Whether you’re planning to have them become a professional search and rescue dog or not, there are certain search and rescue dog training techniques that you’ll want to teach your dog. Dogs can take search and rescue up as a profession and then there are owners who just want their dogs to learn this as an extra skill. Search and rescue dog training techniques can certainly be more challenging to teach your dog than more basic skills. The first step is to work on your dog’s personality and make sure they have all the basic characteristics that make a good search and rescue dog.
The ideal search and rescue dog is one that is even-tempered, able to stay calm even in stressful situations, obedient and adaptable. They need to be even-tempered and learn how to stay calm even in the most stressful situations. Especially if they’re taking on this job professionally, when they have people yelling and screaming at them to go find someone in a winter storm they need to know not to let their nerves and anxiety get the best of them. They may either focus on a particular area of search and rescue or have several skills.
There are the air scent dogs which track people down by sniffing the air, trailing dogs that work on land, water search dogs that work along and in the water, cadaver dogs that find human remains and also the avalanche search and rescue dogs. These dogs search for people hidden and trapped under piles of snow as a result of an avalanche. One of the best search and rescue dog training techniques is to hold the dog on a leash and have someone else walk ahead of the dog by a few feet holding a treat or toy. The best search and rescue dog training technique to get a dog started with these skills is to hold them a few feet away from another person who is holding a toy or treat.
Make sure that the dog’s not struggling or trying to force their way out of your grip and towards the object. They should fly over, retrieve the object and bring it back to you. Another helpful search and rescue dog training technique is to take a sock or other undergarment and let the dog smell it. Another technique that works well is to first have the dog smell a sock or piece of clothing, then take the dog away and hide that object somewhere relatively far away.
Thirty to forty feet should be enough and then get the dog out and tell them to seek. See how long it takes them to find the object and if you’ve trained them properly you should see them sniff around and strategically head towards the right area. There are some fantastic dog trainers that specialize in search and rescue. Whether you hire a trainer or take the task on yourself, search and rescue dog training is an incredible skill to teach to your dog.
