Alongside Ryko, an almost five-year-old German shepherd, Yohan Borel is responsible for safety throughout the ski area at Serre Chevalier. Meeting.
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How did your passion for dogs come about?
(He smiles) Since I was a child, I've always had dogs. Then at the age of 20, I started working at the Serre Chevalier ski resort. It was in 2011 that I naturally wanted to become a dog handler, which is actually a speciality. I was told that you first had to be a first-aid responder, which I did straight away.
What is your background?
I passed the diploma, then the artificier (specialisation in a mountain trade). Before my colleague retired, we started the training programme, which involved choosing a breed of dog from a working dog kennel. It takes between fifteen months and two years to complete the course leading to the avalanche dog handler's diploma, which is awarded at the following institutions 2 Alps. I've been a ski patroller since 2016.
What are your main tasks?
Since 2021, my dog Ryko, a four-and-a-half-year-old grey German shepherd, has been operational. Since he was eighteen months old, we've been working on all the avalanches in the resort, and then on the public domain when the specialist teams ask us for back-up.
How are the dogs trained?
Our dogs have to pass five refresher courses in the winter to be operational the following year. In the summer, we have them search in dry terrain to keep them motivated and committed.
What advice would you give to a young person wishing to enter the profession?
The dog handler speciality involves a lot of hours of work, but fortunately very few interventions. You have to be really passionate to practice this speciality. But if you are, there's only one thing I can say: go for it!