Train Your Dog to Find Missing Family and Pets

All Dogs Love Finding People They Know! 

Our dogs love to find us and they do that every day. 

When a dog wants to go outside, they find you to let you know. 

When a dog wants to play he’ll get his toy and find you to play fetch. 

When a dog is hungry, they find the person who feeds them. 

Our dogs consider other household pets and livestock part of the family. Herding dogs find sheep and livestock over many miles. Much of the training is using natural instincts. 

So why not teach our pet dogs to find family members, including other animals they know? In case a loved one goes missing or is lost then all you have to do is ask your family dog where the person is and follow the dog. Keep in mind, that not only will your dog find humans but also any animal that your dog knows.

Pictured below is my dog Washee and I training. We are getting ready to follow a person scent trail to locate where the person is hiding. I do not know where the person is hidden, all I have is the person’s scent article to give Washee to smell and remember the scent we want to find. 

Washee led me through a homeless camp and behind a power company to find the person in the second picture. As you can see from Washee’s happy face she loves this fun game of hide and seek! 

The way I train dogs to search for missing persons is based on how a dog naturally behaves. 

Every time someone in the house or on the property leaves our dogs want to go with them because they do not want to lose the person. Dogs do not want to let who they know out of their sight because to a dog, they are part of the family pack. Especially a person or other animal they are most fond of and the person who feeds them. 

Even people who play with our dogs at a dog park and neighbors the dog knows are part of the dog’s social network. 

Have a look at my post to read simple instructions to use your dog to find family members, friends and other animals that are missing.

The Family Disaster Dogs books and easy lessons on this site explain how to use the family dogs to search for missing people and pets like mantrailing, tracking and search dogs do. 

These books help not only families train their dogs but also K9 Search and Rescue teams worldwide. 

Visit my author page to have a look at the books. I plan to keep adding lessons and dog info here at Family Disaster Dogs. I am also working on a book with more details to help reunite missing pets with their families. 

If you would like new posts in your email, sign-up by refreshing this page and waiting for the pop up window.

Thanks for stopping by and stay safe out there. 

Pictured are my two bloodhounds brothers, Sammy and Gus.

Mantrailing Bloodhound History

Bloodhound History

My Sammy 1 yr old Bloodhound Mantrailer
all rights reserved Amber Higgins

Not long ago, the bloodhound was the only breed in the USA that was a Mantrailing dog. Which is a trailing type of hunting dog that is used for find living human beings who are on the move and not animals.

A Mantrailing dog follows the person's scent as the person moves and leaves a trail of scent. The dogs will go anywhere the person or scent has gone until the end of the trail or they find the person. Many times the person may no longer be living but the bloodhound will find the body because of the scent trail the person created. If a recently deceased body is moved the bloodhound will continue to follow the scent.

Other breeds are and were known as tracking dogs. And, the bloodhound was the only breed of dog that was allowed to be used to prove a person’s identity in a court of law.

Photo by A. Higgins all rights reserved

The phrase Mantrailing was first used by bloodhound handlers because the breed was used to trail people. Over time training standards and methods developed to be used to train newcomers how-to handle the breed. In the past, the breed was rarely only a pet and not long ago there were not many breeders across the USA, we as breeders either worked to find missing persons or to preserve the breed in the show ring. The breed was then considered a rare breed.

Here in America, the breed was first used to find runaway criminals and yes, runaway slaves back when the breed came with our founding fathers to build the USA. When Search and Rescue became an organized volunteer effort, the bloodhound and other breeds were used as search dogs.

Today in the USA, the incredible nose and stamina of the bloodhound continues to be used for “Mantrailing” with police and trained volunteer Search and Rescue teams.

In the last decade the breed has become more popular as a pet, although they are difficult to train in obedience and manners, and often are called stubborn because of the determination that has been bred into the breed to continue on a trail to find a missing person.

They really are not stubborn but very willing to please when they are not following their nose which they often do constantly because a good mantrailing dog is bred to do just that.

