My Puppy Can Find Me Book by Amber Higgins

 My Puppy Can Find Me by Amber Higgins

Artwork by UK cartoonist Helen King ( Scotty's Cartoons )

Available on Audible, Kindle Unlimited and paperback  click the blue text

and you can email me for an Author's signed copy on the contact page in the page menu above

Amber's Books for dog owners to be ready

Check out the books on the Book Page 

 

Introduction to Mantrailing Step One Train a Dog to Find People

 Welcome to the exciting world of Mantrailing ...

and finding people with a dog!

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 the dog to lead the way!

By following this simple step-by-step method of setting the dog up for success you and the dog will be finding a person from the first day of training and beyond.

(Pictured: Starting my dog to find a person)

Over the course of several weeks I will be posting steps to help you...

• Use a time tested and proven step by step method for solid reliable success on the trail. 
• Do actual trails to find a hidden person with a dog.
• 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.
• Each post will be linked to the next post so you can follow through
• you would rather have the post delivered to your email...Sign-up at the pop up window at Family Disaster Dogs.

Found !

See a free preview and get the book below to learn everything about Mantrailing Now!

Welcome to the Exciting New K9 Search and Rescue Sport in America

K9 Search and Rescue Sport

K9 Search and Rescue is quickly becoming a popular fun sport to do with all breeds of dogs.

We welcome you to learn more about how to get involved and train your dog to compete with other dogs as a fun and challenging sport to find a hidden person via mantrailing, tracking and area search plus more with The American Rettungshunde Sport Association. (click to learn more and join)

The ARSA is dedicated to the search and rescue sport. It is incorporated as a non-stock (not-for-profit) corporation in the State of Virginia and is a member of the American Working Dog Federation.  

About Search and Rescue Sport (IPO-R)

Are you looking for another sport that’s compatible with your current interests? 

IPO-R is an FCI sanctioned sport that has many similarities to IGP (Schutzhund) and is an ideal supplement to not only but also AKC tracking, obedience, and agility. Trials consist of two phases – a search phase and an obedience with a dexterity phase. 

The sport has 3 levels, an introductory level (V) and the more professional levels, A and B. 

At each level, you can trial and earn titles in all the different search options. Furthermore, you can do only search work or only obedience and dexterity at a trial if you prefer. 

Search Phase 

track 

area search 

rubble search

mantrailing 

avalanche search 

water rescue

Obedience and Dexterity  

heeling with changes of pace

closed tunnel

down stay

changes of position at a distance

carry your dog

heeling over a difficult surface

Get more detailed information about these and other exercises in the international rules at ARSA

Trial levels

 Introductory level (V)

Levels A and B.

At each level, you can trial and earn titles in all the different search options – for example A-tracking, A-area search, A-mantrailing, and so on. 

You can do only search work or only obedience and dexterity at a trial if you prefer. 

Look at the ARSA website for a trainer near you or contact them for how to get started.

As a member and trainer with ARSA , I'm available to help train you and your dog via online, phone and email with in-person training workshops starting in the spring of  2022 so feel free to contact me via the contact page here at Family Disaster Dogs. 

A Little History of Family Disaster Dogs Training Your Dog to Rescue You

Training Your Dog to Rescue You

 A Little History of Family Disaster Dogs 

10 Year Anniversary

I started this site ten years ago when I began writing the first Family Disaster Dogs book on the night of the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami. As I sat under evacuation orders myself on the Oregon coast, I started to write these lessons with my bloodhound Daisy because it dawned on me that in major disasters and sometimes missing person cases, we have to take care of ourselves and loved ones until help arrives which can take days or weeks depending on the situation. 

As I watched the news I realized i wanted to get these valuable dog training lessons out to the public sooner than the time it takes to publish a book so I started this blog which grew into a website as I added more than 220 pages here at Family Disaster Dogs.

I kept the Family Disaster Dogs book, blog and lessons simple so the public would not feel overwhelmed having to know or learn everything Search and Rescue members must learn. Families do not have to learn as much because they are not going out to rescue others, they are learning from me and my books books how to rescue themselves and loved ones with a dog's help. 

As with most things in life, this site has grown to cover more than the Family Disaster Dogs book and lessons ideas I had ten years ago. The children's book teaches children and parents how to use the dog to find mom, dad and the child and the Evacuate with Your Dog's Help book gives everyone a long list of bug-out bag supplies, information on training a dog to help evacuate and what to expect if you have to evacuate. 

