Maria Gray, with her Newfoundland, is the only American dog team certified by the Italian School of Water Rescue Dogs (SICS). In Italy, there are over 300 dog/handler teams that are certified to patrol the beaches there and work together with the Italian Cost Guard and Fire Departments. Maria has been training dogs for over 20 years and currently runs a nonprofit called The American Academy of Canine Water Rescue, which is focusing on the elimination of unintentional death by drowning. She joins Kim and Michelle on Good Dog Nation to discuss her work with water rescue groups in the US and Italy that utilize dogs. She explains the lengthy process she's gone through to obtain her certification and training in water rescue with her Newfoundland and how other dog owners and trainers can get into this specialty line of dog training. Kim, Michelle, and Maria also discuss safety tips for being around the water and how to avoid unintential drowning.
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Episode Transcript
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Kim (00:00):
Welcome to Good Dog Nation, the weekly video podcast that's
all about having a good dog.
Hosted by Michelle McCarthy,CDBC, CTAC, leading therapy dog
authority, and owner of CanineHomeschooling; and Kim Merritt,
cofounder of GoodDogInABox.com,GoodDogPro.com, and founder of
the URL Doctor.
(00:22):
This episode is brought to youby GoodDogInABox.com,
reward-based dog training anddog bite prevention products for
families with kids and dogs.
And GoodDogPro.com, the onlinecontent subscription and
community for dog professionalswith reward-based dog training
products, curriculums, andonline courses to educate,
(00:42):
motivate, and positively impactthose that work with dogs.
Now let's join Good Dog Nation.
Hello everyone and welcome tothe premiere episode of Good Dog
Nation, the video podcast thatwill be covering, all kinds of
issues about dogs and the dogcommunity.
(01:04):
I'm Kim Merritt, cofounder ofGood Dog In A Box and Good Dog
Pro.
Let me introduce to you my veryspecial cohost for all the
episodes of Good Dog Nation,Michelle McCarthy.
Hi Michelle, how are you?
Michelle (01:22):
Hi guys.
Great to be here.
Kim (01:24):
So now let's get started with today's episode, lifesaving
dogs, canine water rescue, andour very special guest, Maria
Gray.
Hi Maria.
Maria (01:37):
Hi.
So nice to meet both of you.
Kim (01:42):
Thank you.
So let me give everyone Maria'sbio because it's really
incredible.
Maria has been actively trainingdogs for over 20 years, for the
past five years she has workeddirectly with the SICS, the
Italian School of Water RescueDogs in Italy where there are
(02:04):
over 300 dog handler teams thatare certified to patrol the
beaches, and work together withthe Italian coast guard and fire
departments.
Maria's dog is currently theonly American dog certified by
the SICS, Maria runs a nonprofitorganization called the American
Academy of Canine Water Rescue,is supported by the SICS, and is
(02:28):
dedicated to eliminatingunintentional death by drowning.
She gives educational seminarsaround the world to teach people
of all ages about water safety,and that's really the core
message here today (02:42):
water safety.
So Maria, give us a little bitof background as far as how you
got into this, and what youroriginal interest was in this
subject.
Maria (02:55):
It's a hard question, but I remember being a little girl,
maybe around six or seven, andhaving one of those golden
moments where my parentsactually let me watch TV because
it was limited back then.
I think it was a NationalGeographic special or a nature
channel, but there was a specialon PBS that was dedicated to
(03:18):
these dogs in Italy that savedpeople's lives.
And as a young child I grew upwith a Saint Bernard, I loved
that massive dog and she lovedme very much, her name was Wolf,
and I was watching this specialleaning against her, looking at
these dogs leaping off of boatsand saving people's lives.
And I thought that's what I wantto do when I grow up.
(03:40):
Well, that didn't happen.
I grew up and I ended up gettinga PhD in chemical engineering,
becoming a wife and mother, butI've always had fun with dogs,
and I've always been a dogtrainer.
But until my daughter got to bea little more grown up and it
wasn't a dream I really couldpursue.
I was consistently aware of it,and I've had seven Newfoundlands
(04:03):
over the course of my life.
My most recent, Angel, he cameinto my life about
four-and-a-half years ago.
I got him from a breeder whobred both working dogs and show
dogs.
I believe in rescuing dogs, Ialso believe in responsible
breeders, so I'll do either way.
(04:24):
I have a rescue Aussie in myhouse, and I have my pedigree
working boy Angel, so they allmatter.
So I got this animal, and I justformed this incredible bond with
him as we all want to do withour dogs.
And I thought,"I can do this.
Now I can finally do this." Andso I contacted[ITALIAN NAME,
CAN'T HEAR IT] of the ItalianSICS, and I asked,"Can I do
(04:55):
this?" And he said,"Absolutely.
Come on out." Well, I couldn'tfly my dog to Italy, so I flew
out by myself and they gave me asubstitute dog.
He was awesome, a black labnamed Rambo, and I took this
intensive course where I learnedall of these training skills
(05:18):
that I had never seen before.
I know how to train a dog, Itrained dogs for therapy, I
trained dogs for pet manners,I've always done a lot of work
with my boys.
But in the United States ofAmerica, bear in mind, water
work with Newfoundlands iscarried out as a sport.
You take a test, you get yourtrophy, you get your
certificate, and it's awesomeand I celebrate it.
(05:39):
And I am a member in goodstanding of Newfoundland Club of
America and I have nothingagainst them.
But what I'm trying to bring tothe United States is a very
different philosophy.
It's not about a sport.
So at the end of the day, if wereally do this, we save a life.
So we don't need rules that sayyou can't put your foot in the
water, or you can't doublecommand dog, or you can't touch
your dog.
(05:59):
In fact, the Italians are all,"Touch the dog! Pull the dog!"
They put these dogs onhelicopters and they leap out
into open water.
They're holding their dogs.
I love the AKC, and I meannothing detrimental, but this is
not a test to see if you can'ttouch your dog.
This is a bond between you andyour dog to effectively save a
(06:20):
life.
