Free Dog Training Lessons

The author's Daisy

The reason for the Family Disaster Dogs site and free lessons listed below.

Is to train as many Family Dogs as possible to be able to assist every family in the World when emergencies strike. 

In doing so, time can be spared waiting for response from other rescue teams who upon arrival can work to further aid the family in the situation.

When a large scale disaster strikes, such as tornadoes, Katrina and the tsunami earthquake in Japan, time is critical to survival. Search teams have their hands full with a large number of call outs. 

The trained Family Disaster Dog can help rescuers by saving time because the dog is on location at the time of the incident.

Additionally, at least one family member is trained in the basic Search And Rescue techniques so they can help their own family and friends while awaiting outside response. Learn how-to find a person with your dog.

Another benefit  of having your dog trained to help you in an emergency is that if your neighborhood is cut off from outside help (which happens) then you can help your own loved ones and neighbors. 

Just think, if all the neighbors have dogs then you can form your own search and rescue team just like a neighborhood watch group.

This site will help you in all areas of setting up your own dog and friend's dogs to assist in any disaster or missing person incident.

If a grandmother or child wanders away and gets lost, you can help. If your family is camping, take your dog. 

Very few people get lost with dogs with them and if anybody wanders off the trail then you can ask your Family Disaster Dog to go find them. 

All you have to do is read the lessons pages, work with your pet and email if you need any advice. 

Note: These lessons are for family dogs and are not how-to train a professional working dog which is much more complex. Although working dog trainers may find some useful tips here as well. For professional working dog lessons contact me from the contact page.



Here is the page with a long list of survival items you need to pack and how-to pack them

In the Page Menu on familydisasterdogs.com

Find what Equipment is needed page on the Equipment Page

There is a Glossary and Terms of Words Used Page

Learn why a Scent Article is the easiest way to find a person, on this The Scent Article Page

Learn How-to Evacuate with a Dog's Help 

Full Free Lessons listed on the Lesson Page and in the blog date list at the bottom of this page are over 200 dog related training and care articles..click a date to see more.

These are some of the lessons on the link page with links to the most popular

Lesson 1: Taking scent and scent articles above link on the Scent Article Page

Lesson 2: To Leash or Not to Leash

Lesson 3: Start Searching for a lost person is included below in #4

Lesson 4:  "Find it!" Start looking for a lost person or object

Lesson 5: How to use a Tracking Leash part 1

Lesson 6: More Leash Work  part 2

Lesson 7: Tracking Leash part 3

Lesson 8:  Avoiding Burn Out

Lesson 9:  How to stop bad behavior

Lesson 10: How to hide from a dog

Lesson 11:  Scent Behavior

Lesson 12:  How to Read a Dog

Lesson 13:  How to Train your dog to do a Building Search

Lesson 14:  Train your dog to do an  Air Scent and Area Search

Lesson 15: How your dog will be  Indicating and Alerting a Found person

Lesson 16:  Is the dog collar on right?

Lesson 17:  How to use a Choker Chain Collar properly

Lesson 18:  How to use a leash

Lesson 19: Finding Evidence and Objects with your dog

Lesson 20: Planning Dog Training Courses and Routes   part 1

Lesson 21: Planning Dog Training Courses, Laying Trails  part 2

Lesson 22 : Advancing in Search Dog and Survival Training

Lesson 23: Aging Tracking Dog Training Courses and Trails

Lesson 24:  Learn Area Search Basics

Lesson 25: How to do Area Search Training

Lesson 26: How to do Cadaver Dog Training

Lesson 27: How a dog can Alert to Danger

Part 1: Teaching your dog to alert you to danger  Part 1 Alert to Danger

Part 2: Teach your dog Part 2 Alert to Danger

Lesson 28:  Dog learns how to come back to you after they find somebody or thing
which is called Teaching Refind or Return to Handler or Recall

Lesson 29: Your dog brings you items you need Retrieve and Go-Get Object

Lesson 30: Dog learns item by name to bring you Retrieve Object by Name

Lesson Test: How your dog will help you evacuate -What To Do when Alarm Sounds

Lesson 31: How to Find a Lost Person with Your Dog

Lesson 32: Training a Dog To Do Tracking

Lesson 33: Training a Messenger Dog -Go between 2 people

See a video of my family dog finding a person for the first time

Go to the Lesson Page in The Page Menu (top right sidebar) for links to each lesson.

