Dog lover

"The more one comes to know men, the more one comes to admire the dog."

author: Joussenel
source: quoted in Paul Franche's "La Legende Doree des Betes", p. 191

Search and Rescue dogs

I located an amazing site today and thought you guys would certainly enjoy seeing it for yourselves. It is about Golden Retrievers and some of the individual disaster search and rescue dogs among them. One in particular is Golden Retriever "Riley", The real canine hero from 9/11. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. go to: http://landofpuregold.wordpress.com/

bad behavior in your dog

It isn't very often that I come across something in the world of dog training that truly impresses me, but recently I came across a dog training guide that is simply outstanding. Before telling you what it's about, I just want you to be clear on what it is NOT. It is NOT a guide to dog training that teaches you how to get your dog to obey by hitting, scolding or abusing your dog. It does NOT encourage you to punish or hurt your dog in any way.



Here's what it IS about...You'll learn how to get your dog to WANT to please you and WANT to be a good dog.

He'll learn:- Where and when it is appropriate to bark-

To stop digging up your yard-

To stop chewing your furniture and clothes-

To stop being aggressive towards people and other dogs-

To stop whining, especially at night.-

To stop bolting out the front door-

To stop pulling on the leash-

To stop jumping up on strangers and other family members-

Potty training secrets, and a whole lot more!

And he'll learn how to do all of this using his natural dog instincts (rather than human psychology).

You'll discover that mistakes that you are probably making, such as giving your dog attention when he jumps up on you (eg petting, or scolding) and others, are communicating the wrong message to your dog.

You'll find out how you should communicate to your dog. It's not your fault, most other dog owners make these same mistakes and you'll be so impressed with the changes in your dog's behavior once you read this essential book. To find out more, go get your copy of SitStayFetch: The Ultimate Guide to Stopping Your Dog's Behavior Problems



http://www.youraffiliatelinkgoeshere.com/

Abby, Female Black Lab, proud member of SDF

Abby-CA
Abby, a female Black Lab, was born October 30, 1997- the only girl in a litter of seven. She was born in the bedroom of the Search Dog Foundation (SDF) founder Wilma Melville. Abby lived with Wilma for the first seven weeks of her life. She only weighed one pound at birth, but quickly grew to be a good-sized puppy.
After leaving Wilma's home, Abby went to live with a woman named Kim in Ojai as part of her "Prep Home" training. She stayed with Kim for eight months, was given heaps of love and affection, and learned good discipline.
At 10 months old, Abby went off to Sundowners Kennel, our professional training facility in Gilroy, California. She learned all of the basic skills for becoming a search dog and at the end of her training was partnered with Debra Tosch, then SDF's Program Director.
Abby and Debra bonded very quickly. They loved being together and practiced their search skills diligently. After only seven months, they attained Basic Certification for disaster search from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Three months later, they attained Advanced Certification and are now considered one of the top canine/handler search teams in the nation.
Abby goes everywhere with Debra. Debra travels extensively, frequently visiting our handlers in Washington D.C., Ohio, Florida and the state of Baja, California to help them develop and maintain their search skills. Abby has definitely put on the most miles of any SDF dog! She is our search dog representative at the SDF office in Ojai, and we love having her at work with us. She is just like a member of our staff-- always on hand to meet and greet visitors. She also represents SDF at events and training demonstrations.
Because she has been a part of such intensive training in so many different search situations, she is now what we consider a "push button dog." Whatever she is told, she just does it - no matter who tells her or how they tell her. This makes Abby invaluable in training new handlers. (We don't know what we'd do without her!)
On September 11th, 2001, their skills were put to the ultimate test when they were called into action as one of thirteen SDF search teams deployed to Ground Zero. On 9/11, Debra and Abby were training with other SDF teams in Washington State and missed going to New York immediately with the Los Angeles City Task Force. As all plane flights were cancelled, they drove down to San Diego and made the second deployment by flying to New York on a military transport with the San Diego Task Force.
The assignment was extremely dangerous and demanding, climbing over twisted metal and sharp, hot slabs of concrete, breathing in dust and smoke. But the SDF teams were completely prepared for the challenge. The dogs are always eager to search: they enjoy it and even thrive on it! The team searched the rubble in twelve-hour shifts. The rest of the time was spent caring for the dogs and sneaking in a few hours sleep. At the end of the ordeal, the teams were exhausted, but proud for having served their country and having met a profound physical and emotional challenge.
Debra and Abby's next major deployment was to the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics. They were stationed a helicopter ride away from the games along with other search teams and emergency personnel.
In 2005, Debra and Abby were deployed with eight other SDF teams to assist with rescue efforts in a deadly mudslide in La Conchita, California. They appeared with Paula Zahn on CNN to talk about the rescue operation. They were also deployed to help with rescue efforts after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Abby truly enjoys her work as a search dog. She is fearless in her approach to any new obstacle she must tackle in training, and moves with confidence when searching over rubble. For two years, Debra served as captain of the Ventura County wilderness canine team. This gives Abby the distinction of being one of a few SDF dogs that has also trained for wilderness rescue. The team also serves as part of the Los Angeles City Task Force and, when deployment is required outside the U.S., as part of the Los Angeles County Task Force. In January of 2005, Debra was selected to represent California and Washington on the FEMA Canine Sub-Committee. This committee makes recommendations to FEMA on the disaster search program in the US. In June of 2005, Debra was appointed as the new Executive Director of the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, with Abby by her side!

