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Adventure Travel

Video of the day: Avalanche dogs are the coolest

Watch these avalanche rescue dogs in action.


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One certified avalanche dog at Breckenridge Ski Resort can do the work of 30 rescuers in the same amount of time, in part thanks to their incredible sense of smell that is ten times greater than ours.

Dogs start training for this tremendous role at six to nine months, learning basic obedience. Beyond that, there is an additional two years of training.

When someone gets buried beneath the snow, rescue dogs, like Tali in the video, can detect the person very quickly to let first responders know where to dig.

“We’re really dependent on each other,” says Hunter Mortenson, first responder and avalanche technician, of his avalanche dog Tali. “I couldn’t do what I do without her.”