Exclusive Coverage of the Air Self-Defense Force’s Guard Dog Jennifer in Training During the Noto Peninsula Earthquake

Guard dog Jennifer, slipping through the rubble on unstable ground. Her movements were so graceful that they were captivating.

On New Year’s Day this year, the Noto Peninsula Earthquake struck Ishikawa Prefecture, recording a maximum intensity of 7. The Self-Defense Forces and guard dogs were dispatched to the site to search for and rescue missing persons. Jennifer, belonging to the Hamamatsu Air Base of the Shizuoka Air Self-Defense Force, was deployed for search activities in Wajima City (Ishikawa Prefecture), where many buildings had collapsed, at around 3:50 p.m. on January 3. Just a few minutes after starting to trace the scent, she found an elderly woman inside a house, leading to a successful rescue.

Kenta Shimizu, a 3rd Class Airman who was involved in the search and rescue activities, recalls the situation at the time.

“This was Jennifer’s first deployment, but after detecting the scent in 4-5 minutes, she dashed straight to where the elderly woman was and barked, ‘Woof! Woof!’ to let us know the location of the person in need of rescue. At the time, the lifelines were cut off, so we were particularly careful about avoiding infections and making sure not to drink the muddy water.”

There are about 150 guard dogs in the Air Self-Defense Force. What roles do they usually play?

“The primary duties include patrolling and guarding within the base, as well as being on alert for suspicious individuals. Additionally, they carry out tasks such as detecting explosives and suspicious objects by utilizing their sense of smell, which is said to be about 100 million times more sensitive than that of humans. In recent years, they have also been involved in search and rescue operations in large-scale disaster areas, such as the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and the 2021 landslide disaster in Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture,” says the Public Relations Officer at Hamamatsu Air Base of the Air Self-Defense Force.

Among the guard dogs who protect people’s safety daily, Jennifer is said to have “something different” from the other dogs.

“Jennifer had passed the international rescue dog exam with her handler (the team member she paired with) at the time, making her an elite dog with qualifications as both a ‘guard dog’ and an ‘international rescue dog.’ However, this qualification becomes invalid when the handler changes, so since April this year, Jennifer has been undergoing intense training with her new handler to reacquire it,” the same officer explains.

Regarding the usual training, current handler Yuma Yamauchi, the second-generation handler, shares:

“Usually, we conduct ‘basic training,’ which includes habituation, obedience, and track following, as well as ‘applied training,’ such as personnel search, explosive detection, suppression of suspicious individuals, and alertness. Jennifer’s workday starts at 8:15 a.m., the same as ours, alternating between training and guard duties. Naturally, just like humans, dogs also accumulate fatigue, so we pay close attention to their expressions to avoid overworking them. We always check the wind direction to maximize the use of their sense of smell and make sure to give commands from downwind.”

During training that day, Yamauchi checked the wind direction by spraying into the air. He gave commands to Jennifer from downwind, leading her to find another team member who was hiding in a training hut.

“When humans are trapped in a confined space, they unknowingly emit a distinctive odor. Dogs search by distinguishing that scent, so even in actual training, we practice by wearing outfits that make us sweat easily and hiding in hard-to-find places, simulating disaster scenarios. When Jennifer succeeds in finding someone, we expand the search area or change the person, gradually increasing the difficulty,” says Yamauchi.

New Challenges for the Elite Dog

Jennifer, a female Belgian Shepherd Malinois, turned four years old this year. She was assigned to the Hamamatsu Base at the age of two and, after about a year of training, earned the international rescue dog qualification with her previous handler at the age of three.

“Jennifer is a bright dog who absolutely loves to play. For dogs, missions and training are extensions of play, so making it enjoyable for them is the most important thing. When she follows commands, we praise her and play with toys, then go back to training. By repeating this, we maintain Jennifer’s motivation for search activities. However, since this breed tends to act independently, it’s essential for the handler to lead firmly. My role is to find ways for her to enjoy the work while bringing out her high potential,” says the same officer.

It’s been about four months since Yamauchi and Jennifer started working together in April. What are their current goals?

“My goal is for Jennifer to trust that ‘as long as I follow this person, I’ll be okay.’ I want her to stay by my side, only responding to my commands, even if someone else calls her name. I’d be happy if she feels comfortable being next to me. Of course, we also plan to challenge the requalification for the international rescue dog as soon as possible!”

Jennifer, who devotes herself to her duties without regard for danger, continues to aim for greater heights alongside her trusted handler, Yamauchi.

From the August 16, 2024 issue of ‘FRIDAY’.