In the last ten years we have reached people all over the world and given out many Family Disaster Dog certificates for those who contact us and tell us their journey with us. Dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds are helping their families prepare for the worst.

Over the years, this all led to the newest book, Start Mantrailing, which takes me back to the beginning of my own emergency preparedness training and gives you the opportunity to learn even more about how to train a dog to find a missing person and how to advance into actual Search and Rescue work or the new sport of Mantrailing. 

Yes, now Mantrailing is gaining in popularity as a Sport too. When I started this site ten years ago Mantrailing was seldom heard of outside of K9SAR or Law Enforcement. Dog sport enthusiast  focused on Tracking events not Mantrailing which was exclusively a bloodhound discipline and much different than tracking in many ways. Now all dogs are learning what bloodhounds like my Daisy naturally do.

Mantrailing is becoming more and more common in the public dog world and on social media. With this growth I will be sharing more and more ways to train a dog to find people as well as how to prepare for disasters.

With covid19 hopefully behind us in the near future, next year 2022??? I hope to train more of you and your dogs in this useful natural nose work a dog can do to help us survive as dogs have done for thousands of years. 

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Check out the newest book here on my author page and don't forget a book is a perfect gift for the holidays. My books are Free on Kindle so everyone can read them. If you would like a signed copy let me know by emailing me or contact me on Facebook at the Family Disaster Dog page. 

Be sure to like, share and follow me on social media to help find missing persons and prepare for what I hope none of us ever have to endure..a disaster or a missing loved one.

I'm not only an author

Family Disaster Dogs is not only a book and site,, its a passion I share with you the knowledge I have gained.

a few of my dogs

I'm not one to brag, I'm more a teacher who wants readers to rest assured that this site is based on my own actual experience and not a copy of something off the internet lol ...experience I do have... 

I've been dedicated to dogs my whole life, and teaching people how to live happily with their pets since my first job in a large show and boarding kennel as a teenager. I went on to be a professional dog trainer and also a professional all breed pet and show groomer. I've owned award winning pet spas and worked with the best in the dog world. I spent over ten years volunteering in search and rescue. 15 years breeding working Bloodhounds, 30 years of German Shepherds and 10 years of rescuing as well as breeding registered Pit Bulls. I was rescuing dogs before rescuing was cool! haha I have worked at several veterinary clinics as well. 

I have personally handled thousands of dogs and cats in my long dog career, as well as owned 100's myself over the years. 

That's about it for me, how about you? Leave me comment below and tell us about your journey with dogs. 

Training my dog to find a person

At my pet spa

Reading the Dog-Variables a K9 Search Team Encounters on the Trail

 Variables a K9 Search Team Encounters on the Trail:

What are variables? 

Variables are the many different and constantly changing things a search dog comes across in the search for a person. Every kind of detection dog learns how to work in various conditions which is why we call these different conditions, "variables". Other trainer use different terms of course, but for an easy understanding I am sticking with variables. Here's why.

During training and in mock training searches. A handler has to learn how to read the dog when the various conditions (variables) and aspects of the search change or are encountered by the dog. The dog also must learn how to work the missing person's scent trail or location in the variables the dog will most likely encounter during a real search. 

For instance, a wilderness trained dog learns how to work in a natural settling while a urban search dog learns to work in pavement, cement and human made environments. Both environments affect scent very differently. 

Just think of all the different odors we humans smell in a big city compared to what we smell when we are out exploring a natural woodland or countryside. Imagine how much more our dogs smell and the different places where the odor changes. 

Watch your dogs and see how they react when they encounter a variable, a difference, when you're both out for a stroll. 

Learning and knowing how your dog behaves when they encounter variables is how you read a dog.

Here's the most common variables a K9 team will encounter on a search for a person.

Each variable is in bold print.

Surface: 

An example of surfaces are paved roadways, sidewalks, dirt, grass, woodland, water, snow, gravel, sand, indoors carpet, tile, floor, table, windowsill, etc. 

The K9 Team learns to search on different surfaces by introducing each type of surface one at a time because scent particles travel and collect differently on natural and human made surfaces. This is one reason training takes time.

Contamination: 

Every trail has contaminates and every contaminate changes with the type of surface and other variables.  Contaminants are all living beings, chemicals and natural scent particles that come in contact with the trail, trail layer or scent article. 

A few examples are animals or people who walk near and on a Trail Layer’s trail, gasoline odors, chemicals and traffic, other animal’s urine and feathers, buried bones or fur. 