Amber working a Bloodhound pup

You can also find these pages

Dog Bug-out Go-Bag Survival Backpack List and How-to

Links to Family Disaster Dogs Lessons

Emergency Links

K9 CPR –Emergency Breathing Technique For Pets

Good Luck and Be Ready !

See my Family Disaster Dogs ebooks and paperbacks at Author Page

Gathering Scent Articles 4 Your Dog 2 Find You !

Gathering Scent Articles 

Items to use to find your family members with a dog

It's best to fully understand how a dog uses its nose.

The author asking a Bloodhound pup to "smell" the bag
with the Scent Article of who to look for (more below)

To a dog, A Scent is a Scent !

Therefore, the fastest and surest way to teach or ask a dog to find a person is to use the person's scent to show the dog who we want to find. This makes the job easier for the dog because no two people smell alike.

To teach your dog to search for a lost or missing family member or friend, you have to prepare first by gathering the "scent article". This is easy to do but care must be taken.

It is wise to keep these scent articles stored as directed below in case an actual search ever occurs.

Gathering Scent Articles
It's best to gather one dirty sock from each person you can think of who you might ever have to look for before you start training your family pet.

Each sock should be handled and stored as outlined below for later emergency use. In case you ever have to call officials in with search dogs tell them you have a scent article which will save valuable time.

For now and for training; you should...

Place one dirty sock from each family member in a freezer bag after reading below.


Warning: IMPORTANT


DO NOT touch the sock yourself, have the person drop the sock from their foot to a new brown paper bag (lunch bag size) or into a new plastic freezer bag.


( new brown paper put in a zip lock natural non chemical bag is best )


You will learn more about scent article use during lessons.


The most important part of using a search dog is;


Do Not Contaminate that sock.


Do not touch it.



Do Not Put 2 socks from different people together, each sock gets its own bags.


Store socks in the freezer until a few minutes before use.


This is the so-called "Scent Article"


The “Scent Article” tells your dog who they are looking for.


Handle with Care.


Keep one for each family member for use if a disaster ever strikes.


When gathering "Scent Articles" of missing people during an incident, you will follow the same rule of Do Not Contaminate the article or location.A scent article can be any item or object the missing person is known to of touched recently, such as a piece of clothing, bath items, pillow case, smoking items include butts of cigars or cigarette, hankie, tissue paper, a cup or glass or steering wheel in the car and the seat or bed the person was last in.


Preservation and Collection of the item is critical to avoid another person's scent from getting on the item and contaminating it. the dog will disregard its handlers scent but it is still wise for the handler to take special care when handling the scent article.


Always try to pick up and deposit the scent article into a clean bag by using a stick laying nearby or coat hanger from the subjects home to keep the item clean of other scents.


Ask the family who touched what and do not use any item others have touched if possible. If the missing person and others have touched everything then ask the people to stand by when you start the dog to look for the missing person.


For instance, if a person is missing from a parked car where other people had been in the car with them, ask these people to stand by and take your dog to the car where the lost person sat and ask your dog to smell the seat then find the person.


Your dog will use a missing member search technique of eliminating the people who are on the scent article (the car) and go to the people who are standing by then set off looking for the missing person. But if the people are not there for your dog to eliminate them then your dog will look for all the people in the car.


This is why it is important to find out before you start your dog who touched what that the missing person touched and where was the person last standing,laying or sitting.


Who was with them and how long have they been missing are also critical to a successful search because of possible contamination of the scent article.


A contaminated scent article will lead you on a wild goose chase, take care.


Only you, your dog and the person who is missing should come in contact with the item or location used as the scent article or starting point.

Family Disaster Dogs author and Bloodhound pup Bo

Amber and Bloodhound pup Bo getting ready to train how to Trail a Lost Person.

Bo was 5 months old at the time of this picture in 2001.

