Law enforcement and natural disaster response teams are often largely dependent upon the help of rescue dogs (or search-and-rescue dogs) to find trapped or lost human beings, or sometimes, in the worst cases, corpses. The most common breeds favored for this kind of work are Burmese mountain dogs, Saint Bernards and, last but certainly not least, Labrador Retrievers. The successful training of a Labrador rescue dog in particular is dependent on several factors, including the dedication of the handler, and the disposition of the dog.
Burmese mountain dogs, Saint Bernards and Labrador Retrievers are among the most common breeds favored for search-and-rescue training. Their roles may include all or some of the following: wilderness rescue, avalanche searches, drowning searches, natural disasters, and in some cases, corpse retrieval.
Labrador rescue dogs in particular, being one of the more common breeds, are generally classified as one of the following: air scenting, tracking, or trailing. Air scenting dogs are trained to follow airborne human scents, while tracking and trailing dogs follow scent trails that have been deposited on the ground. Each of these types is limited by terrain and changing atmospheric conditions.
Because every dog is different, the training is as important to the handler as it is for the dog. The handler needs to become familiar with the dog's body language, so as to be certain that he has indeed made a find. When the rescue dog follows a scent or trail to its end, for example, the dog may return to the handler and give him a certain look.
Like human beings, Labradors have their own personalities and eccentricities. It is important for the handler to become familiar with the body language of the dog that they are training. For example ? a dog may have a distinct stance when they have made a find in the field. The dog may return to the handler, sit, and give him a very distinct look, or perhaps even bark. As a result, one of the most important things to keep in mind while training a rescue dog is the bond that is being developed.
For the typical Labrador rescue dog, obedience, socialization and agility should be trained daily, between two and five times, for anywhere from ten minutes to one hour. Scent training can be conducted slightly less often, three to seven days per week, for five to thirty minutes.
Generally, a rescue dog's skills will improve rapidly, if not daily. It is important to maintain skill training in obedience as well as agility and socialization. Scent training can be taught less often as the dog progresses, eventually decreasing to three to five times per week.
As training sessions become fewer, however, duration should increase to between twenty and sixty minutes. Focus sessions, such as scent discrimination, should become frequent as well, but only after the dog has proven its proficiency in the training area.
About the Author:
About the author: Brooke Sunderland is a passionate lover of the Labrador and has a popular website that can show you how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved Labrador
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