Bella to the Rescue-Search Dog Training Video

Here is Team Bella in training.

Owner handler Mark is working Bella.

They are training with the author to be certified 

for K9 Search and Rescue (SAR) 

This is Trailing not Tracking! 

Enjoy the show!

Bella is a 3 year old family pet who really enjoys her new job!

Follow Bella's progress on Facebook 

Training Your Dog to Protect Your Child

Image source

Dogs tend to be loyal creatures by nature and will generally protect any member of the family if they spot a threat. However, it can be wise to train them specifically to protect a child, which is not quite the same as their usual training. The earlier you start to train them the better, but even dogs that have passed the puppy stage can still be trained for this important task.

Your dog is already a valuable member of your family and he sees you as his pack with the children being the cubs. Training them to protect the cubs can take a few weeks, sometimes a little longer. Once they know what to do though, they will never forget it and will guard your children always.


The Basics

Before you can train your dog to be a child protector they have to know the basic commands. They should sit, walk, some, stay, be quiet or bark at your command. They should also be allowed to interact with other people and dogs so that they learn to distinguish between the good guys and the bad guys.

Leather dog collars with a leash, some treats for when they do well and a place to train are the best way to get started. The only other you will need is a lot of patience.

Using The Leash

From when he is a young pup you should take your dog a walk to get him used to you being in control. Let him be fussed by people you know are safe, but with strangers give a slight tug on the leash and hold him back. Dogs have a sense about who is good and bad and they will very soon start barking at someone they are not too keen on.

Over time, the dog will react differently with various people and will automatically go into protection mode if they do not like someone that approaches you. When you see this happening it is time to let your child take the leash and the dog will very soon learn that it is them they need to protect. This protection will become a habit that happens automatically if your children are playing outside, for instance.

Image source

Getting Them To Bark

Your dog has to be fully socially trained before you can train them to protect your child. Take them out into a lot of different environments where they will meet different people, other animals and experience new sights and sounds. They need to obey your commands no matter what distractions there are.

Most dogs will bark as a stranger approaches. Let him bark 2 or 3 times and then give a tug on his leash and tell him ‘quiet’. When he does as he is told give him a treat and he will soon learn when he should bark and when he should be quiet.

Next move onto the child holding the leash and giving the ‘quiet’ command and when he starts to obey your child, let them give him the treat.

After using either of these methods you will know that your child is always safe when your dog is around.

Learn to Train your Pet Dog to Rescue You!

Did you know a family dog can come to your aid during a disaster?


One of our biggest fears and chores during a disaster is losing or finding a loved one.


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


Dogs do this on their own everyday without us noticing.


So, let's pay attention and "Follow your Dog ! "

 Free lessons are posted here so you can practice 
with your family pet 

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


You and your dog will learn How To

Find a Missing Person in rubble, woods or city settings

Prepare for Emergency

Dog Backpacking for Disaster

Other Dog Tricks for Assisting in Emergencies. 

Get the books

Click for Free Preview

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

Warning-Test-123

 

WARNING ! WARNING ! WARNING !

 

 

 

 

 

Confusion Fear Anxiety Loss

Panic Shock Death 

 

 

 

 

911-MAYDAY-SOS

HELP!

FAMILY DISASTER DOG

CALL TO ACTION

This is a test of the Family Disaster Dog Network

In the event of an extreme emergency, natural or manmade disaster, terrorist attack, fire, earthquake, tsunami, tornado, flood, landslide or economic collapse and it’s the end of the world as you know it.

In other words, when all hell breaks loose...and you are ordered to Evacuate or Decide the Safest route is to Bug-Out, slip away or run...don’t forget you trained your dog using these lessons.

 

As your dog wakes the household by alerting and rounding up family members, you will be waking and preparing to go.

Each family member once dressed will grab their own backpacks with emergency supplies as you and your trained family disaster dog grab family go-bags and 72 hour ready packs with extra food or supplies you want to load in the car to evacuate.

Your dog will follow your commands as your family prepares to  leave instead of hiding or getting in your way, your dog will know what to do too.

Your dog will carry its own food and supplies in a dog backpack giving you more room in your own backpack and your dog has room in its pack for extra supplies for the family.

These simple steps are preplanned out ahead of time.

Critical time is saved with the help of your dog.

This scenario will be the same if you were walking out to a safe preplanned location or to the street in front of your house.

Any item you need that you have taught your dog to retrieve for you, such as flashlights or extra boots, backpacks can be fetched by your dog and dropped where you have taught your dog to take the items. For instance, in the car, truck, shelter in the back yard or out to the street away from falling objects.

Now when the warning goes off all you do is evacuate and find shelter in a safe location with your loved ones and supplies.

Be sure to write on your house that all living beings have left the building or which pets remain behind for rescuers who come to check up on you.

Your dog will know from training and family evacuation drills what to do and so will your family which will reduce stress, fear and trauma.

This alone can save your life because more people get injured from panic then anything else during a mob situation or huge evacuation.

Set up camp with your family, bring out the pre-packed snacks from your rescue pack and celebrate!

You and your family dog did it!

Your family is safe; your dog is with you.

Wait for officials to find you or fix the disaster.

Do not leave your safe location unless you have a very good reason.

The next post will outline what to do when a loved one is lost and how to use your dog to find them. Be safe, have fun preparing with your dogs.

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