It’s time to face the fact that PRA is starting to affect Riva and his competition career is coming to an end.

We went to our first search trial this year. Unfortunately we didn’t qualify, mostly due to handler mistakes, Riva did his best (and a whole lot of running!). Obedience was not bad, 82/100.

We don’t regularly train in rubble piles, the nearest training area is too far. Its almost three years since Riva has been to rubbles but that didn’t seem to bother him when we visited the rubble piles at Tampere

Sarinka Muhonen took some pictures. The two last ones are from the last victim. I saw that Riva had a scent and suddenly he disappeared. I walked over to where I last saw him and found a little hole in the ground, he had crawled in there before starting his alert. I don’t know how Tuomo got himself in there, he’s a big man.

copyright Sarinka Muhonen

copyright Sarinka Muhonen

copyright Sarinka Muhonen

Riva and I were at a SAR certification test earlier in May. We passed the obedience, eventhough Riva reacted pretty strongly to sound distractions (9 mm starter pistol and a chain saw). Later it turned out that he had an ear infection which propably accounts for the reactions, usually he doesn’t react like that.

Riva also did very well on the actual search work, his motivation is excellent, alerts solid and we have learned to work as a team. The search area was covered with dense, high brush, the dog disappeared from your sight at 5 to 10 meters and it was one of the first really hot days this spring and no wind. I was a bit worried about how his stamina would be in that heat since he was still in full coat but that turned out to be a unnecessary worry, he lasted well. 

However, we didn’t pass since we missed one of the three victims. This was mostly caused by my handling mistake. The test rules limit the search strategy and if this had been a real search, my search plan would have been quite different and I’m confident we would have found all victims then. Well, hopefully I learned my lesson regarding test handling and now we first take care of that ear infection and then we try again.

I have also started to work more on tracking with him, to certify a dog for search and rescue you need to pass two tests of three: air scented, tracking or rubbles. We don’t have regular access to rubbles and most of the cases are also wilderness searches so air scenting and tracking it is for us. In relation to how little I have done tracking with Riva he is doing very well, he seems to be a natural tracker.