AUSTIN—Search and rescue crews often count on man's best friend to help out when weather turns deadly.

Cadaver dogs are being dispatched to help locate victims washed away in the storms. Our Alex Stockwell introduces us to APD's cadaver canine and the rigorous training he goes through to be a member of the squad.

Max isn't your average dog.

"Max's work ethic is really high compared to most dogs I think,” said Sandra Hudson, Canine Rehabilitation Specialist. “The harder you work him, the happier this dog gets."

His training rivals that of any top athlete.

"We keep his mind and his body ready, and he likes the work,” Hudson said.

A high-tech water treadmill keeps the 7-year-old Lab functioning in peak physical shape so that he's able to do an important job. Max is the Austin Police Department's only cadaver dog. Not only does he assist in search efforts, he also lends a hand in criminal cases.

"It's a symbiotic relationship that I think Max enjoys working, but we need him and his assistance to give us direction with our investigations," said Detective Brian Molleur with APD.

Max and his trainer, Sean Glynn, have volunteered with APD for six years. Years of intense, meticulous training allow Max to do what he does - but that wasn't always the case. Born with a birth defect in his paw, Max was given up twice before Glynn adopted him.

"As soon as we had the birth defect removed, the pain didn't stop him anymore so we could do a lot of repetitions, and that's when the training really took off," said Glynn.

Since last year's Memorial Day floods, Max has searched nearly 200 miles of riverfront along the Blanco and San Marcos Rivers.

"That's what you look for in these dogs, they have to have a high level of hunt drive in order to stay focused on tasks to find the odor," said Glynn.

Max's special skills make him good at his job, but it's a job that needs him just as much as he needs it.

"This is a dog that needs a purpose, that needs this type of active aggressive job," said Glynn.

Max also works in larger searches with other K9's and team members from Search Dog Network and Travis County Search and Rescue.