Sign-up for our email Newsletter

Mobile Devices Note:

There's more to this site! Go to the bottom of the page for a list of posts or click "View Web Version" to see the whole site. Please excuse the Ads that keep this site free for you!

Find More Lessons and Articles

To see all the dog training posts (Over 260 pages)
Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the list and most popular titles.

SEARCH Family Disaster Dogs 260+ pages

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Teaching Dog Retrieve Object By Name

 Click for Family Disaster Dogs on Amazon.
Get all the lessons, dog bug-out bag list, Pet CPR and more !

Teaching your Family Dog to Go-Get the First Aid Kit
Dog Retrieves Items as Directed
Name that Object!




Once your dog is playing fetch and retrieving it is time to add-on “go-get survival gear” for you in case you can’t reach the gear and other objects by name that you and your family will need.

Service dogs retrieve items for their owners daily, they open doors and find wallets,keys and cell phones. Your family dog can do the same if you teach them the name of the item you want.

During the retrieval lessons you will be teaching your dog to associate the word with the gear and the name of objects.

Start slowly, one item at a time. Start with small items and work up to larger heavier objects. As an example, let’s use a small first aid kit, one that is toy size and easy to hold for your dog. Show this to your dog and tell your dog the name, like, ”Medkit” .

 Keep the name or command simple and short.  First Aid Kit is to long of word.

A soft carry case first aid kit like the one pictured is a good example,too.


Hide the “Medkit” with your dog watching then ask your already trained scenting dog to "find" the “Medkit” by name. Or toss the item as you say “Medkit”, for your dog to fetch and bring back to you.

Praise your dog!


Milo owned by C. Parker


To teach your dog to bring you gear and items by name once your dog is retrieving, you are basically going to be teaching the dog the names of the objects so you can send them to retrieve for you.

Teaching your dog the name of the objects you might need during an emergency or disaster situation can be done during all of the lessons by simply including the name of the object while you’re training.

Some of these Family Disaster Dog lessons are retraining your dog to do things they were taught not to do as puppies and teaching them the name of an object they were previously told to leave alone will take longer then had they never been conditioned to leave the object alone.

For this reason, always say your dog’s name and following the name use the same word to name each object or word you want your dog to learn to retrieve for you.

If you incorporate the name of the object into the training you will be surprised how quickly your dog can learn our words. We often forget to speak to our dogs or give them a chance to show us they know our words.

Always allow your dog time to show you and read your dog like they have to read us in order to work as our teammate.

Which items will you need your dog to get for you? Which words do they have to learn?

Here is a list of items needed to evacuate or bug-out 

Large dogs can learn to get your go-bag or bug-out bag and their own dog backpack and take these items to the front door or a location of your choice. Medium to large dogs can even load items in the car if you open the door and teach them a few commands. Like "get the bag" "take or load bag, first aid kit or their own dog food." You first teach them to "bring it" to you then you walk with the dog to the car saying "load car" and open door so they can jump in. If they drop the bag or item, have the dog come back out of the car and try again. repeat until they get the idea and praise every good move.

Here's a picture of what I put together for a basic dog Bug-out bag to help people get started. Personal items, dog and human food are not included. If you would like me to put one together for you email me via the contact page above.


A.Higgins photo



Large and medium size dogs can move a lot of things into a vehicle or to another location in the event that we have to evacuate or move locations.

A.Higgins photo


Small dog’s can learn to grab small items, like first aid kits, flashlight, maps, your purse or wallet. In an emergency I would consider a wallet very safe if my dog was holding onto it. Here is a nice backpack that carries your small pets and emergency supplies too.






With practice your dog can learn to find the car keys and meet you at the car while you are getting the family to the car to evacuate. It would be great to see your dog waiting with the keys in the car.

Do teach these skills, all you do is plan the lesson on paper, then set up the session where you run through what you want your dog to do, step by step you will show your dog the way you planned them to take, and the items you want them to pick up, and where to go and then ask your dog to lay-stay or sit-stay or teach your dog to return to you.

Repeat the steps again and again on different days using the same commands for your dog to "go get gear" and "load car", take your dog to each gear item say "get gear" then "load car" , take your dog to the car where they deposit the item and you repeat the steps with the next item.

Praise and love at the end for a job well done. Encourage them and help until they get the idea.

Assign each object you want your dog to know a name, always use the same word. Always use your dog’s name first or they might think you are talking to somebody else.

Repeat your lesson plan several times over a couple of week’s time without any changes and your dog will learn what you want.