So I took that first course, andthat was over four years ago,
and then I made it my life'smission to figure out how to get
my dog to Italy.
We have now been several times,and my Italian colleagues have
also come here.
Angel flies in the cabin of theplane with me, he is a legal
service animal, and this issomething I have to say right up
(06:43):
front.
Please don't go online and getan ESA certificate if you don't
deserve to have one.
Go to a real psychiatrist thatyou see on a regular basis and
get that certification.
Don't pretend your dog is aservice dog, it's not a joke.
My dog is a trained service dog,I can demonstrate the service
he's trained to provide for me.
(07:04):
I told my rotor cuff, he's amobility assistance dog and it's
real.
It's 100% legitimate.
He does a bunch more too, mydream is to get him to be a
United States military dog.
I'm currently in talks with theUnited States Coast Guard, I'm
really looking forward to doinga demonstration for them in the
near future, but back to Italy.
So back and forth, we went and Ikept learning and training and
(07:28):
they blew my mind.
It was so different thananything I saw in the United
States for one thing, they havefemale and male dogs together,
adjacent to one another with noleashes.
They allow for some little bitof sparring with the dogs, but
they are under full control.
(07:49):
I think in this country it wouldlook scary, but I have lived it
and breathed it.
These dogs are so excited aboutgoing into the water, so excited
about doing their job.
They're barking and sometimesthey even growl, but it's not
posturing, it's joy and theyjust want to go.
I learned so much from them andI ended up having a back and
(08:12):
forth.
So each year, for the past fouryears, two of the instructors
from Italy have come to me totrain here in Massachusetts.
And I'm talking intensivetraining, I took several tests,
(08:35):
I established a new respect forlearning new things and seeing
the different way they do this.
And I was also just floored bythe fact that they actually use
these dogs in service.
I thought whatever you may ormay not feel about our country,
I still love America, I wantedto bring this here.
I want to share this.
(08:57):
There are a million ways thesedogs can help save lives.
They can, and do, save somebodywho's drowning directly in the
water, jump off a helicopter,off a boat, off the shore.
They also work prophylactically,they work as prevention.
So if they're present on thebeach, much like with a
lifeguard present on the beach,people are more likely to follow
(09:19):
the rules.
If you see this dog and hisfancy life jacket and you know
that he's there to protect you,whether you're a child or a
grown up, you're going to be alittle more aware of following
the rules.
Sort of like the police manfollowing you when you're
driving, you're like,"Okay, I'mgoing to be safer."
Kim (09:37):
And I know, we've all had Newfoundlands, Michelle has one
right now.
My most prized dog was aNewfoundland and I did some of
the water work with her with theNewfoundland club.
Certainly not to the degree thatyou are with the SICS, but I
(09:58):
remember taking Holly to thebeach, and if she was not on a
leash, she was in the waterrescuing people.
Whether it was my children,whether it was whoever was
nearby, everybody was beingrescued.
But because it's just bred inthese dogs, she just absolutely
(10:19):
adored the water.
Maria (10:21):
Absolutely.
And maybe now's a good time tointroduce the breed.
So a Newfoundland dog,new-found-land, is also called a
Terra Nova in Europe.
Terra Nova means new earth, verysimilar to Newfoundland.
(10:45):
These dogs were bred, over thelast several hundred years,
originally utilized by theVikings to leap off of boats and
take the ropes from their boatsto the shore so that the Vikings
could tie them off.
However, it was rapidlydiscovered that if someone went
(11:05):
overboard, the Newf would leapoff the boat and go rescue the
person, on their own accord.
So human beings being as smartas we are figured,"Hey, let's
teach this dog to rescuepeople." Their coat is
incredibly well-suited for thewater, they actually have a
three layer coat,.
Down near their skin it's adowney soft layer.
(11:27):
It's almost impossible to washmy dog, it's incredibly
difficult to get them wet to hisskin.
He's just designed not to getwet on his epidermis.
Above that is a coarser, denselayer that keeps him warm, and
above that is a layer of furthat has oil in it, much like a
seal.
He also has webs between histoes, which allow him to do a
(11:54):
freestyle stroke, he doesn't doa doggy paddle.
This is unique in the dog worldspecifically to Newfoundlands,
he actually does something muchmore akin to a human freestyle.
They're incredibly strong,they're built for endurance in
the water, they're the only dogbreed that can go in Arctic
water.
However, that said, the Newfiedoesn't rock the world.
(12:16):
All dogs count and any dog Iwill consider in my Academy, and
the Italians will as well,consider any dog over 50 pounds
at full body weight.
You need the mass to rescuesomebody.
Any dog, whether a mixed breedor a purebred, it doesn't
matter, if you have the rightbond with your dog and this
(12:36):
moves you, you could pursuewater rescue.
Kim (12:42):
Shall we take a look at a video that shows a dog rescuing
an unconscious victim in thewater?
I find this to be amazing.
Let's watch and then, then youcan tell us about this.
[LINK TO VIDEO]
Maria (13:11):
So what you saw there was my partner who's helping train,
that's[Valentina Pedang de um,ITALIAN NAME] she was here in
Massachusetts.
She's an Italian instructor, shewent out into the water and
feigned unconsciousness.
(13:32):
She just pretended she wasunconscious.
I sent Angel from the shore veryquietly and just told him,"Go."
He went out located her hand,and then he's got tremendous
PSI, just like a Rotty or aDoberman.
People don't always understandthis with the Newfoundlands, the
(13:52):
strength is there, but hisnatural inclination is gentle.
So he's going to hold their handas gently as he can.
He turns her completely aroundand he brings her back to shore.
There's no screaming,"Help medog, save me dog." She's silent.
She is feigning to be anunconscious victim.
It's the bond between he and Iwhere I direct him out together,
(14:15):
and it's his innate desire tosave people.
So that's pretty powerful.
The unconscious victim rescue isutilized for real.
It's been utilized by theItalians to actually save
people.
One of the questions people askme sometimes is, what about a
baby?
What about a toddler?
Right?
