Aspen Highlands’ latest patrol team member, a 12-week-old puppy named Goose, has already captured the hearts of the public and quickly gained viral fame. The debut video of Goose, shared on Aspen Snowmass’ Instagram, has amassed over 3.5 million views as of March 24, far surpassing the usual 50,000 to 100,000 views seen on their typical posts.
Goose’s arrival marks the beginning of her training to become a search-and-rescue patrol dog. Once fully trained and certified by the Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment (C-RAD) agency, she will be the 14th working patrol dog in the Aspen Skiing Company’s avalanche rescue dog program, which has been active since 2000. The program ensures that both humans and dogs are prepared for swift and effective avalanche rescues across the resort’s four mountains.
Patroller Eric Young, Goose’s handler at Aspen Highlands, is guiding her through the early stages of training. Their primary focus is on obedience testing to ensure Goose is well-mannered and capable of handling the dynamic environment around skiers and snowboarders. As Young explains, the training progresses to avalanche-specific tasks, such as searching large areas where two people are buried. Together, Goose and Young will need to locate and identify the buried individuals within a strict 20-minute window.
In addition to their work on the slopes of Highlands, Goose and Young will participate in avalanche operations across other Aspen mountains, lending support to nearby resorts in rescue efforts. Recently, Aspen patrollers and their dogs assisted Vail’s rescue operations, underlining the collaborative nature of these rescue teams.
Though still in the early stages of her training, Goose is already participating in exercises to develop her search-and-rescue skills. With her handler’s guidance, Goose is learning how to locate him during practice sessions that involve hiding and calling her to search.
As Goose matures and undergoes further training, she will play a vital role in enhancing safety at Aspen Highlands and surrounding areas, alongside her human counterparts. Eric Young emphasizes that the ultimate goal of the patrol dogs is to serve as an added layer of safety for everyone on the slopes. While the public adores the dogs, their primary function remains in search and rescue, offering peace of mind to the ski community.
Goose’s journey is just beginning, but with each passing day, she grows closer to becoming an invaluable asset in the ongoing mission to keep Aspen’s mountains safe.
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