He later went to volunteer with sheriff depts in California and then Georgia with his half sister Samathia (Sam)

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Go there to Get The Family Disaster Dogs Book for all the lessons and lists of needed items so you can be prepared !

Click the link under the book cover to see a free preview or buy 

Amazon USA or UK

Family Disaster Dogs Book

Coming soon "My Puppy Can Find Me" picture book will teach your children, you and dog how to work together if they are ever separated from you ! 

Follow me on Twitter @URDogCanFindU

See a free preview and get my new book below

Lesson Links for Family Disaster Dogs

Family Disaster Dogs

Family Disaster Dogs 
was formed
 to show you, the public...

How your family dog can come to 

your aid during a Disaster.

Every dog has the ability to find its family members or friends. 

Dogs do this on their own everyday without us noticing.

Listed below are links to dog training lessons 
that have been posted here since 2010. 

These lessons are here so you can practice with your family pet 

and learn how to save your family, neighbors and friends in a disaster.


These lessons are free for you to read, print and share with friends. 
(please do)

You and your dog will learn 

How To

Survive with your Dog's Help

Find a Missing Person in rubble, woods or city settings

Prepare for Emergency

Dog Backpacking for Disaster

Dog Tracking 

Messenger Dogs Skills

A family Disaster Dog 

is a 

Survival Dog

Other Dog Tricks for Assisting in Emergencies. 

Family Disaster Dog Chloe-Anastasia's Girl  

click the blue print to go to that page

Read why Training your dog is important on the Disaster page

Equipment needed page click here

Glossary and Terms of Words Used to Train Search Dogs Here

Learn about Scent Article on this Page

Contact Us Page

  Family Disaster Dogs  

  Lesson  

What is a Family Disaster Dog ?..It's Your Dog Helping You! 

Click here to read more

Lesson 1: Taking scent and scent articles

Lesson 2: To Leash or Not to Leash

Lesson 3: Start Searching for a lost person

Lesson 4:  "Find it!" 

Lesson 5: How to use a Tracking Leash part 1

Lesson 6: More Leash Work  part 2

Lesson 7: Tracking Leash part 3

Lesson 8:  Avoiding Burn Out

Lesson 9:  How to stop bad behavior

Lesson 10: How to hide from a dog

Lesson 11:  Scent Behavior

Lesson 12:  How to Read a Dog

Lesson 13:  How to Train your dog to do a Building Search

Lesson 14:  Train your dog to do an  Air Scent and Area Search

Lesson 15: How your dog will be  Indicating and Alerting a Found person

Lesson 16:  Is the dog collar on right?

Lesson 17:  How to use a Choker Chain Collar properly

Lesson 18:  How to use a leash

Lesson 19: Finding Evidence and Objects with your dog

Lesson 20: Planning Dog Training Courses and Routes   part 1

Lesson 21: Planning Dog Training Courses, Laying Trails  part 2

Lesson 22 : Advancing in Search Dog and Survival Training

Lesson 23: Aging Tracking Dog Training Courses and Trails

Lesson 24:  Learn Area Search Basics

Lesson 25: How to do Area Search Training

Lesson 26: How to do Cadaver Dog Training

Lesson 27: How a dog can Alert to Danger

Part 1: Teaching your dog to alert you to danger  Part 1 Alert to Danger

Part 2: Teach your dog Part 2 Alert to Danger 

Lesson 28:  Dog learns how to come back to you after they find somebody or thing Teaching Refind or Return to Handler

Lesson 29: Your dog brings you items you need Retrieve and Go-Get Object 

Lesson 30: Dog learns item by name to bring you Retrieve Object by Name

Lesson Test:   How your dog will help you evacuate -What To Do when Alarm Sounds

Lesson 31: How to Find a Lost Person with Your Dog

Lesson 32: Training a Dog To Do Tracking

Lesson 33: Training a Messenger Dog -Go between 2 people

Lesson 34: Training your dog to find you - and anybody without any other training

All of these lessons plus much more are in 

the Family Disaster Dogs book below.

To contact the author about private classes, book signings or events email Family Disasters Dogs  Click Here

Get all the lessons in one easy Ebook below-free preview

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