Training the Next Generation of Avalanche Rescue Dogs at Mt. Hood Meadows

Supporting working dogs and their human partners has always been deeply ingrained in the spirit of Ruffwear. These brave canines put their skills, stamina, and instincts to work every day to keep people safe, and avalanche rescue dogs are a perfect example. They search for people in buried snow, dig through snow caves, and navigate backcountry terrain where seconds count. While we design gear to equip them for these incredible feats, we know that training these dogs takes more than equipment. It takes focus, patience, and a strong bond between dog and handler.

Right now, a new generation of avalanche rescue dogs are in training at Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort in Mt. Hood, Oregon, just a couple hours north of our headquarters in Bend. Puppies like Riblet, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, with his handlers Andreas and Haley, and Ku'uh, an English Retriever, with her handlers Allison and Aaron, are learning the ropes. The team recently visited Ruffwear to give us an update on their training journey.

Riblet and Ku’uh at Ruffwear HQ

The Swiss Avalanche Dog Method

The training at Mt. Hood Meadows follows the Swiss Avalanche Dog Method, a four-phase program that gradually builds skills and complexity:

1. Runaway Drills — The dog learns to find its handler from a distance using the cue word “search”.

2. Snow Cave Digging — Dogs practice uncovering partially buried snow caves.

3. Fully Covered Snow Caves — Dogs search multiple snow-covered locations to find a buried “victim,” often other patrollers.

4. Full Avalanche Scenarios — Dogs tackle complex, realistic search conditions.

Training a puppy is challenging, but training a future avalanche rescue dog takes it to a whole new level.

“Puppies are a lot of work. I don’t think I got a full night’s sleep for two months,” Riblet’s handler Andreas explains. The first step? Enrolling Riblet in obedience classes to build a solid foundation for the more demanding training ahead. The other key part of Riblet and Ku'uh's training is having the support of their co-workers. Everyone pitches in, training each other’s dogs, digging pits for each other, and reinforcing skills as a team.

Avy dog trainee Riblet

“The avy dog program at Mt. Hood Meadows has made it easier to have a puppy because we have so much support at work,” Haley says.

Drive, Breed, and Focus

A lot goes into making a working dog successful, and it’s no secret that these dogs thrive on having a purpose.

“If you’re not giving your working dog a job, they will be self-employed,” Allison explains. Once they get bored, you need to give them something to do or be prepared for them to find their own way to make things interesting. While it can be challenging to keep them constantly entertained, it’s something these handlers enjoy doing.

Aaron adds that success can also come from the dog’s breed and lineage. Ku’uh’s father was a champion shed hunter, and that drive clearly runs in the family. When Ku’uh is locked on a scent or treat, nothing else exists — he’s completely dialed in and focused on the task at hand.

Avy dog trainee Ku’uh

Gear That Works as Hard as They Do

Having the right gear is an essential part of training avalanche rescue dogs. At Mt. Hood Meadows, these pups are outfitted in Ruffwear’s Web Master™ Harness, built for durability, versatility, and performance in extreme conditions. The harness features padded chest and belly panels for comfort, for points of adjustment for an optimal fit, and most importantly, a strong top handle. This handle gives handlers extra support during search drills, helps steady the dogs while skiing, and makes lifting them on and off shoulders safer and easier.

As they continue to grow, like most avalanche rescue dogs Ruffwear outfits across North America, they will move into our specialized Patroller™ Harness, a working dog harness built specifically to meet the rigorous demands of patrollers and their companions.

That’s right, all handlers ski with the dogs on their shoulders.

Handler Aaron and avy dog trainee Ku’uh

“We put the dogs on our shoulders to protect them from ski edges,” Allison explains. “We also try not to let them run downhill a lot because it’s hard on their joints, which is why we train skiing on our shoulders.”

“We also try to be cautious of soft, really deep snow,” Aaron says. “It wears them out and smaller dogs can be unseen.”

Just as important as safety are motivation and reward, which is where savory treats from the mid-mountain restaurant The Mazot come into play. The pups’ favorite? Hot dogs, of course.

Treats, however, aren’t the only reward used in these programs. Avy dog programs like Wasatch Backcountry Rescue (WBR) in Salt Lake City, Utah, love to use the Pacific Loop™ Toy. This rugged rope toy is used as a high-value reward when the dogs successfully locate their “victims” during training drills. It reinforces their drive to search, keeps training fun, and strengthens the bond between handler and dog.

The Long Road to Avalanche Rescue Readiness

Becoming a fully trained avalanche rescue dog is a multi-year commitment. Puppies typically spend 2–4 years in training before formal testing, gradually mastering each phase of the Swiss Avalanche Dog Method.

Riblet and Ku’uh are currently in Phase 1 practicing their runaway drills. Andreas recounted a recent drill with Riblet where he hid in the forest behind a tree, about 200 yards away.

“He was looking, then started sniffing, caught my scent, then snapped his head and ran right to me,” Andreas recalls proudly. It’s a thrilling moment for handlers the instant the dog “gets it” and everything clicks.

“The head snap is a moment where you see them go from a visual to ‘I caught their smell,’” Allison explains. Watching it happen is like seeing instinct and training converge in real time: a moment of pure working dog magic.

Ku’uh and an avy dog handler on the ski lift

We’re excited to follow Riblet and Ku’uh on their journey to becoming full-fledged avalanche rescue dogs. Their dedication and the tireless work of their handlers is nothing short of inspiring. We won’t take for granted the work that goes into every drill, search, and aha moment. We hope to see you out on the slopes, where these incredible teams are putting their training into action.