Training Your Dog for Special Needs

Many dogs are used to help people with special needs. Some are used to sniff out drugs or bombs. Others are trained to help with search and rescue. No matter which type of training your dog needs, there are specialists available to get our dog trained in the right field.

Search and Rescue dogs need to be trained for up to two years. Many of these dogs start out as very young puppies, some only 8 weeks old. Training your dog for any specialty purpose can be very satisfying. These dogs will learn the best behavior, to follow commands, how to climb and run, and how to retrieve what the handler wants. These special dogs will retrieve items from water and will learn how to stay safe around cars. Often these dogs will spend long days in cars on their journey to their search and rescue destination. These dogs will learn to use their senses efficiently, such as their sense of smell.

A dog that is trained for search and rescue missions will earn special skills such as climbing and balancing with a fear of heights. Smaller dogs are usually not considered for search and rescue missions. Larger dogs are needed to climb over logs in the woods or fences in the city. Training your dog for these missions means a lengthy work out, long days of training and working with a partner. A dog's temperament is taken into consideration before starting. Usual picks for Search and Rescue dogs are Bloodhounds, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Dobermans, and more.

Training your dog to use it's special skills can be a great benefit to those in need. Dogs are trained for following smells through the air while others are better at following scents on the ground. Water tracking dogs are another type of search dog. If you are considering training your puppy as a search dog, look for a school that not only trains the dog but will train you as the handler.