Rescue Dog Training

Certainly, you’ve already seen the work of rescue dogs. Its function is to find lost people in different circumstances and surfaces. Water, earth, forests, earthquakes and various disasters are the scenario for this type of animal to apply what it does best: helping human beings.

There is a lot of talent, discipline and training behind the way these animals act and perform, whose task is to save people’s lives. But have you ever wondered what this type of animal is like? Are there breeds that are more favorable to perform this type of function?

To clarify some doubts and learn a little more about the type of work these dogs do, below, we will share some interesting data about rescue dogs… let’s get to know them?

How are rescue dogs chosen?

The job search dogs and rescue need to demonstrate a wide intelligence, agility, endurance, confidence and, above all, a lot of skill to listen and respond to the controller.

Many trainers prefer to work with puppies because this way they can select what they are looking for and work with them to make them much more disciplined dogs.

Also, they can select adult animals, but they will have to be evaluated very carefully to make sure the animal has no fears or problems related to lack of exposure and early socialization.

The best way to identify a dog that could become a rescue dog in the future is through play. Playing with dolls or a ball, with anyone, anywhere, for a long period of time without being distracted, demonstrates that the dog has a high level of attention and enthusiasm.

There are many dog ​​breeds that can do this kind of work, but in general the breeds most likely to do the job effectively are the following: German Shepherd, Belgian Shepherd Malinois and Labrador retriever.

Dogs of other breeds can have this ability as long as they meet certain requirements such as: having a stable temperament , training capacity and high concentration.

There are many facets that are involved in training this type of dog. The training can last from 6 months to a year or two, depending on the number of hours the coach dedicated to task.

But, what types of rescues can this type of dogs participate in? Dogs can be trained for different situations, like finding a living person, or a dead body, under different circumstances, whether in the water or the desert, in the city or in the middle of a disaster.

How is the training of these dogs?

One of the training exercises is the game of pulling, so that the dog gets excited and wants to go after this object. One person will hold the dog while the other pulls the toy and runs away without the dog being able to see him.

Then the other person lets go of the animal and orders it to go after whoever has the toy. Gradually, the idea is to increase the difficulty of the search. In this way, the dog will have to work in larger areas, at different times of the day and on different terrains.

But the dog… how can he find us? By the smell of the microscopic skin cells that each one of us continually expels throughout the day.

In which places is it possible to identify the qualities of this type of animal?

Trainers do some search and obedience tests to determine if the animal has the skills to develop as a rescue dog. The most important thing is that he can listen and respond to his coaches.

Finally, other signs of whether a dog is capable of becoming a rescuer are intelligence and agility.