Photo A. Higgins-all rights reserved

Pictured above is my bloodhound Gus who I rescued last year after him and brother Sam were abandoned during very cold weather. They are young and still growing in these pictures

The bloodhound will follow a scent off a high mountain rock wall, up a train track even with a train coming at them because they are so focused on the scent its as if they are wearing blinders blocking out the surroundings.

The breed gets lost easily which is rather ironic because they find person but will get lost themselves. For this reason it’s always recommended to keep them leashed because once they find a scent they like to follow, away they go and many do not back track and find their way home. They will run for miles and finally when they stop they do not know where they are.

The name bloodhound is often thought to be given to the breed because they track or follow a blood trail. This is not true. The dogs are actually named a bloodhound because they were one of the first breeds of dogs that had a pedigree, Therefore it was a blue blooded hound or purebred.

The bloodhound was originally bred in a monastery in Belgium for over 700 years and the monks kept a pedigree of the dogs they bred, those dogs were called Saint Herbert Hounds. Back then the dogs were solid white. 

When explorers and travelers found the monastery, the monks would often give a pair of hounds to the travelers to take back to their own countries.

Consequently, the white hounds were considered quite sacred coming from the monks. When the dogs arrived in the other countries they were bred with local hounds and they lost their white coats. Slowly over time the breed became black and tans, liver and red in color. They also became known as the Bloodhound because they were a pure blooded hound.

If you would like to learn more about mantrailing, have a look at my books on the book page, I hope you enjoyed this post.

Happy trails to you in the new year, 

Amber Higgins

Founder and author of Family Disaster Dogs

Train a Dog to Find People for Fun Sport and Work on Audible Kindle Amazon Paperback

Now on Audible!

Hear the audio book HERE for free 

Start Mantrailing for Fun, Sport and Work 

Train a Dog to Find People

Mantrailing is a K9 Search and Rescue specialty that is quickly becoming popular as a sport and recreation for all dogs to enjoy. Mantrailing dogs use the nose to scent discriminate one person from all other people to locate the one particular person.

A truly amazing fact about Mantrailing is how quickly most dogs’ take to this type of training, and how quickly the dogs find people. Dogs love to use their nose to find people. The fun part of Mantrailing is that we follow the dog and allow them to lead the way!

By listening to this audiobook, you and the dog will be finding a person from the first day of training and beyond. Each training session uses a time tested and proven step by step method for solid reliable success on the trail. You will learn to read the dog, and the dog will learn to tell you what they find. Both of you will have a great introduction to the world of K9SAR.

This audiobook is suitable for training as a dog and handler team to work actual missing person’s incidents, sporting dog events, as well as a fun activity that will amaze you and anyone who watches a dog use its nose in the most incredible way. I encourage you to ask friends and family to participate by using the exercises in this audiobook for a fun outdoor adventure.

Family Disaster Dogs Updates fall 2021 New Emergency Links, Guides, Books, K9SAR

 Hi everyone, 

I've been busy updating the site, getting the new book published and more as everything opens up again after the last year and half of lockdowns. I hope everyone is doing good as Covid19, Delta and current events continue to affect everything. 

Here's some updates to the site's emergency links page.

The emergency links page is a long page full of helpful links-check it out at the link above and keep scrolling once there.

Keep scrolling this page has many resources and helpful sites to see!

Click the Blue links to be taken to that web site, thank you for visiting  Family Disaster Dogs...if you want to be added here or to advertise with us email me from the contact page in the menu 

Other books by the author of Family Disaster Dogs

Nov 2019 The children's book "My Puppy Can Find Me" with UK dog cartoonists Scotty King artwork teaches children and family how to train their puppy to find mom or the child.  

Sept 11, 2021 New book released "Start Mantrailing" Step by Step for fun, sport and work. Here's the full cover.  Featuring photos from RRI North Scotland search and rescue dogs plus USA K9sport top dog, Super Kludde and dogs I have trained for mantrailing.

Cover dog RRI K9 Amber  (For UK K9SAR training and response look for RRI North Scotland on Facebook)

The paperback is available at Amazon worldwide and the eBook as a direct download from my new store below. 

 See all my dog books at my author page click here

New Family Disaster Dogs store has the books and eBooks available for those who do not shop at Amazon.  I will be adding a few dog training items and more in the future. 

