Avalanche dogs training at Snow Farm

A sniff may be the typical hello between your average canine chums, but that certainly doesn't compare to the kind of greeting reserved for specialist avalanche sniffer dogs.

If you are ever in need of an avalanche search dog - you know you're in trouble.

"That's why they get such a huge welcome from people lost in the outdoors," Wanaka Search And Rescue (SAR) dog handler Matt Gunn said.

Mountain safety instructors often joke the safest thing one can do about avalanches is to avoid them all together.

Mr Gunn thinks the advice isn't wide of the mark.MORE>>