My dog weighs 150 pounds, and Ithink about the bite force
(14:41):
associated with that.
One of the things Angel and I dofor fun is I throw raw eggs at
him in the shell, and he catchesthem and then it gives me back
the egg.
I didn't teach him to do this.
I guess I do teach sort of thatdesire to not break the skin.
And then to the people whoreally pushed me, I say,"Okay,
(15:03):
so you're really drowning any hebit your hand, but he saved you.
Do you really care?
Go get stitches now.
Right?" He's got his rabiesvaccine.
There are people who ask me,"Doyou understand that you might be
(15:24):
asking your dog to risk hislife?" And the answer is
absolutely.
So do our first responders.
So does everybody.
I meet and greet with the UnitedStates coast guard and the fire
department and the policedepartment.
He's in service and there is afinite risk associated with
that, and we're proud.
And I think if he could talk,he'd be proud to tell you.
(15:45):
He carries that risk.
Michelle (15:48):
So when it comes to jumping from helicopters, what
type of risk is there for a doggoing through that training
(16:13):
process?
And at what point would you asthe handler and the trainers,
how are you able to tell if thedog is just really not suited?
Just choosing, like,"I justreally can't jump out of this
helicopter."
Maria (16:28):
That's an excellent question.
So the model that I'm adoptingfor the American Academy of
Canine Rescue, which is brandnew, I just started this
nonprofit last year.
So I'm trying to echo what theydo in Italy and adapt it to
America because we're adifferent country.
But in Italy, what I can tellyou is first of all, they
(16:48):
reevaluate the dogs and theirhandlers each and every year.
So we're never saying we didthis two years ago, so we can
still do it.
Second of all, the safety of thedog, the willingness of the dog
is paramount.
We're not throwing the dog offthe helicopter, we're not
(17:09):
throwing the dog out of theboat.
In fact, there's a beautifulvideo, and it shows several dogs
jumping off the helicopter.
Then there's a dog that won'tgo, and the video actually says,
"And sometimes you're not ready,but we love you anyway." So
(17:33):
we're not tossing these animalsout.
Sometimes looks like thatbecause they are heavily guided
off the helicopter, becausethere's the engine and there's
blades and there's a storm.
So you'll see two people wholift the dog up with a special
harness and they guide him.
But the dog, he or her iswilling to jump.
If they're not willing to jump,they don't jump.
(17:55):
And how do you know?
You know, just like you ladiesknow with any kind of training.
(18:18):
We're going to take a cue fromthe dog because we love the dog.
So if the dog is not engaged, ifhe's not happy about doing this
exercise, we're going to backup.
And some dogs will never do it,and that's okay.
And I want to be very clearabout the helicopter.
In point of fact, my Italiancolleagues recently made this
(18:39):
very clear to me, I don't wantto misrepresent it.
They save lives every year inItaly, they don't shave them by
jumping off of helicopters.
The helicopter is, first of all,super expensive, and second of
all, they're utilized basicallyto mimic a storm.
The dogs do go out in hurricanesand harsh weather, et cetera, to
(19:02):
save people.
You didn't pay attention to therule, you drank too much, you
went out on your kayak in themiddle of impending weather.
Now I have to go save you andit's stormy and there's thunder
and lightning.
We don't typically train inthunder and lightning.
Why?
Because it's dangerous.
But that's a place you need tobe able to save.
People utilize helicopterscreates a storm.
(19:26):
So when you're above the waterand your dog is on that
helicopter, those blades arespinning, you're getting hit by
the droplets of water, theyactually hurt, and you can't
hear anything and it's basicallya controlled storm.
So the primary use of thehelicopter is a controlled
(19:49):
training environment toreplicate bad weather.
And could these dogs be deployedfrom helicopters?
Absolutely.
Have they been deployed?
Yes, for exercises.
So I just want to be very clearabout that.
The rescues to date are off ofboats.
They're from shore, they're offof jet skis.
(20:10):
With Angel, they were on a jetski ride, literally they have a
special platform and go aroundthis Lake in Italy.
On the Italian coast guard boatthat I was on, this amazing
woman, her name is[Donna Tella,Pascal age ITALIAN NAME], she's
(20:38):
been the vice president of SICSfor the past 30 years.
We're in this boat and she goes,"Maria, look, going to go very
fast.
Be calm for angel." Okay, veryfast.
(20:59):
90 degree angles, sideways,upside down, my dog's fine.
I'm like,"Yeah, mommy lovesthis." Because of course, as you
know with dog training, you needto project the calmness that you
want your dog to experience.
So you can't freak out here.
(21:23):
This was an awesome experiencejust getting him acclimated to
the noise, to the presence ofit.
Kim (21:29):
Can you tell us a little about Superpower Dogs?
The IMAX movie that has recentlycome out.
Maria (21:43):
Yes, there's Angel.
Angel and I have been to theBaltimore Museum of Science,
we've been to the Virginia Airand Space Museum, and we were
(22:04):
incredibly honored to be invitedto the Smithsonian Museum in
Washington DC to give severaltalks on water safety prior to
each showing of the movie.
This movie is incredible and Irecommend it to everyone.
It's this tale of how thesedifferent dogs and service
(22:33):
organizations all over the worldsave and help us every day.
And I liked this movie for somany reasons.
One, it's just powerful andbeautiful.
But two, it raises publicawareness that these dogs work
every single day of the year,and they don't get any money.
Almost everybody featured inthis movie represents a
(22:53):
nonprofit organization, they'renot getting paid.
Yes, SICS in Italy is it postcivilian protection unit, they
don't get paid to do this.
The beautiful surf dog Ricochetwho works with PTSD and children
with autism, she doesn't getpaid to do that.
The dogs in Africa helping tostop poaching, they don't get
(23:16):
paid to do that.
Halo, who's featured throughoutthe movie, starts out with a
little pup.
She's a little Dutch shepherdand her mommy, Kat, who's this
beautiful, powerful woman andworks with a fire department
somewhere.
She teaches this dog to dosearch and rescue after fires.