Weather: 

The weather changes on a minute by minute, hour by hour, daily bases and this makes each and every step of a search for a person begin a new trail. When a slight breeze begins to blow, in the middle of training so does the scent particle begin to drift and change path. This is why Mantrailing dogs are a valuable resource for finding missing persons. 

Age of the Trail:  

Every trail ages with the passage of time, beginning at the time a person goes missing or the trail layer starts to make a “hot” or “fresh” training trail. As time passes, the person’s scent trail begins to dissipate and grow “aged” and “cold”.  If the person has been missing or hidden for under a hour the trail is considered, “hot” or fresh and as the trail ages the scent becomes “cold” and aged. 

Lost Person Behavior: 

Teams who wish to advance to active duty readiness and operational level to work actual missing person cases will benefit from studying how people behave when lost or taken against their will because the person’s behavior is a very important variable that changes and challenges a dog team’s search strategy.   

My dog and I on the trail to a hidden person

Learn to read a dog by paying attention to the dog's behavior when you encounter variables.

Learn more about training a dog to find people in my new book "Start Mantraining" Step by Step and in The "Family Disaster Dogs" book available my author page at Amazon worldwide or you can get a personally signed copy from me the author at my own store here. 

What is Mantrailing ? Where Man-Trailing Gets Its Name

 What is Mantrailing?

Me and Washee Mantrailing

Mantrailing is not a new way to train dogs, this way of finding people with dogs has been used by bloodhound owners for hundreds of years. Mantrailing is using a dog’s natural ability to follow cold aged trails to find a specific person who is hidden or missing.  

This method of finding people with a dog is quickly becoming a fun way to exercise reactive and high energy pet dogs that need more to do. Similar to hide and seek with a dog, owners of all breeds of dogs are learning how exciting this type of dog work is to participate in for fun and sport. 

Mantrailing is best known as a type of K9 Search and Rescue specialty in which the dog discriminates one person’s scent from all other person’s scent to locate the one particular person. Mantrailing is used by search and rescue dog teams or police to find missing persons and criminals. A few prisons today continue to use this type of trained dog and long ago plantations used mantrailing hounds to hunt down runaways.

Me and Washee Mantrailing

We found him.. look at my dog smile when she finds the boy! 

Dogs really love to find people!

Where Mantrailing got its Name

“Mantrailing” gets its name from bloodhounds. Many people believe the breed was named bloodhound because the dogs track blood trails which is not true. 

The dogs do not follow the person’s blood trail. 

The dogs follow the scent particles left by a person, sometimes many days, weeks and years later. 

The breed is named a bloodhound because this is the first dog breed to have a written recorded pedigree of its bloodline hundreds of years ago. They are the first “pure blood-ed -hound” or bloodhound. 

Bloodhound handlers long ago gave this type of scent work the name “Mantrailing” because the bloodhound is the trailing dog that hunts people.

My bloodhounds taught me how to Mantrail and now all dog breeds are learning how to do what bloodhounds do naturally. 

Family Disaster Dogs use Mantrailing to find missing and trapped family members after disasters. Any dog can learn to help its family in some way with the Family Disaster Dogs book.

Anyone who wants to train a dog to find people for Sport and Work can learn step by step with my new book "Start Mantrailing" 

Their legacy lives on in my books and this site

Wrinkledpups Daisy Mayham 

Me and Rea Valley's Incredible Sue 

Blue Boy Homer

Wrinkledpups Sambo

Went to Work in CA and GA

Me and George he went to Texas

Pups went to SAR homes in several states, Canada and So. America

Mantrailing for Fun, Sport and Working Dogs from Family Disaster Dogs

Coming Soon...a new book that shows everyone how Mantrailing is a great activity to do with all breeds of dogs!

What is Mantrailing? 

Mantrailing is using a dog's natural hunting ability to find one person in a crowd.

Mantrailing is a bloodhound specialty that all breeds of dogs can do too!

Mantrailing dogs smell what we cannot see!

In my Family Disaster Dogs book I tell people how any breed of dog can find its family and friends who go missing. As a Mantrailing dog trainer for many years I use this type of training in my book and in person for family disaster dogs of all breeds. 

More recently, dog trainers, dog clubs and pet owners everywhere are starting to find out that this is a great activity not only for Search and Rescue dogs but for all dogs to learn as a fun play day outside or as a sporting event.