Visit the new store here at FDD K9 Books Shop

Please leave me reviews on my books at Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes Noble, facebook and wherever you happen to see them. Reviews really help other people find the books. Thank you  

"My Puppy Can Find Me" picture book is your child’s first step on an exciting learning experience that will teach them what to do if they are lost or find themselves alone.






Be sure to visit our home page at Family Disaster Dogs FamilyDisasterDogs.com

We are now part of the Missing Persons Center  (click blue name ) please have a look  and join if you would like to help find missing persons.

I'm also a member of the American Mantrailing, Police & Work Dog Association.

Although I will not be attending the event, I want to share with everyone who is interested that they will be awarding the Fall 2021 "United States National Champion Mantrailing Team" in Sept 2021 to each division upon completion of the AMPWDA Fall National K-9 Search & Rescue Seminar.

The participating Team with the highest score on a Level 1 Certification, the Team with the highest score on a level 2 Certification and The participating Team with the highest score on a Urban Certification will be named as "United States National Champion Mantrailing Team" in their category. For information about training and seminars click here.

Here's another great resource for Search and Rescue dog handlers and those looking for a missing loved one. K9 trainer, handler and author Harry Oakes has over 49 years experience working to find missing persons. He is well known and liked by many but not by some which happens when you have been active in any field for so many years. His expertise and his track record speaks for itself. Read his books at his site.

Here's a great Article about a Dog's Nose from Your Dog Advisor website. They just published an updated, comprehensive guide on dog nose. It is completely free and you can find by clicking here

Here is equipment I use when training a dog to find people. (We do make a few cents from amazon when you purchase through the links, all proceeds are used to help cost of publishing the site and free lessons. Thank you for your support)

In Dogs We Trust

Coming in 2021 a new Scent Dog Book, New Family Disaster Dog Site and more

 Coming in 2021

Welcome to the New Year 2021! 

With the start of the new year, I want to wish everyone the best in the coming months. 

I want to say Thank you for the support the last year, for the many visits, shares and comments to my articles and the Family Disaster Dogs blog, Facebook page and group. (look FB up)

Thank you for following me on Twitter at #UrDogCanRescueU   

It's come time to update this blog and make a few changes that will benefit you, me and dogs. 

copyright 2020

Here's what I'm working on for 2021 

A New Dog Training Book 

I hope to have this new dog training book available by spring 2021. As the book comes together I will share more news about what type of training. Be sure to sign up for newsletters in the pop-up window when you go to another post or first visit this post or join from the email box below this post. You can follow me on social media links below to get updates too!

A Whole New Family Disaster Dogs Website 

I've started to built a main FDD site several times over the years and the main reason I didn't is that this blog worked well. 

The page you are reading right now is a page of a blog that grew to look like a site. This way of getting information to everyone around the world has worked well for many years and grown to over 250 pages of articles I have wrote with a whole menu of pages. There are many daily visitors seeking more about search dog training and scent dogs.

In order to continue sharing a whole lot more information about dog training for disasters and missing persons plus make the info easy to find. I'm working on a new website that will include dog training courses, books, lessons, newsletters, a member's area, and more. I will making my books available directly from me, the author and dog trainer not only Amazon for those of you who would rather buy directly. I'm tired of the middle person web places making more than I do on my hard work. The books will stay on Amazon, Google and sites but also be available for download and purchase from my new site. All my courses will be available as direct download from me too. 

Once the virus is under control and life back to allowing me to have in-person events I will post updates for book signings, public speaking at community gatherings and dog training.

Feel free to contact me to talk dogs.

Stay safe and well out there!

 

Amber Higgins 

 

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 

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)

Sign up for the newsletters and new articles at familydisasterdogs.com

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

How to Find a Missing Person with Your Dog- Find a Family Member with Your Own dog

How to Find a Person with Your Dog

In the event of a lost and missing loved one or friend your family dog can be your best resource for a swift recovery. 

Why? Because your dog is closer to the location then official search dogs who have to be called in which takes anywhere from 1 hour to 3 days.

Do you want to wait this long to start looking?

I don’t think you should either.