Again, she does this on her owntime.
So one of the big messages inthe film is to raise public
(23:39):
awareness that nonprofits reallyneed to be funded, and if
they're not funded, they willultimately go away.
And people who are basicallygiving out of their heart and
soul to help you, and they'retrying to do something of import
that impacts humanity.
We need funding.
(24:00):
I don't know when theappropriate time to talk about
drowning is, but maybe this is agood time.
There are 400,000 people a yearwho die every year from
unintentional death by drowning,that's from the world health
organization.
And the truth is, that n umber is probably really low because a
lot of third world countriesdon't properly report their
(24:22):
statistics.
We know from the Center forDisease Control here in the
United States, that 10 or morepeople in America die every
single day from unintentionaldeath by drowning.
That's around 4,000 people ayear and it's 100% preventable.
It's particularly tragic becauseit is a silent killer, and it's
a silent killer in two w ays: it's silent because there's no (24:43):
undefined
public awareness, and it's alsosilent because you don't usually
drown going,"Help me, dog! Saveme!" There are signs of
drowning, which I'll bring upright now for anyone who's ever
on a beach.
If you see someone trying toclimb out of the water, if you
see someone with their headback, if you see someone go
(25:03):
under silently, it's a sign ofdrowning.
So what can you do?
You, whoever you may be, ifyou're at the water's edge and
you see t he signs, you canalert authorities.
Y ou should NOT go and rescueanyone if you don't have
training.
But you can do things.
If you have access to aflotation device, you can throw
it.
The Red Cross Says"throw, don'tgo." Don't go out there unless
(25:27):
you're trained to do so becauseyou don't want to add to the
problem.
It's a tragic situation rightnow because it's almost up there
with malnutrition and malaria,but we don't have public outcry.
We don't have public awarenessabout drowning.
And when I said 400,000 peopleglobally a year, what I'm not
(25:50):
mentioning is eight to 10 timesthat many who are subjected to a
drowning event, and even if theyget rescued, may have permanent
brain injuries, may havepermanent, serious
complications.
This i s a huge number of peoplethat are being a ffected by
something that really could beeliminated.
Kim (26:14):
So what do we tell people to do when they're near the
water?
What's the best way to staysafe?
Maria (26:24):
The best thing you can do when you're near the water is
enjoy it.
Have fun.
Water's awesome.
I want everyone to play in thewater, I want everyone to have
fun.
But there are basic rules thatare really simple, even though
they're not always so exciting.
(26:44):
First of all, don't swim inunfamiliar water.
Second of all, learn to swim.
The leading cause of drowning isthe lack of ability to swim.
And I don't mean you have to bean Olympic swimmer, just the
ability to do a doggy paddle canhelp keep you alive.
A lot of people, particularlysavvy and disenfranchised, will
(27:04):
introduce children to a watersetting and aquatic setting with
no education.
You need to learn to swim.
Next, any type of water activityoutside of a pool that
supervised by a lifeguard shouldbe done with a life jacket.
Wear a life jacket.
(27:25):
Even if you think it makes younot look cool, even if you think
it's silly.
Angel wears a life jacket.
I wear a life jacket, I wear awetsuit.
Next point, and I know it soundsoverdone, but I'm going to say
it out loud.
Do not drink and kayak.
Do not drink and swim.
Do not drink and go out in thewater.
(27:45):
80% of drowning deaths in theUnited States of America are
grown men over 40, whether youlike the statistic or not,
because they get drunk and goout on the water by themselves
and then they die.
And we can stop that.
We can eliminate that.
Sadly it's a leading cause ofdeath in children, particularly
(28:06):
in the one to four age range.
It is the leading cause of deathother than congenital defects in
children.
And that's because moms and dadsuse a pool as a babysitter.
A pool is not a babysitter, apool as a place to be ultra
vigilant with your children.
There are other basic factors,Americans are at a great risk
(28:30):
when they're traveling abroadand that probably goes to the
partying thing.
I don't know that for certain,but they travel abroad and they
swim in unfamiliar bodies ofwater and they're celebrating so
God knows how they'recelebrating.
And there's also other things.
Autistic children are at a veryhigh risk for drowning and
(28:52):
there's another way that we canhelp educate them and teach
them.
This is where the dog can bevery valuable in helping the
child to understand theseriousness of playing in the
water.
There's so much to say aboutthis topic.
Cold water shock is anotherleading cause of death.
(29:12):
So it's getting hot and you wantto jump in the ocean, you jump
in the ocean, but the oceanisn't hot yet.
It's early summer and you jumpin.
The ocean is freezing cold andyou can actually die of
something called cold watershock.
There are so many things that weneed to address, but the
(29:33):
fundamentals are pay attentionto lifeguards, wear a life
jacket, don't be impaired whenswimming, check the weather, and
swim with a buddy.
(29:55):
Don't swim alone, swim withanother person.
Honestly it seems so simple, butyou could break it down like
that.
Swimming, lifeguard, protectedbeaches.
If you're going to take a risk,take a risk with a buddy.
Don't be impaired, wear lifejacket, look at the weather,
(30:18):
know your surroundings.
And I could keep going, but wecan all make a difference if we
understand the signs ofdrowning, which are limited.
It's hard to always beresponsible.
Don't try to save anyone's lifewithout training, but let
authorities know.
And I don't want to sound likeI'm saying don't go in the water
(30:41):
though.
Water's awesome.
Have fun in the water, butrespect it and respect yourself.
Kim (30:47):
Awesome advice for everyone.
Maria, please give us thecontact information for your
American Academy of Canine WaterRescue if somebody wants to get
in touch with you or they'reinterested in more information
about how to get involved.
Maria (31:03):
Absolutely.
So you can reach me directlythrough email, MariaGray@
AcademyofWaterRescue.
org, and you can also find me onthe web at
(31:24):
TheAcademyofWaterRescue.org.
If you go to Facebook, you cantype in the full name, American
Academy of Canine Water Rescue,and I'll pop up.