As I noticed Mantrailing becoming popular outside of K9SAR and after talking with a few trainers and SAR dog handlers/trainers, we realized there is a need for a book and step by step lessons to help show everyone how to do Mantrailing with all breeds. 

So I have been busy the last couple of months putting the knowledge I gained from 15 years of training and working with Mantrailing dogs and teaching others into a book with pictures and step by step instructions to help start dogs and owners/handlers on this amazing journey into the world of  finding hidden and missing persons with a dog. 

I'm writing the book in more or less three section, the first part covers a little history and what makes a mantrailing dog team. The second section gets everyone started in a very short time finding people with your dogs and pet dog owners who want to use this type of dog training as a fun game and outdoor activity will learn all they need in this second section. From there, you can go on to the next section to dig deeper and advance training for sport and competing in events or become a working search and rescue dog team. 

I will be posting more information soon. 

Be sure to follow Family Disaster Dogs on social media or sign up for the newsletters at the pop-up by refreshing this page. 

On Twitter you can find us under URDogCanRescueU 

Facebook there is a group and a page connected to each other and here is one link 

https://www.facebook.com/familydisasterdogs/

My author page on Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmberHiggins/

The Nose Knows! That's my bloodhound Daisy (RIP)

Below is me working my current dog partner Washee on a trail to find a hidden person. 

We are mantrailing 

Here's some of the dogs featured in the new book

Mark and Bella training to Mantrail

Here's Super Kludde 

who has so many titles from sport and working dog events to list 

He actually paints on canvas with a paint brush held in his mouth 

He's learning Mantrailing, as one of the first dogs to compete in 

Mantrailing as a sport in the USA

Here's a team from RRI-Scotland learning Mantrailing

Planning Dog Training Courses for Nose Work, Search Dogs and Pets

Part 2

Planning Training Courses

2 of 2 parts
(Go to part 1)

Assessing the Scene

Before you set up a training course, first check the location and make a note of each person or thing (cars running, spilled chemical, garbage) that might contaminated the area.

In an actual response this is called doing an assessment of the scene and should be done visually as you approach the location. Findings should be noted on paper for later planning.

Doing a visual assessment helps you to know your dangers before placing your dog and self in a bad situation. Make a mental note of any dangers you might encounter such as a busy roadway or a train track your dog might lead you across.

After checking the area to determine it is safe and noting the contaminants then check the wind direction and weather conditions (more on these factors in another lesson). In training novice dogs always start the dog into the wind so the scent is blowing towards the dog to give the dog the best chance in picking up the scent.

 

Pay attention to the location and use what may be available for hiding spots and turns, such as buildings, picnic tables in a park or a large tree across the cleared field.

Mapping the Training Course

Group these three factors together on paper when you are planning a training course. Make a hand drawn map of the location and mark on the map the wind direction, buildings or landmarks, size of the search area and time of day you plan to train. Make a note of weather conditions.

If you are training indoors you will modify these factors into the scene, for instance is there a fan or air conditioning system running? What chemical cleaners or odors do you smell or see in the area? What obstacles might be encountered or be in the way, closed doors, furniture or escape routes such as a window?

Make a note of the subject you will be looking for, the person who will help you by hiding from your dog. Their weight, height, age, clothing and any health issues that might come into play during the course.

Once your map is drawn of the location with the contributing factors that will affect the search you are ready to draw the trail you will work.

I’ll tell you how I draw up my training courses so you have a better idea. I use a small dash line to mark where the person who we will be looking for will walk as they hide to draw the route I plan for them to take. I use X to mark the beginning and the end of the route. I draw the turns I plan to work the dog on with the training objectives in mind.

Novice dog’s might only be working on one turn into the wind while an experienced dog can have 3 or 4 turns in different wind directions in the route. Make sure to have the turns flagged with a tissue paper piece. Tissue paper biodegrades so no worries about having to retrieve the flag after the training.

I then decide where the trail layer or person will put the training flags or tissue paper along the route which will help me know my dog is working well. I use tissue or flags even on advanced dogs for my own benefit because these markers build my confidence in reading my dog. I put a small dot on my map for flags.


A map would look something like this.                                                    <<wind
                                                                               X
                                                                             /
                                                     . _ _ _ _ _ _ _./ bench 
                                                     /
   X _ _ ._. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. /



These flags are important because I learn how my dog reacts when they reach a turn or building, and as the wind changes I can see how my dog changes the way they work. Does the dog slow down or speed up? Do they circle and smell the spot more? Is the tail high and nose low? Are they stopped and looking at me for direction? (The last question is not a good sign, we missed something and have to go back and look again. :) 

Once I have the training course planned on paper I am ready to have the person help me make the course. I show my helper, the trail layer, the map and we use the map when we are making the trail or course. As they hide, they walk off from the starting point following the map while you wait knowing from the map where they are going. You dog will not see the map because they are usually asleep in the car.