Preventing dog bites in children

Recently here in the United Kingdom, there have been numerous incidences of children being bitten, mauled, or far worse than that, killed by a dog. Some of these dogs were the family pets and the children, members of the family. There needs to be guide lines for persons owning a dog and especially having one around small children. Presenting your family with a dog as a pet, is a serious step, and these adults should take full responsibility to insure that the dog is well trained, and the family members are instructed as to the do's and don't's of behaviour around an animal such as a dog. Most of these malicious attacks can be avoided if proper steps are taken. I have prepared a list of what I consider proper steps to be taken to insure your family members are not subjected to any of these attacks, be it your family dog or a complete stranger's dog.

1. Never disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating or with pups.
2. Never pet a dog without letting him see and sniff you before hand.
3. Always ask permission to pet a stranger's dog.
4. If you see the owner cannot control their dog, simply walk away.
5. Never approach a dog behind a fence, in a car, or tethered on a chain.
6. Never tease a dog in any manner.
7. Never approach a strange dog you do not know or a dog who is not with his owner.
8. If a dog starts running towards you or attacking you, don't run away, stop, stand still, walk away slowly, facing the dog, not making eye contact.
9. If you are attacked, give the dog your jacket, a book, or whatever you may have handy.
10. If attacked, stop, curl up in a ball like a turtle, cover your head with your arms and hands.

British police with German trained Alsatians

Police in Britain are now learning German after forces started importing dogs from Germany due to a shortage in the UK. They are more efficient and obedient than our own Alsatians.

Success in a trial by Derbyshire Police has brought in teams from Berlin and the trainers are very impressed with the new arrivals. Among the words handlers are learning are "sitz" for sit, "aus" for let go and "hol" for fetch. One of the handlers said it was quite fun learning a new language. "It's amazing how quick they are to respond as soon as you utter a German command, but when you say 'let go' in English they look at you like you are crazy. As soon as you say "aus" they drop what they are holding immediately." The dogs are now being sent to 17 forces. A quarter of all those in the East Midlands are German. Other forces using them are Cheshire, City of London, Gloucestershire, Devon, Cornwall and Essex.

The breeders in Germany use a strict regime and the dogs are tested for tracking, search, and protection abilities. This is very important in the making of a dog working for the police force.

This information came by way of the Daily Mirror.

Disaster Search Rescue Dog Training in USA

Can you imagine there are at least 230,000 sites listed on Google search for Disaster Search Rescue Dog Training in the United States of America? I was especially interested in one in Wisconsin, a very comprehensive site pertaining to disaster search rescue dogs. I have been interested in the canine species all my life. I was a professional handler for showing dogs in conformation, and traveled all over the states showing various breeds. It is an exciting occupation if one enjoys competition. Several handlers were also into disaster search dog breeding. I admire the work these Search dog handlers do with their charges, and enjoy any articles or books about rescue dogs.http://leersburg.com/