If you have trouble finding meon Facebook, you could also type
in Maria E.
Gray, that'll bring in mypersonal page, which is heavily
cross-linked to my Facebook.
Kim (31:44):
Thank you so much for being a guest today on our premiere
episode and for sharing all thiswonderful information, not only
about Newfoundlands, what you'redoing with the SICS, and what
you're doing here in thiscountry for water rescue, but
also water safety, which issuper important for everyone.
If you're interested incontinuing the conversation with
(32:05):
us and the second half, go toGoodDogPro.com, we'll be
continuing with more informationon this subject for our dog
professionals.
Thank you everyone for joiningus.
If you'd like to participate inthe rest of today's conversation
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(32:27):
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(00:42):
motivate, and positively impactthose that work with dogs.
Now let's join Good Dog Nation.
Hello everyone and welcome tothe premiere episode of Good Dog
Nation, the video podcast thatwill be covering, all kinds of
issues about dogs and the dogcommunity.
(01:04):
I'm Kim Merritt, cofounder ofGood Dog In A Box and Good Dog
Pro.
Let me introduce to you my veryspecial cohost for all the
episodes of Good Dog Nation,Michelle McCarthy.
Hi Michelle, how are you?
Michelle (01:22):
Hi guys.
Great to be here.
Kim (01:24):
So now let's get started with today's episode, lifesaving
dogs, canine water rescue, andour very special guest, Maria
Gray.
Hi Maria.
Maria (01:37):
Hi.
So nice to meet both of you.
Kim (01:42):
Thank you.
So let me give everyone Maria'sbio because it's really
incredible.
Maria has been actively trainingdogs for over 20 years, for the
past five years she has workeddirectly with the SICS, the
Italian School of Water RescueDogs in Italy where there are
(02:04):
over 300 dog handler teams thatare certified to patrol the
beaches, and work together withthe Italian coast guard and fire
departments.
Maria's dog is currently theonly American dog certified by
the SICS, Maria runs a nonprofitorganization called the American
Academy of Canine Water Rescue,is supported by the SICS, and is
(02:28):
dedicated to eliminatingunintentional death by drowning.
She gives educational seminarsaround the world to teach people
of all ages about water safety,and that's really the core
message here today (02:42):
water safety.
So Maria, give us a little bitof background as far as how you
got into this, and what youroriginal interest was in this
subject.
Maria (02:55):
It's a hard question, but I remember being a little girl,
maybe around six or seven, andhaving one of those golden
moments where my parentsactually let me watch TV because
it was limited back then.
I think it was a NationalGeographic special or a nature
channel, but there was a specialon PBS that was dedicated to
(03:18):
these dogs in Italy that savedpeople's lives.
And as a young child I grew upwith a Saint Bernard, I loved
that massive dog and she lovedme very much, her name was Wolf,
and I was watching this specialleaning against her, looking at
these dogs leaping off of boatsand saving people's lives.
And I thought that's what I wantto do when I grow up.
(03:40):
Well, that didn't happen.
I grew up and I ended up gettinga PhD in chemical engineering,
becoming a wife and mother, butI've always had fun with dogs,
and I've always been a dogtrainer.
But until my daughter got to bea little more grown up and it
wasn't a dream I really couldpursue.
I was consistently aware of it,and I've had seven Newfoundlands
(04:03):
over the course of my life.
My most recent, Angel, he cameinto my life about
four-and-a-half years ago.
I got him from a breeder whobred both working dogs and show
dogs.
I believe in rescuing dogs, Ialso believe in responsible
breeders, so I'll do either way.
(04:24):
I have a rescue Aussie in myhouse, and I have my pedigree
working boy Angel, so they allmatter.
So I got this animal, and I justformed this incredible bond with
him as we all want to do withour dogs.
And I thought,"I can do this.
Now I can finally do this." Andso I contacted[ITALIAN NAME,
CAN'T HEAR IT] of the ItalianSICS, and I asked,"Can I do
(04:55):
this?" And he said,"Absolutely.
Come on out." Well, I couldn'tfly my dog to Italy, so I flew
out by myself and they gave me asubstitute dog.
He was awesome, a black labnamed Rambo, and I took this
intensive course where I learnedall of these training skills
(05:18):
that I had never seen before.
I know how to train a dog, Itrained dogs for therapy, I
trained dogs for pet manners,I've always done a lot of work
with my boys.
But in the United States ofAmerica, bear in mind, water
work with Newfoundlands iscarried out as a sport.
You take a test, you get yourtrophy, you get your
certificate, and it's awesomeand I celebrate it.
(05:39):
And I am a member in goodstanding of Newfoundland Club of
America and I have nothingagainst them.
But what I'm trying to bring tothe United States is a very
different philosophy.
It's not about a sport.
So at the end of the day, if wereally do this, we save a life.
So we don't need rules that sayyou can't put your foot in the
water, or you can't doublecommand dog, or you can't touch
your dog.
(05:59):
In fact, the Italians are all,"Touch the dog! Pull the dog!"
They put these dogs onhelicopters and they leap out
into open water.
They're holding their dogs.
I love the AKC, and I meannothing detrimental, but this is
not a test to see if you can'ttouch your dog.
This is a bond between you andyour dog to effectively save a
(06:20):
life.
So I took that first course, andthat was over four years ago,
and then I made it my life'smission to figure out how to get
my dog to Italy.
We have now been several times,and my Italian colleagues have
also come here.
Angel flies in the cabin of theplane with me, he is a legal
service animal, and this issomething I have to say right up
(06:43):
front.
Please don't go online and getan ESA certificate if you don't
deserve to have one.
Go to a real psychiatrist thatyou see on a regular basis and
get that certification.
Don't pretend your dog is aservice dog, it's not a joke.
My dog is a trained service dog,I can demonstrate the service
he's trained to provide for me.
(07:04):
I told my rotor cuff, he's amobility assistance dog and it's
real.
It's 100% legitimate.
He does a bunch more too, mydream is to get him to be a
United States military dog.
