The Hidden Rewards Of Getting A Dog

Everyone can appreciate the main incentives for getting a pooch. Dogs truly are our best friends, and their unconditional love is sure to make your home a happier environment for all the family. Likewise, your furry friend will encourage the household to become more active, which can bring a host of rewards too.

The benefits don’t stop there, though. There are many additional benefits to be gained from bringing a dog into your life. Here are just five that you may have overlooked. 

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A dog makes you healthier

 

Not only does having a pup encourage you to be more active, but it can boost your immune system too. In fact, studies have shown that this can begin as early as the gestation period. So, expectant parents may even find that the positive influences are passed onto the kids. As long as you avoid the breeds that are likely to leave lots of hair around the home, you should find that the property becomes cleaner too. After all, you’ll pay closer attention to these issues.

 

A dog can make the home safer

 

Make no mistake; adding Swann home security features is never a bad idea. Nonetheless, a dog can provide an extra sense of security for the home. The pooch will detect movement and alert you to intruders. In truth, the barking alone is likely to deter most prospective burglars. Aside from the direct benefits, this can be an excellent feature for your peace of mind. In truth, being able to fully relax in your home is one of the greatest rewards of all.

 

A dog can brighten up the home

 

The unconditional love is sure to brighten up the atmosphere for all the family, but the benefits don’t end there. Learn to take stunning photos of your pooch. The results can be used as wall art and canvases, screensavers, and other items to improve the mood on a daily basis. 

Meanwhile, as strange as it sounds, some of the dog toys and bedding items can actively make the living spaces feel more homely. 

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A dog can help your child learn

 

Most children are fascinated by dogs, and their desire to aid the pup will lead to a deeper understanding of exercise, nutrition, and hygiene. However, your child will also develop communication skills by merely talking to the pup. Writing stories about the dog can lead to increased creativity and written language skills. Writing Samurai can provide your child with the education needed to express themselves openly. That’s a win in any parent’s books.

 

A dog can aid mental health

 

Stroking a dog is scientifically shown to fight stress and put your body at ease. Meanwhile, the love and companionship can go a long way to battling depression. The dog will always be there to listen to your problems, even when you aren’t ready to speak to another human. This is supported by the simple fact that a dog’s natural personality will encourage you to smile. So, there’s no doubt that having a pet pup in your life could be one of the best moves you’ll ever make.

Starting a Bloodhound and any Dog on Scent-Trailing

Starting a Bloodhound on a Scent-Trailing Overview

Search and Rescue Dogs are trained to search for people three different ways; air scenting, tracking or trailing.

There is a big difference in the way the dogs work the scent which is why Bloodhounds are called "Mantrailers" and other breeds are not.

Read more about Scent Articles- How a Dog Follows Its Nose

In this article, we are going to begin with basic trailing, the easiest way  to learn with your family dog.

Trailing is what Bloodhounds do because they follow the scent as the scent moves around and with the person. Other breeds "track" not "trail" a person by following the footstep scent or direct path of the person.

When a dog is using a "Scent Article" to search for a missing person or item then the handler must give the scent to the dog or let the dog have a smell of it. There is more about scent articles on the scent article page.

Here are photos showing the steps of giving scent to a five month old Bloodhound puppy named Sambo.

First I put him in his tracking harness and leash, notice how good he sits there...(click for lessons page)

Then I ask him to take a smell of the inside of the bag that is holding the scent article.

I hold the bag with the article under his nose and saying "Smell" He investigates, of course.

I then say " go Find" and off we go! Only 5 months old and look at him go!
 I follow him.

Notice the long leash is thrown out behind the handler so the handler( me) does not get caught in the leash. This is very  Important ! Otherwise you and your dog can be injured.

The handler only holds the leash lightly and held high so the dog can be allowed to work without any pulling or directions or tension from the handler.

As the dog moves forward the handler lets the leash slip through the right hand and uses the left hand to move the leash forward or throw the leash behind and pull the leash in... if the dog comes backwards.

When the handler goes to the dog, the handler will throw the leash behind her with the left hand which pulls the leash through her right hand to avoid getting tangled in the long tracking lead.

