Important Search and Rescue Dog Training Techniques

Regardless if you are going to train your dog to become a qualified search and rescue dog or not, there are specific search dog training techniques that you will need to teach your canine.  You can never predict when a skill such as this might prove useful.
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Search and Rescue Dog Training

Search and rescue dog training techniques can undoubtedly be far more challenging to teach your dog than more basic dog obedience training skills.  The initial step would be to focus on your dog’s temperament and make certain they have got all of the essential characteristics which make an excellent search and rescue dog.

A good search and rescue dog needs to have a number of essential character traits including strength, calmness and adaptability.  The larger breeds of dogs
are generally the only dogs that are able to carry out search and rescue simply because the smaller breeds of dogs might be able to track a person, but would not be able to actually rescue anyone once they found them.

It is very important if you plan on getting your dog into search dog training that you choose which area of search and rescue dog training you would like them to focus on.  As stated earlier, the larger dog breeds almost always perform much better than the smaller breeds of dogs and perhaps you may choose to concentrate on one particular area of search dog training with your dog or teach them a variety of search and rescue dog training techniques.
There are a number of ways in which a dog can track a person or animal. The air scent dog can track people or animals down simply by sniffing the air with their sensitive nose. Then there are the trailing dogs that track on land, while the water search dogs can track their target along the shoreline as well as in the water. The cadaver dogs are able to locate human remains buried under snow, debris and in the earth. There are also the avalanche search and rescue dogs whose job is to find people who are buried alive.
The talented avalanche search and rescue dogs are particularly widely used since the occurrence of people becoming buried within an avalanche is quite common.  And because this has become such a widespread problem, local government agencies and insurance companies are frequently in need of avalanche search and rescue dogs. 

Here are a few search dog training techniques your dog will have to know:
While you are controlling your dog you should then give the canine a command such as find and then release the dog to go to work. Make certain that your dog is not struggling or attempting to force their way out of your control and towards the target area.  This can certainly be extremely challenging, especially when you are using a dog training treat due to the fact that initially the majority of untrained dogs are going to chow the dog training treat down before you have a chance stop them.

Yet another search and rescue dog training technique would be to take a sock or other undergarment and
allow the dog smell it. Once the dog has sniffed it, go ahead and take the dog away so it cannot see what you are doing. Once the dog is out of sight, go ahead and hide that object somewhere relatively far away. Somewhere between thirty to forty feet ought to be sufficient after which get the dog out and command them to go seek. 

In order to train you and your canine properly in the field of search dog training, find someone who has experience with the search and rescue dog training technique and who will get you the results you are looking for at a price you can afford.  If you are planning on getting your dog into this life saving field professionally, then you and your dog's skills need to be on an expert level. 

For all of your dog's basic and advanced obedience training, I highly recommend Secrets to Dog Training. It has been the #1 online dog training obedience program for many years. There is none better! If you do decide to join the ranks of Search and Rescue teams, I wish you all the luck.
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