I'm currently in talks with theUnited States Coast Guard, I'm
really looking forward to doinga demonstration for them in the
near future, but back to Italy.
So back and forth, we went and Ikept learning and training and
(07:28):
they blew my mind.
It was so different thananything I saw in the United
States for one thing, they havefemale and male dogs together,
adjacent to one another with noleashes.
They allow for some little bitof sparring with the dogs, but
they are under full control.
(07:49):
I think in this country it wouldlook scary, but I have lived it
and breathed it.
These dogs are so excited aboutgoing into the water, so excited
about doing their job.
They're barking and sometimesthey even growl, but it's not
posturing, it's joy and theyjust want to go.
I learned so much from them andI ended up having a back and
(08:12):
forth.
So each year, for the past fouryears, two of the instructors
from Italy have come to me totrain here in Massachusetts.
And I'm talking intensivetraining, I took several tests,
(08:35):
I established a new respect forlearning new things and seeing
the different way they do this.
And I was also just floored bythe fact that they actually use
these dogs in service.
I thought whatever you may ormay not feel about our country,
I still love America, I wantedto bring this here.
I want to share this.
(08:57):
There are a million ways thesedogs can help save lives.
They can, and do, save somebodywho's drowning directly in the
water, jump off a helicopter,off a boat, off the shore.
They also work prophylactically,they work as prevention.
So if they're present on thebeach, much like with a
lifeguard present on the beach,people are more likely to follow
(09:19):
the rules.
If you see this dog and hisfancy life jacket and you know
that he's there to protect you,whether you're a child or a
grown up, you're going to be alittle more aware of following
the rules.
Sort of like the police manfollowing you when you're
driving, you're like,"Okay, I'mgoing to be safer."
Kim (09:37):
And I know, we've all had Newfoundlands, Michelle has one
right now.
My most prized dog was aNewfoundland and I did some of
the water work with her with theNewfoundland club.
Certainly not to the degree thatyou are with the SICS, but I
(09:58):
remember taking Holly to thebeach, and if she was not on a
leash, she was in the waterrescuing people.
Whether it was my children,whether it was whoever was
nearby, everybody was beingrescued.
But because it's just bred inthese dogs, she just absolutely
(10:19):
adored the water.
Maria (10:21):
Absolutely.
And maybe now's a good time tointroduce the breed.
So a Newfoundland dog,new-found-land, is also called a
Terra Nova in Europe.
Terra Nova means new earth, verysimilar to Newfoundland.
(10:45):
These dogs were bred, over thelast several hundred years,
originally utilized by theVikings to leap off of boats and
take the ropes from their boatsto the shore so that the Vikings
could tie them off.
However, it was rapidlydiscovered that if someone went
(11:05):
overboard, the Newf would leapoff the boat and go rescue the
person, on their own accord.
So human beings being as smartas we are figured,"Hey, let's
teach this dog to rescuepeople." Their coat is
incredibly well-suited for thewater, they actually have a
three layer coat,.
Down near their skin it's adowney soft layer.
(11:27):
It's almost impossible to washmy dog, it's incredibly
difficult to get them wet to hisskin.
He's just designed not to getwet on his epidermis.
Above that is a coarser, denselayer that keeps him warm, and
above that is a layer of furthat has oil in it, much like a
seal.
He also has webs between histoes, which allow him to do a
(11:54):
freestyle stroke, he doesn't doa doggy paddle.
This is unique in the dog worldspecifically to Newfoundlands,
he actually does something muchmore akin to a human freestyle.
They're incredibly strong,they're built for endurance in
the water, they're the only dogbreed that can go in Arctic
water.
However, that said, the Newfiedoesn't rock the world.
(12:16):
All dogs count and any dog Iwill consider in my Academy, and
the Italians will as well,consider any dog over 50 pounds
at full body weight.
You need the mass to rescuesomebody.
Any dog, whether a mixed breedor a purebred, it doesn't
matter, if you have the rightbond with your dog and this
(12:36):
moves you, you could pursuewater rescue.
Kim (12:42):
Shall we take a look at a video that shows a dog rescuing
an unconscious victim in thewater?
I find this to be amazing.
Let's watch and then, then youcan tell us about this.
[LINK TO VIDEO]
Maria (13:11):
So what you saw there was my partner who's helping train,
that's[Valentina Pedang de um,ITALIAN NAME] she was here in
Massachusetts.
She's an Italian instructor, shewent out into the water and
feigned unconsciousness.
(13:32):
She just pretended she wasunconscious.
I sent Angel from the shore veryquietly and just told him,"Go."
He went out located her hand,and then he's got tremendous
PSI, just like a Rotty or aDoberman.
People don't always understandthis with the Newfoundlands, the
(13:52):
strength is there, but hisnatural inclination is gentle.
So he's going to hold their handas gently as he can.
He turns her completely aroundand he brings her back to shore.
There's no screaming,"Help medog, save me dog." She's silent.
She is feigning to be anunconscious victim.
It's the bond between he and Iwhere I direct him out together,
(14:15):
and it's his innate desire tosave people.
So that's pretty powerful.
The unconscious victim rescue isutilized for real.
It's been utilized by theItalians to actually save
people.
One of the questions people askme sometimes is, what about a
baby?
What about a toddler?
Right?
My dog weighs 150 pounds, and Ithink about the bite force
(14:41):
associated with that.
One of the things Angel and I dofor fun is I throw raw eggs at
him in the shell, and he catchesthem and then it gives me back
the egg.
I didn't teach him to do this.
I guess I do teach sort of thatdesire to not break the skin.
And then to the people whoreally pushed me, I say,"Okay,
(15:03):
so you're really drowning any hebit your hand, but he saved you.
Do you really care?
Go get stitches now.
Right?" He's got his rabiesvaccine.
There are people who ask me,"Doyou understand that you might be
(15:24):
asking your dog to risk hislife?" And the answer is
absolutely.
So do our first responders.
So does everybody.
I meet and greet with the UnitedStates coast guard and the fire
department and the policedepartment.
