Handler Training Tips

Training an Air Scenting dog is mostly a matter of training yourself. Most Search Dog handlers seem to believe they are training their dog. In actuality, YOU are the one that needs to learn! In the process of training, you should know 80% of the time where your "victim" is hidden. Once your dog is focused on finding a human, he is going to "make the find". That's not the problem, the problem is the handler. The dog learns what to do right off the bat. The handler needs way more "nose time" than the dog! Why? Because the handler needs to learn what happens in certain types of wind, on various types of terrain, in all kinds of weather, and with all kinds of hidden people and/or articles. He needs to learn how to watch the cues or signs of travel, what the dog does when it first hits, what happens when the scent hits a "barrier" ... so many many variables enter into the picture.

This type of learning is for YOU, not your dog, and can be done on a short search as well as a long one. Furthermore, "short and sweet" searches will build up the dog's desisre and drive. Finding people is FUN for the dog, and keeps up the interest. "Nose time" can be built up gradually, interspersing your short searches with a longer one every fourth or fifth search works well, and gradually build up the acreage you are searching until you hit the 80 acre mark and at least a six hour scenario.This can be accomplished without so much strain on your "victim" if you simply begin your search farther away, and radio your "victim" to enter the wind pattern two or three hours after you are into the search.

Trusting your dog is important. Even more important is trusting the person you are hiding out. Kids can be real bad for this activity as far as your training goes. They think it is fun to "fool" you and hide somewhere else. This is NOT GOOD unless you do indeed trust your dog, for you might have the tendency to disbelieve what your dog is telling you and try to call him off scent because you believe your victim is hidden in a different location. So it is important that you tell your "victim" to go exactly where you say, since you are training yourself and you need to watch what the dog does when he hits and you need to learn what is happening with the wind conditions etc. Dogs know what they are doing. Dogs DO find, so in the end, trust your dog!

Watch a great video here about training obedience. It makes you want to get out there and TRAIN, doesn't it?

NEW puppy potty training tips from the "crazy dog lady"

Hot off the presses in e-book format the new DOGSHOWS 101 tells it like it is when it comes to training a puppy to go potty when you're on the road. It is highly important for the new puppy to be trained ON LEASH whenever possible, even if you are not going to be traveling to dog shows, it is awfully nice to be able to take you dog with you when you visit relatives or whatever and know that he will go potty for you in a strange place. All too often owners who have fenced in yards just "let the dog out" (and unfortunately for many dogs, even when they are NOT in a fenced in yard!) and consequently the dog never learns to go potty on leash or in a strange place. If you do have a dog that has been trained to do this, and also to go potty on command, your life will be much easier should you ever have to travel. Furthermore, if you ever need to leave your dog at a vet or in a boarding kennel, it will certainly be easier for the persons in charge of the dog !
To purchase the e-book for the new low introductory price of only $20.00 just click on the link!
DOGSHOWS 101..
and if you would like to sell the book and earn affiliate money yourself just CLICK HERE
The book is also available in print. However none of the pictures are in color, as they are in the e-book. For a print copy of the version just click here.

just one of those Summer Viruses??

Just came back from a weekend camping trip with our search group..did a lot of training. It was horribly hot, but managges to keep fairly cool...got to use a whole shelter house for camping, kept the dogs in the shade...in the shelter, tethered...had great wind up on top of the hill so that part was great but boy there were times you sure didnt want to step out into the sun!

Jenna came home with terrible diarchea which quickly turned very bloody. Scared the h*** out of me...turns out it was "colitis". Has been on a round of keratate and antibiotics and she is bouncing around, her old self. I am wondering if it wasnt coming on for several weeks....she had seemed rather "logey" but I just figured it was the heat this summer, which has been deadly....

Got started on the Thirty day challenge...this is great stuff folks...the challenge has been exciting, fun, and man oh man am I learning about stuff I never knew existed when it comes to the world of the internet and the computer!

More later...gotta get to town now and get my groceries, (more yogurt for Jenna!)

OOOPs... almmost forgot...check out this great new book (it's downloadable) on potty training puppies!