What time I wake my dog up to work the course will depend on the level of training my dog is at and how old the trail has aged. Levels are discussed in the next lesson Standards for Search Dogs.

Aging the Trail

Aging the route is the next important step in training a family disaster dog in order for the dog to find people who have been lost for longer then a few hours. This lesson will be posted next.

Go to part 1 of Planning Dog Tracking Course


Get all the Lessons and More in the Family Disaster Dogs book

Visit the home page for more information

The Purpose of the Wrinkles on a Bloodhound

The Purpose of the Wrinkles on a Bloodhound

pictured my bloodhound Wrinkledpups Daisy Mayham (RIP) copyright Amber Higgins

Many people are amazed to see a bloodhound's wrinkled skin in person. This breed of dog is definitely a conversation starter while on a walk with its human companions as every bloodhound or wrinkled dog owner knows-everyone who sees your hound and doesn't know will ask, " Is that a bloodhound?" and "Look at all those wrinkles !" 

Did you know there is actually a purpose behind all that loose skin on these dogs? Let's explore why bloodhounds have really loose flexible skin, loads of wrinkles and long long ears, especially as pups.

Mother nature and intentional breeding methods have created dogs in every size and style of coat imaginable. Especially with the popularity of designer dogs or the mixing of purebred dogs. The bloodhound is one of the oldest breeds of purebred dogs bred exclusively to find people not hunt animals. The loose skin and long ears are on these dogs are for a reason and do serve a purpose which helps this breed excel in its work and be a specialists in what they do. 

This dog breed is Not named a Bloodhound because the dogs track blood trails. They smell much more than only blood !

No, the dogs are named bloodhound because the blood lines were recorded and kept by monks for hundreds of years-so the dogs were first known as "blooded-hounds". They are the first recorded pedigreed dog breed thanks to the monks! Look up the Chien de Saint-Hubert and St Hubert hound for more about the history of this wrinkly pup.

The loose skin and wrinkles falling all over the pups face sometimes is not fun for the dog. Imagine looking down a flight of steps and as you bend your head down, all your hair falls in your face, covering your eyes! This happens with loose dog skin too!

Many bloodhounds are very reserved, wary and can appear shy to people who don't know them. The dogs are known to be reactive sometimes, meaning they may react in strange surroundings by bolting away from what has suddenly drawn its attention. 

The dogs will often spook at loud noises and flashes of objects or movement. Not all Bloodhounds do this but many do and it's actually nothing to do with being shy or scared it’s more about not being able to see when the skin is slipping around on the head, also the dog is being smart and savvy trying to get away from what they cannot see.  

I learned this first hand from Incredible Sue, who would not let anybody touch her unless she had found them in work or lived with them and I for at least six months. She would follow and find anybody and proved to be incredible in many ways.

"Rea Valley's Incredible Sue" My first Bloodhound 1996-2006
Born in Indiana, raised and worked in Arkansas, retired in Oregon

Bloodhounds will look afraid to us when most of them are not, the dogs are only getting the bearings on their surroundings and using their senses to figure out what the noise was or flash of movement was from under a ton of wrinkles and loose skin that gets in the way.

Good trailing Bloodhounds can be very wary and shy of new things because they are always ready to work a scent so they pay attention to nothing but the nose.

When the bloodhound nose is down the eyes are covered by wrinkles and folds of skin that capture and trap scent around the dog's face and nose as the dog moves. The long ears have a purpose to flap side to side as the dog is moving, fanning the air up from the ground into the wrinkled face.

The Bloodhound's amazing scenting abilities rely on the nose and not eyesight so having wrinkles fall over their eyes is natural for them but this does lead to a sometimes clumsy dog and puppies who will accidentally walk into a wall. Going up and down steps can be troublesome for young dogs when the skin on their forehead fall over the face and eyes get covered as they look down steps and from high places.

Read more about How a dog uses its nose >>>>click here to go to the page 

Go to Family Disaster Dogs to learn how any dog can rescue owners and family

Get my Bloodhound books 

 Wrinkledpups Daisy Mayham
2001-2013

Sambo 1999