He's in service and there is afinite risk associated with
that, and we're proud.
And I think if he could talk,he'd be proud to tell you.
(15:45):
He carries that risk.
Michelle (15:48):
So when it comes to jumping from helicopters, what
type of risk is there for a doggoing through that training
(16:13):
process?
And at what point would you asthe handler and the trainers,
how are you able to tell if thedog is just really not suited?
Just choosing, like,"I justreally can't jump out of this
helicopter."
Maria (16:28):
That's an excellent question.
So the model that I'm adoptingfor the American Academy of
Canine Rescue, which is brandnew, I just started this
nonprofit last year.
So I'm trying to echo what theydo in Italy and adapt it to
America because we're adifferent country.
But in Italy, what I can tellyou is first of all, they
(16:48):
reevaluate the dogs and theirhandlers each and every year.
So we're never saying we didthis two years ago, so we can
still do it.
Second of all, the safety of thedog, the willingness of the dog
is paramount.
We're not throwing the dog offthe helicopter, we're not
(17:09):
throwing the dog out of theboat.
In fact, there's a beautifulvideo, and it shows several dogs
jumping off the helicopter.
Then there's a dog that won'tgo, and the video actually says,
"And sometimes you're not ready,but we love you anyway." So
(17:33):
we're not tossing these animalsout.
Sometimes looks like thatbecause they are heavily guided
off the helicopter, becausethere's the engine and there's
blades and there's a storm.
So you'll see two people wholift the dog up with a special
harness and they guide him.
But the dog, he or her iswilling to jump.
If they're not willing to jump,they don't jump.
(17:55):
And how do you know?
You know, just like you ladiesknow with any kind of training.
(18:18):
We're going to take a cue fromthe dog because we love the dog.
So if the dog is not engaged, ifhe's not happy about doing this
exercise, we're going to backup.
And some dogs will never do it,and that's okay.
And I want to be very clearabout the helicopter.
In point of fact, my Italiancolleagues recently made this
(18:39):
very clear to me, I don't wantto misrepresent it.
They save lives every year inItaly, they don't shave them by
jumping off of helicopters.
The helicopter is, first of all,super expensive, and second of
all, they're utilized basicallyto mimic a storm.
The dogs do go out in hurricanesand harsh weather, et cetera, to
(19:02):
save people.
You didn't pay attention to therule, you drank too much, you
went out on your kayak in themiddle of impending weather.
Now I have to go save you andit's stormy and there's thunder
and lightning.
We don't typically train inthunder and lightning.
Why?
Because it's dangerous.
But that's a place you need tobe able to save.
People utilize helicopterscreates a storm.
(19:26):
So when you're above the waterand your dog is on that
helicopter, those blades arespinning, you're getting hit by
the droplets of water, theyactually hurt, and you can't
hear anything and it's basicallya controlled storm.
So the primary use of thehelicopter is a controlled
(19:49):
training environment toreplicate bad weather.
And could these dogs be deployedfrom helicopters?
Absolutely.
Have they been deployed?
Yes, for exercises.
So I just want to be very clearabout that.
The rescues to date are off ofboats.
They're from shore, they're offof jet skis.
(20:10):
With Angel, they were on a jetski ride, literally they have a
special platform and go aroundthis Lake in Italy.
On the Italian coast guard boatthat I was on, this amazing
woman, her name is[Donna Tella,Pascal age ITALIAN NAME], she's
(20:38):
been the vice president of SICSfor the past 30 years.
We're in this boat and she goes,"Maria, look, going to go very
fast.
Be calm for angel." Okay, veryfast.
(20:59):
90 degree angles, sideways,upside down, my dog's fine.
I'm like,"Yeah, mommy lovesthis." Because of course, as you
know with dog training, you needto project the calmness that you
want your dog to experience.
So you can't freak out here.
(21:23):
This was an awesome experiencejust getting him acclimated to
the noise, to the presence ofit.
Kim (21:29):
Can you tell us a little about Superpower Dogs?
The IMAX movie that has recentlycome out.
Maria (21:43):
Yes, there's Angel.
Angel and I have been to theBaltimore Museum of Science,
we've been to the Virginia Airand Space Museum, and we were
(22:04):
incredibly honored to be invitedto the Smithsonian Museum in
Washington DC to give severaltalks on water safety prior to
each showing of the movie.
This movie is incredible and Irecommend it to everyone.
It's this tale of how thesedifferent dogs and service
(22:33):
organizations all over the worldsave and help us every day.
And I liked this movie for somany reasons.
One, it's just powerful andbeautiful.
But two, it raises publicawareness that these dogs work
every single day of the year,and they don't get any money.
Almost everybody featured inthis movie represents a
(22:53):
nonprofit organization, they'renot getting paid.
Yes, SICS in Italy is it postcivilian protection unit, they
don't get paid to do this.
The beautiful surf dog Ricochetwho works with PTSD and children
with autism, she doesn't getpaid to do that.
The dogs in Africa helping tostop poaching, they don't get
(23:16):
paid to do that.
Halo, who's featured throughoutthe movie, starts out with a
little pup.
She's a little Dutch shepherdand her mommy, Kat, who's this
beautiful, powerful woman andworks with a fire department
somewhere.
She teaches this dog to dosearch and rescue after fires.
Again, she does this on her owntime.
So one of the big messages inthe film is to raise public
(23:39):
awareness that nonprofits reallyneed to be funded, and if
they're not funded, they willultimately go away.
And people who are basicallygiving out of their heart and
soul to help you, and they'retrying to do something of import
that impacts humanity.
We need funding.
(24:00):
I don't know when theappropriate time to talk about
drowning is, but maybe this is agood time.
There are 400,000 people a yearwho die every year from
unintentional death by drowning,that's from the world health
organization.
And the truth is, that n umber is probably really low because a
lot of third world countriesdon't properly report their
(24:22):
statistics.
We know from the Center forDisease Control here in the
United States, that 10 or morepeople in America die every
single day from unintentionaldeath by drowning.
That's around 4,000 people ayear and it's 100% preventable.
