Johanniter rescue dog team passes demanding trailing test
A Johanniter rescue dog team from Landshut has successfully passed a challenging mantrailing test in Peißenberg, where only two of twelve participating teams completed the course. Kerstin Garhammer and her German Pinscher Franzi demonstrated exceptional teamwork and skill.
Landshut/Peißenberg – A demanding mantrailing test took place on September 26 and 27 in Peißenberg, Upper Bavaria. Out of twelve participating rescue dog teams from across Germany, only two successfully completed the rigorous evaluation. One of these successful teams was from the Johanniter rescue dog unit in Landshut, with handler Kerstin Garhammer and her German Pinscher, Franzi.
Mantrailing involves a specially trained rescue dog following the unique scent of a specific person. The dog must remain focused on the individual scent trail, navigating through numerous other smells, diversions, and potential distractions. This task presents a significant challenge, particularly with older scent trails, testing the dog's capabilities and concentration, as well as the human-animal partnership.
For Kerstin Garhammer, the test is not the sole objective. She stated, "Giving the working dog a meaningful task to be able to help people in need as a competent team in an emergency situation is the best motivation." The Johanniter rescue dog unit in Landshut is actively seeking new interested individuals who wish to train themselves and their dogs for this demanding role.
Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe (JUH) is a major German aid organization providing a wide range of social services, including emergency medical services, disaster relief, and social care. Their specialized rescue dog units play a crucial role in searching for missing persons.