Only after the first job or mission is mastered do you introduce another plan or job for your dog to learn and do the same as before by repeating the exercise until your dog has mastered the lesson over a couple of weeks.

At other times when your dog is with the object, always get in the habit of speaking with your dog by saying the objects name.

If you are packing the baby's bag- say “ baby's bag”; when you pick up your wallet or handbag show your dog and say "wallet",  if you are getting into the car- say “car”, walking to the back yard-say “yard”, when getting your dog's  water- say ”water” because someday you may need your dog to find water for you.

Just like a human child with time and practice, animals, can learn our language too.







See all the items your need to evacuate with pets and read more in my e-Book 

Get a free preview and please leave a review ! Spread the word to help others know what to do in emergencies.




Now available from Waldorf Publishing and on also my Amazon author page!

(click the book title)
My Puppy Can Find Me picture book so your child is never lost!

with UK dog cartoonist  Helen "Scotty" King illustrations



my Certified Bloodhound Search Dog "Rea Valley's Incredible Sue"

5 comments:

MarkTaylor said...

Nice post.
Vets in bundaberg

Sandeep said...

for me teaching his name to puppy was a cakewalk after going through this article on teaching name to puppies

Hadi shaikh said...

Healthy diet for dog I think this is an informative post and it is very useful and knowledgeable. therefore, I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article.

spoodle for sale new zealand said...

A rope might be useful for dogs who prefer to catch the thing and flee with it. Once she has the item, move the line and either sprint away from your dog with it or pull it towards you. She should be more inclined to follow you now. Even if she doesn't, reel the rope in and give her a compliment as she approaches before throwing the item once again and repeating. After a few weeks of doing this, your pup should approach you spontaneously.

A. Higgins said...

spoodle for sale new zealand posted a great tip! Thank you and everyone else too, for commenting and visiting Family Disaster Dogs!

Author Amber Higgins

Author Amber Higgins
Click Pic to Visit my author page

Welcome UK and Worldwide Visitors

Welcome UK and worldwide visitors and friends to Family Disaster Dogs online! Although I'm an American author and dog professional the worldwide web has given me the opportunity to connect with some wonderful folks who have contributed pictures for my books. The "Start Mantrailing" book features RRI K9 North Scotland trained Search and Rescue Dog "Amber" on the cover and her teammates training in the book, plus American dogs using my training methods. A portion of sales of the Start Mantrailing book or copies were donated to RRI North Scotland. The children's picture book "My Puppy Can Find Me" has my daughter and bloodhound as illustrations by UK cartoonist Scotty King. You can find the books on Amazon UK or use the contact page to order from me. When you click the links will take you to your own county pages of this site.

Start Mantrailing Free Preview on Audible, Kindle and Paperback

Featured Lesson

My Dog is Prepared Are You ?

How are you Prepared?  Post answers in the comments...we'd love to hear from you! Be ready for pet medical emergencies with one of these...

Popular Posts

My Children's Picture Book

My Children's Picture Book
Click the Image to see the Book

Past Posts and Lessons

To see all the lessons and dog care articles on this site:

Look at the dates listed below and click one date to bring up all the articles and lessons published at this site in one page for each date.

There are well over 200 pages that have been published here at Family Disaster Dogs since 2011.

New lessons or dog care articles continue to be posted weekly.

The list below is the easiest way to find all the information here.

Enjoy the search and follow that dog!

Blog Archive

Let's Share on Social Media !

Let's enable each family to respond

and do something while waiting for help

during neighborhood emergency and disaster incidents,

extreme weather and terrorist attacks.


Good Luck and Be Safe !

Read a Free Preview or Buy !

Help Keep Free Books Free for everyone-Donate Today!

Dog Bug-out Bag book

Free Preview

Read and Review my books on Goodreads

Family Disaster Dogs

Advertising Disclosure

Disclosure: Some of the links on this site are affiliate links that I have reviewed and approved. Additionally links to products such as at Amazon are products I have personally used. Affiliate links means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. The proceeds earned are not much and used to keep this Family Disaster Dogs website free to the public. Thank you for your support.

Purchases from affiliate links help Keep Family Disaster Dogs Site Free!

Check this deal out and support us! Thanks

Sign up for Audible Plus, an all-you-can-listen membership that offers access to thousands of titles, including the Family Disaster Dogs audiobooks and a vast array of other audiobooks, podcasts and originals that span genres, lengths, and formats.