Your dog is fast and has a very good nose. Regardless of their age or breed all dogs have very good scenting ability and they know where we are when we don’t even consider they do.

A dog keeps track of the pack in ways we haven’t even thought of. They know where everybody in the pack is at so why not ask them to find a missing pack member?

I see no reason why not to try to help with your own dog during this type of incident. While you wait for officials ask your dog where the person is then follow your dog.


1 dog on a search equals 100 police doing a line search over an open space so which do you think has better odds.

If you’ve followed any of the family search dog lessons on this site then if a loved one is missing you will know what to do.


Here are the steps to find a missing loved one with a dog

1. Read about the scent article  at that link 

2. Give your dog a scent article and follow your dog...That is all there is to it.

Keep these points in mind

1. Do not try to out guess or think for your dog, do not think at all about where or what the person may of done. 

2. Your thinking interferes with the dog’s work because you do not have a nose or the 7th sense to know where pack members are like a dog, you will never know how this dog is doing this incredible feat so let them do what they know by only following them without giving them any direction at all.

3. Thinking for the dog is the biggest mistake search dog handlers make and this is why the dog will come up empty handed and this is the only reason.

4. When the dog is following the handler’s directions instead of their own nose they end up off course because the handler has no idea where the person is and does not trust the dog to do as they are asked.

5. Trust your dog and follow your dog to the missing person.

Here is an example of lost person incident where your dog can help you

Let’s say you’re at a playground with a young child who wanders away. You can’t find the child anywhere and remember your dog can.

You either call home for somebody to bring your dog or you go home as you call police and get your dog. Maybe your dog is as close as the car in the parking lot.

Remember 

LKL: The very last place you saw the child standing or the exact location or object they touched is the most important aspect of a successful rescue.


Guard and Save the LKL and Scent: You can use a tissue paper or paper towel to wipe the scent of your lost person from the equipment or bench when you are waiting for your dog.


If you have to wait for your dog, guard the last known location or the spot of scent with your life. Do not let anybody or thing contaminate the last thing your child touched on the playground.


If you have to go get your dog, ask somebody at the playground to keep other people and animals away from the place the child had been sitting or playing.

As soon as your dog arrives at the scene, the playground, take your dog to the LKL or  the exact location a person went missing from, such as- the last piece of equipment or bench your child was playing or sitting on.


1. Give your dog a smell of a scent article (the paper tissue) from the person or point to the bench the person was sitting on.


2. Let your dog smell the bench, equipment or the tissue paper that has only your scent and your lost child’s scent on it.

3. Once your dog has had time to smell the scent then ask them to find the person and follow your dog.




Many dogs do not look like they are doing much in the way of trailing; they kind of wander around a bit.

Trust your dog.
There is no rush because if you had not tried you would be waiting, doing nothing for others to come to the rescue.

The time following your dog is well spent even if your dog looks like they are not working. As long as they are moving forward they are on the move doing what you asked the best they can.

Every dog works its own way and if you allow them to do so, all you do is follow them around as they work the scents which are drifting all over on the air currents.

You would be wandering around aimlessly too if you were following scents drifting all over mixed in with millions of other scents.

Let your dog do this incredible feat and find that child before officials arrive, you can be safe and sound back at home with your dog and child.

I believe with the cutbacks nationwide in our community service branches, including law enforcement, fire and rescue that this is a very important lesson for you and your dog to learn.

We may not be able to count on the police if they are all laid off. 

We will have to depend on our own resources as more and more cutbacks occur.

You can be ready with your dog by your side to take care of yourself.

With practice, you can become self reliant instead of overwhelmed until officials arrive.

Visit Family Disaster Dogs online for more lessons and ideas about how your dog can rescue you in emergencies and disasters.

To learn more about searching with dogs, mantrailing and Bloodhounds you can visit one of my mentors, Bloodhound Expert and Mantrailing training method founder, Scent Sleeve inventor, Bill Tolhurst, website Home of the Big T 

Be sure and scroll down the page for a list of his books.

 "Each Step Begins a New Trail" Bill Tolhurst

"Blue Boy Homer"

Found 26 lost persons and 1 mountain lion who was staking the searchers!