It's particularly tragic becauseit is a silent killer, and it's
a silent killer in two w ays: it's silent because there's no (24:43):
undefined
public awareness, and it's alsosilent because you don't usually
drown going,"Help me, dog! Saveme!" There are signs of
drowning, which I'll bring upright now for anyone who's ever
on a beach.
If you see someone trying toclimb out of the water, if you
see someone with their headback, if you see someone go
(25:03):
under silently, it's a sign ofdrowning.
So what can you do?
You, whoever you may be, ifyou're at the water's edge and
you see t he signs, you canalert authorities.
Y ou should NOT go and rescueanyone if you don't have
training.
But you can do things.
If you have access to aflotation device, you can throw
it.
The Red Cross Says"throw, don'tgo." Don't go out there unless
(25:27):
you're trained to do so becauseyou don't want to add to the
problem.
It's a tragic situation rightnow because it's almost up there
with malnutrition and malaria,but we don't have public outcry.
We don't have public awarenessabout drowning.
And when I said 400,000 peopleglobally a year, what I'm not
(25:50):
mentioning is eight to 10 timesthat many who are subjected to a
drowning event, and even if theyget rescued, may have permanent
brain injuries, may havepermanent, serious
complications.
This i s a huge number of peoplethat are being a ffected by
something that really could beeliminated.
Kim (26:14):
So what do we tell people to do when they're near the
water?
What's the best way to staysafe?
Maria (26:24):
The best thing you can do when you're near the water is
enjoy it.
Have fun.
Water's awesome.
I want everyone to play in thewater, I want everyone to have
fun.
But there are basic rules thatare really simple, even though
they're not always so exciting.
(26:44):
First of all, don't swim inunfamiliar water.
Second of all, learn to swim.
The leading cause of drowning isthe lack of ability to swim.
And I don't mean you have to bean Olympic swimmer, just the
ability to do a doggy paddle canhelp keep you alive.
A lot of people, particularlysavvy and disenfranchised, will
(27:04):
introduce children to a watersetting and aquatic setting with
no education.
You need to learn to swim.
Next, any type of water activityoutside of a pool that
supervised by a lifeguard shouldbe done with a life jacket.
Wear a life jacket.
(27:25):
Even if you think it makes younot look cool, even if you think
it's silly.
Angel wears a life jacket.
I wear a life jacket, I wear awetsuit.
Next point, and I know it soundsoverdone, but I'm going to say
it out loud.
Do not drink and kayak.
Do not drink and swim.
Do not drink and go out in thewater.
(27:45):
80% of drowning deaths in theUnited States of America are
grown men over 40, whether youlike the statistic or not,
because they get drunk and goout on the water by themselves
and then they die.
And we can stop that.
We can eliminate that.
Sadly it's a leading cause ofdeath in children, particularly
(28:06):
in the one to four age range.
It is the leading cause of deathother than congenital defects in
children.
And that's because moms and dadsuse a pool as a babysitter.
A pool is not a babysitter, apool as a place to be ultra
vigilant with your children.
There are other basic factors,Americans are at a great risk
(28:30):
when they're traveling abroadand that probably goes to the
partying thing.
I don't know that for certain,but they travel abroad and they
swim in unfamiliar bodies ofwater and they're celebrating so
God knows how they'recelebrating.
And there's also other things.
Autistic children are at a veryhigh risk for drowning and
(28:52):
there's another way that we canhelp educate them and teach
them.
This is where the dog can bevery valuable in helping the
child to understand theseriousness of playing in the
water.
There's so much to say aboutthis topic.
Cold water shock is anotherleading cause of death.
(29:12):
So it's getting hot and you wantto jump in the ocean, you jump
in the ocean, but the oceanisn't hot yet.
It's early summer and you jumpin.
The ocean is freezing cold andyou can actually die of
something called cold watershock.
There are so many things that weneed to address, but the
(29:33):
fundamentals are pay attentionto lifeguards, wear a life
jacket, don't be impaired whenswimming, check the weather, and
swim with a buddy.
(29:55):
Don't swim alone, swim withanother person.
Honestly it seems so simple, butyou could break it down like
that.
Swimming, lifeguard, protectedbeaches.
If you're going to take a risk,take a risk with a buddy.
Don't be impaired, wear lifejacket, look at the weather,
(30:18):
know your surroundings.
And I could keep going, but wecan all make a difference if we
understand the signs ofdrowning, which are limited.
It's hard to always beresponsible.
Don't try to save anyone's lifewithout training, but let
authorities know.
And I don't want to sound likeI'm saying don't go in the water
(30:41):
though.
Water's awesome.
Have fun in the water, butrespect it and respect yourself.
Kim (30:47):
Awesome advice for everyone.
Maria, please give us thecontact information for your
American Academy of Canine WaterRescue if somebody wants to get
in touch with you or they'reinterested in more information
about how to get involved.
Maria (31:03):
Absolutely.
So you can reach me directlythrough email, MariaGray@
AcademyofWaterRescue.
org, and you can also find me onthe web at
(31:24):
TheAcademyofWaterRescue.org.
If you go to Facebook, you cantype in the full name, American
Academy of Canine Water Rescue,and I'll pop up.
If you have trouble finding meon Facebook, you could also type
in Maria E.
Gray, that'll bring in mypersonal page, which is heavily
cross-linked to my Facebook.
Kim (31:44):
Thank you so much for being a guest today on our premiere
episode and for sharing all thiswonderful information, not only
about Newfoundlands, what you'redoing with the SICS, and what
you're doing here in thiscountry for water rescue, but
also water safety, which issuper important for everyone.
If you're interested incontinuing the conversation with
(32:05):
us and the second half, go toGoodDogPro.com, we'll be
continuing with more informationon this subject for our dog
professionals.
Thank you everyone for joiningus.
If you'd like to participate inthe rest of today's conversation
for professionals who work withdogs and receive continuing
education credits fromparticipating organizations for
(32:27):
listening, visit GoodDogPro.comand subscribe today.
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