Nestled high above the north Idaho town of Sandpoint and the serene views of Lake Pend Oreille is Schweitzer, towering over 6,400 feet above sea level. Schweitzer boasts nearly 3,000 acres of skiable terrain amid the picturesque backdrop of the Selkirk Mountain Range. And despite having more than a quarter of a million visitors per year, the mountain’s most famous patrons don’t even ski on two legs. Annie, Abbey, Murphy, Maisie, and Reba have garnered a staggering following on social media for being extremely talented and adorable but also incredibly essential in the backcountry.
While there is likely not a human alive that wouldn’t love a video of a ten-week-old Labrador puppy playing in the snow, these dogs have a rather serious job to do. They are the Schweitzer Avalanche Dogs, trained to search and rescue in emergency backcountry situations.
“Their primary job is to work for Schweitzer, but they are also a regional resource and have been deployed to several places including Colorado, Utah, Montana, and Canada,” shared ski patroller and dog trainer, Jeff Thompson. He has been in the outdoor industry for nearly 30 years and currently works for both Schweitzer and the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center. Thompson is an avid recreationist and was drawn to a career in ski patrol early on, which brought him halfway across the country to Colorado Mountain College.
Thompson currently has two avy dogs: recently retired Annie and her new protégé, Reba the puppy. As soon as the puppies are weaned, training begins, with initial preparation starting as early as eight weeks. Alongside learning how to hone their impeccable sense of smell and instincts, the puppies will eventually have to learn how to safely travel on snowmobiles, helicopters, toboggans, ski lifts, and very frequently, upon the shoulders of their trainers while skiing down the mountainside.
Prior to selection, potential puppy candidates are screened at a very young age. “We’re looking for things like displays of confidence, a lack of aggression, and oftentimes Labs that are smaller in size,” Thompson explained. Alongside being easier to carry, smaller Labs are also less likely to experience hip dysplasia.
“We start with the basics like identifying common sights and smells on the mountain,” he said. Acclimating the dogs early on to not be distracted by things like pine branches and the sounds of a snowmobile engine, Thompson and his fellow trainers set up drills by burying items in the snow and practicing reaction times. These drills help to hone their ability to focus, often for long periods of time, as would be required in an actual rescue operation.
While most avalanches the dogs will work and practice on are triggered intentionally—prior to visitors arriving at the mountain—backcountry experiences are much less predictable. It’s important that anyone who plans to recreate in the backcountry has the proper safety equipment—most notably a beacon, shovel, and probe. While no one wants to think about the possibility of an avalanche, in the event that one does occur, beacons speed up the time it may take for others in the group to find those who may have been buried.
“I love what I do,” said Thompson. “I love teaching people about the importance of avalanche awareness and how to make good decisions.” Thompson encourages everyone to have fun and enjoy the mountain but to also ensure you know the conditions and have the proper gear.
