures shared together allow mutual trust to grow and strengthen the bond between man and dog. Aska certified rescue dog in of surface and rubble search.
A guest post by Claudia Götting
Text and images: Claudia Götting