Once a handler gets the idea then the dog is reeled in or out almost like fishing.

It helps to hook the long leash onto a child or person and have them pretend to be a dog while you learn to work the leash. This type of leash work can be tricky at first with a dog so it is best for you to get the hang of how to handle the leash before your dog learns how.

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Scent Articles for Dog to Find Missing Family Members

Prepare to find loved ones with your dog ahead of time 

by gathering scent articles.

Blue Boy Homer
by A.Higgins

One of the easiest ways to find a lost person is to give a dog the person's scent and watch him find the scent. 

The dog is only looking for the smell and not for the actual person. 

The dog dose not necessarily associate the scent with the person unless the person is somebody they know with that scent. 

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 them who we seek and no two people smell alike. Everybody smells different and we smell different at various times during the day or if we are sick.

To teach your dog to search for a lost or missing family member or friend you have to prepare first by gathering a "scent article".  Click to Read more about Scent and how a dog follows its nose.

It is wise to gather one sock from each person you love or do not want to lose before you start training your family pet and to store these as instructed below for later use in training sessions or if a loved one is lost.

Also you can collect a item from each family pet as well, a old collar or brush would do. Store this item as outlined below use it as a scent article for a dog to find the missing pet

  For now and for training;

       Place one dirty sock from each family member in a one freezer bag each sock. Do Not Mix or touch the sock to anything, only the bag, use a hanger or stick to pick it up.

Warning:

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 a plastic freezer bag ( zip lock natural non chemical bag is best).

You will learn more about scent article collection at a scene in other articles.

This is the most important part of using a search dog. 

Do Not Contaminate that sock.

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

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

This is called the "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.

Amber and Bo getting ready to train to find a Lost Person.

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

He later went to volunteer in California and then Georgia with his half sister Sambo. 

Side note: 

As a parent I use to remind my teenagers if they stayed out to late or ran away from home, the dogs could find them...smile and ya know,,,it worked too,,, wink to other parents, mine are all grown now.

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Preventing & Dealing With Dog Bites : The Ultimate Guide

Not all dogs bite, but some do, and as a dog owner you must know what to do in case the worse does happen.

Of course, it's not a subject that enough dog owners or those without first aid treating know much about, and that is why we have put together this guide, so read on for more information.

Picture source

Preventing dog bites

Of course, when it comes to dog bites, then prevention is always better than cure. What this means is that the proper training and care of your dog needs to be started from an early age.

In fact, sending them to obedience school, so they learn to obey your commands over their instinct can stop a situation where a bite would have occurred. Something that can save you, your pooch, and the person that gets bitten a lot of pain and heartache.







Besides, it's always best to be wary around a dog that you're not familiar with, especially if you suspect that they may not have been treated well. After all, us humans get tired and annoyed when we are hungry and uncomfortable, and the same goes for our canine friends.

When they occur

Next, when a bite happens your priority will be first to remove the dog's jaws from the victim. Obviously, this can be very difficult especially if the dog is of a breed were the jaw lock like a Pitbull.

However, there is some detailed advice online that can help you do this. Although, steer clear of the ones that tell you to stick the dog in the face as these are unlikely to work as it will just make the dog even angrier and hold on all the more.

Once you have removed the dog jaws from the victim, you also need to be mindful of your own safety and manage the dog's, so they don't attack you, anyone else, or the victim again.

Care of the person






Once the immediate threat is over, it's vital to give the victim first aid. In particular, blood loss from a dog bite can be a concern, so keep the wound elevated. Also, infection is a real issue when it comes to dog bite so clean the wound if you are able and apply an antiseptic cream before taking the victim to a hospital where they can get rabies and tetanus shots.

It's also likely that the victim will want to claim you if it was your dog that bit them, and therefore it's essential to provide them with your contact details, as well as recording exactly what happened for future reference. Then when their dog bite lawyer contacts you, you will have all the details to hand. Something that can make the entire process a lot easier.


Care of the dog

Once the person has been treated, you will also need to deal with your dog. Avoid punishing them physically for the bit as this may only result in them doing the same thing but even more unexpectedly the next time.

Instead, review material such as these that describe how to rehabilitate your dog and minimize the chances that they will bite again.