How do you train a rescue dog?
Question by Daniel Miller: How do you train a rescue dog?
I have a tree walking hound pup about 12 weeks old. I work for Tri Co Fire Dept and we do not have a rescue dog within a hr. I know that bloodhounds are the best for rescues but will she work? Also how do you train them? I thought about having my wife walk into the woods with a treat and making her smell a shoe or something and start training her like that. Does anyone know anything about rescue dogs?
Best answer:
Answer by BYB’s Have Giantic Hunts
Do you mean SAR (search and rescue)? You get an SAR trainer. Some dogs just aren’t cut out to do it, so if this was a main goal, you needed to buy a pup from a responsible UKC breeder who works in SAR and can temperment test the puppies reliably for such work.
http://www.nasar.org/nasar/sar_dog_fact_sheet.php may help you further.
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Start close like indoors. She should see the person and have one word command (find). Have the person let the puppy smell her/him and then give you something with their smell. Have them go 15 feet away and then you show the puppy the scent and say find then let the puppy go to the person on leash. when he gets to them give treat and praise using find. (Good “find ” max). As she masters this and goes straight to the person slowly move person out of sight. Next step person is behind something but let puppy watch them go there. again the rest is the same. Next step puppy doesn’t see where the person hid but it should not be far (still within 15 feet). When mastered you move outside or greater distance and so on. (always giving the scent item). Hounds are great seekers even if they are not Blood hounds.
i don’t know about rescue training, but for general scent work it’s my understanding from my nosework instructor that odor is not to be introduced to puppies before 1 year of age (until then they work/search only for food).
this is due to various fear periods (i know they go beyond 1 year, but usually aren’t a problem with scent after a year) that can leave a bad impression on a puppy/young dog if something goes wrong during a fear period.
just an observation.
you may be able to find someone able to train the basics of scent work via your local police department (if they have drug dogs).
good luck.
You can get her to using her nose by using upside down coffee containers, lined up about a foot apart. You hide something under one container. at first let her watch you place it under the container. Then have her smell around the containers until she alerts to the one that has the goodie under it. Several week down the line start changing the scent she is searching for. Increase the search area as well, when you has mastered the containers. Add people to the search.
This is a long process & if the dog is smart & you know how to train her you could do this by yourself. But there is much more than just her scenting abilities but this would get her started in the right direction until you research the training or hire a trainer.
Teaching a dog to ‘track’ was some of the most fun of all the rest. I love watching a well trained working dog.
Contact a SAR group through your Fire Dept and ask to visit when they are doing training. Most emergency responder groups are very happy to work with others and share information.