“Once I put a leash on him, he knows it’s time to go into work.” Wilson echoes the sentiment on the tram ride up. “When you put a leash on them, you’ll notice a change right off the bat,” says Terry. But as soon as Wilson disappears in the snow, Wheeler turns into a different beast. The patrollers encourage guests to pet the dog - the happier it is, the better. Up until this point, Wheeler’s acted like any other playful puppy. Once he’s inside the miniature underground igloo, the hole is closed off with snow to trap him inside. While another trainer holds Wheeler on a leash, Wilson walks 40 yards away and steps into a cave dug into the snow. Wilson gives a demo of how that unconditional love ties into their training. Wilson and Terry look like any other bearded ski bums jostling their outdoorsy pets, but it’s even more powerful to watch once you realize that their unconditional affection is actually one of the reasons these dogs may someday save a life. The bond between pet and owner is undeniably adorable. At the end of the night when they head home, the dogs go with them (and immediately pass out from exhaustion). Should they change employers, the dogs go with them. When the patrollers ride in a tram, snowmobile, or even a helicopter, the dogs go with them. They don’t earn a salary, but do have excellent health benefits (the most common injury is cuts on paws), food sponsorships, retirement at age 8 or 9, and - the biggest perk - they rarely leave their owners’ side. Some resorts own their dogs, but at Heavenly, the animals belong to their patrollers.

RELATED: The story behind how a 21-year-old bought North Lake Tahoe's most beloved burger joint “For the dog, it’s not life or death it’s just a game,” says Colton Terry. Some dogs have been reported to occasionally show signs of PTSD from their work, but for most of the animals, the rescues feel more like hide and seek. It’s such a harrowing and very serious job that their trainers won’t confirm or deny whether Peak or Wheeler have mission experience, although Peak does come from a lineage of dogs whose heroics have been memorialized at the base of the mountain with a regal statue.

Peak and Wheeler are two of Heavenly’s six snow rescue dogs, trained to assist search parties during avalanches.

The blair farms golden retrievers