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Abby the search and rescue dog got a chance to show off her skills Thursday at a crime scene investigation summer camp being held on the University of Montana campus.

Abbys handler Dave Howe, assistant chief for Missoula County Search and Rescue, described for the class the process of training a rescue dog. The presentation was part of a three-day crime scene investigations summer camp put on by the spectrUM Discovery Area. About 15 kids between the ages of 8 and 11 were invited to learn about mapping crimes, examining forensic evidence and how to fingerprint a suspect, among other criminology topics.

Howe came to talk about Abbys specialty, which isnt bomb detection or drug identification. Abby is used to help find people in an emergency, Howe said. Her training is focused on finding and rescuing people buried after an avalanche.

Abby knows how to bark to alert other emergency responders, but she also knows how to help dig for a person buried under snow, Howe said.

One of the hardest things for Abby was teaching her how to dig, Howe said.

To help her, Howe would get down on the ground with Abby and start digging with her.

We made it a game. We were both digging and then I started digging harder, and she started digging harder, Howe said. If you dont make it fun, she wont do it.

Different dogs have their different specialties, Howe said. If a house collapsed after an earthquake, Abby could help. Her nose is what makes her such an asset, Howe said. To demonstrate this, Howe asked for a volunteer to hide from Abby.

Abby should find Abby, the kids called out.

Howe gave 8-year-old Abby Wright a towel to wipe on a special scent before she found a place to hide. As Howe let Abby lead him to Wright, the other students followed a few paces behind, watching as Abby kept her nose close to the ground. When Abby found Wright, Howe cheered the rescue dog, telling her several times what a good job shed done.

She went right past me, Wright said. And then she was like, 'Yay, I found her!'

Wright has her own dog at home, although despite Howe telling the kids how to use tuna and smelly socks to see if your dog could be a rescue dog, Wright doesnt believe her Jack Russell terrier would be interested in sniffing something out.

Olive would rather lay in bed, Wright said.

Bringing Abby out into the community helps to socialize her, Howe said.

Socialization with lots of little kids for a dog is wonderful and it gets me used to handling her around children, Howe said.

It also lets the community know Missoula County has a rescue dog, Howe said. Howe and his wife got Abby about a year ago. Howe has worked for Missoula County Search and Rescue for about five years and saw the need for a dog specialized in avalanche rescues.

This week's camp was being led by University of Montana student Annie Schmautz, who has worked for spectrUM for about six years. Schmautz is studying forensic chemistry and criminology and hoping one day to work for an agency like the FBI.

SpectrUM camps are a special place for students to learn, said Agatha Podrasky, spectrUMs camp and field trip coordinator. The camps dont just connect students with local speakers, but with parents, high school students, college students and college graduates from different educational backgrounds.

Kids can see the entire educational path, Podrasky said.

Allison Wiswell, 11, liked learning about how to correctly measure out droppers of liquid during the first half of the day Thursday. She isnt interested in being an investigator, she said, but she likes learning about math and animals.

I've done spectrUM camps before and its always fun. Were always doing something, Wiswell said.

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Abby finds Abby: Search dog shows skills at summer camp - The Missoulian