Praise for Dogs For People’s participants at international training camp
 Five former stray dogs from FOUR PAWS therapy dog project Dogs For People and their handlers have participated in a one-week Search & Rescue training camp in Alba Iulia, Romania. Maya, Alma, Marin, Codrut and Spritz earned much praise for their incredible skills when performing various emergency tasks while learning new commands and facing demanding challenges. The five dogs were among the most remarkable participants of the international rescue dog camp.
Just a few months after taking part in the annual k9 training camp, which is also hosted by Romania’s official association for rescue dogs (ARCS), the FOUR PAWS delegation met other internationally acclaimed organizations in the field of canine Search & Rescue (SaR).  While Dogs For People was originally launched as a side arm of Stray Animal Care in order to demonstrate the immense array of abilities of stray dogs and help improve on their reputation in Eastern Europe, the project has long become a showcase of how to work with animals in this field – and a considerable collection of know-how.
Exhausting training sessions
This know-how was shared with other renowned participants of the camp, such as the Austrian brigade of rescue dogs (ORHB). Mixed teams were created in order to facilitate the exchange of methods while real-case scenarios had to be resolved by the dogs. The training ground consisted of heavy materials such as wood and scrap metal - collapsed buildings were being simulated. Groups of six handlers and up to nine dogs practiced searching techniques and active intervention for four hours a day. After that, the dogs were granted some well-deserved recreational time while the FOUR PAWS team and the other participants analyzed the training sessions and discussed new options.
How the FOUR PAWS dogs managed
 FOUR PAWS dogs Maria and Alma made significant progress in their skills, picking up on new signaling techniques and learning how to explore new and difficult terrain in the simulated aftermath of a catastrophe. For Cretu and Spitz the camp meant helpful additional training for their upcoming ‘exams’. Codrut proved as reliable as always, and presented himself on top of his abilities, earning much appreciation and praise from the other participants. The work with former stray dogs is a significant part of the FOUR PAWS Stray Animal Care scheme and needs all the support they can get in order to make life on the streets of Romania better and safer for stray animals!
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