Monterey
Bay Search Dogs Candidate Information
The following information is
part of the "New Member" packet distributed
to candidates for membership.
We are delighted to have you join
us in our training sessions.
Candidates spend the first 10 weeks
observing and helping with the training
of the more advanced dogs. You are
welcome to bring your puppy or dog
to training. We will do "owner runaways",
introduction to the alert box, and
general socializing of your companion.
Do not forget to bring your Candidate
Training Record on Sundays. When your candidate training
record has at least 10 Sunday training
dates filled, you may turn it in and
receive your apprenticeship application.
When you submit the apprenticeship
application you will need to pay the
$25 apprentice membership fee. After
an additional 9 months of work with
the group you may apply for membership.
We train only apprentice and member
dogs for search.
Your Introduction to MBSD
Training
During the next 10 weeks you will
be helping with the training of the
more advanced dogs. By working with
dogs at different levels of training,
you will gain an overview of the sort
of training you will be giving your
dog. Without prior knowledge of both
the endpoint of training and the many
possible ways to get to that goal,
we find new trainers get frustrated
and are at a loss for how to proceed
with their own dogs. Make sure you
work with a variety of dogs and handlers.
Also, expose yourself to both types
of search disciplines, wilderness
and disaster, so that you will have
a reasonable overview of these activities.
In 10 weeks you will have barely scratched
the surface, but you will have some
idea of what it means to train a search
dog. Ask questions - this is how you
learn!
During this time we ask your patience
and request that you DO NOT introduce your pet to the agility
equipment or rubble, DO NOT start your dog on finding your friends,
and DO NOT make an
imitation bringsel to "get a head start".
If you are enrolled in a dog training
class, continue with that training.
If you have a dog with good search
drive, and know how to work with him,
he will learn this discipline quickly.
During this time, you will need to
get your basic equipment together.
Refer to the handout Suggested
Equipment for Beginning SAR Dog Handlers.
We find this a challenging and rewarding
discipline. We hope that you find
that it it is a commitment that you
will want to make. We are pleased
to have you join our training and
participate in this special activity.
Instructions For Helpers
Here are a few important points to
know before you start:
- Follow the directions of the trainer
or handler.
- Do not be innovative unless you've
discussed it with the trainer or
handler.
- Check with the handler - make
sure you have an appropriate reward
for their dog.
- Be sure to know
what the whistle signals are:
- "Toot" -
stay put, whistle back once.
- "Toot Toot" - come in.
- "Toot Toot Toot" - Emergency, hurry back.
- If you have been placed by an
MBSD member, be sure you know what
to do if not found by a certain
time, and don't wander unless that
has been specifically asked for AND you feel comfortable
doing so! All trees are not alike,
but they sure all look alike!
- While at training sessions you
will be expected to stay focused
and involved with the training at
hand. Idle conversation is discouraged.
- Be kind to our environment - leave
only your footprints or that which
is biodegradable.
- Please do not "light up" or smoke
- we could lose permission to use
the property!
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MBSD Training Programs
Monterey Bay Search Dogs trains dogs
for three different search disciplines
- wilderness, disaster, and forensic.
In wilderness search (or area search)
dogs are trained to range widely through
the woods searching for any human
scent. They follow up any scent they
find until they locate its source.
The dog then picks up his bringsel
and returns to his handler. Upon his
return the handler removes the bringsel
and the dog leads his handler back
to his find (re-find).
In disaster work dogs are trained
to search carefully over rubble piles
until they detect scent from a living
person. They follow up on the scent
until they can get no closer to the
buried person. The dog then alerts
her handler to the find by barking
and digging above the person. The
handler then goes to the dog and marks
the victim's location.
Forensic work entails searching for
cadavers (or body parts) in wilderness
or disaster settings. Dogs work slowly
and methodically to pinpoint the location
of human remains. Our unit's forensic
dogs generally use a bringsel alert.
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Helping With Wilderness
Training
Every dog you help train is at a
different stage in its training and
does things slightly differently than
the other dogs. it is VITALLY important that you find out from the
handler before you go and hide:
- Where you should hide.
- What route you should take to
get there.
- What position you should be in
(standing, sitting, etc.)
- What stage of bringsel work the
dog is in.
- Whether you should reward the
dog on a find.
- What you should reward it with
on the re-find. Dogs are ALWAYS rewarded.
- What to do if something goes wrong.
If you forget to get specific directions
from the handler try this: Run out
60 yards from the handler. Sit behind
a tree so a dog approaching from its
handler won't see you. Do nothing
to attract the dogs attention. If
you have been given a bringsel, hold
it out at dog level. If you do not
have a bringsel do nothing when the
dog finds you. After spotting you,
the dog will return to her handler
and then both will come back to you. DO NOT move until
both dog and handler return to you.
It is VERY IMPORTANT that dogs are rewarded adequately.
Make sure you know WHEN to reward the dog, and then do a thorough
job of it. Don't just give the dog
its toy or food - tell it what a good
dog it is, then tell it what a wonderful
dog it is, tell it how clever and
smart it is, pet the dog,
play with it, yuck it up!!
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Helping With Disaster Training
In disaster work our helper is almost
always buried in rubble. You should always have on a
helmet, boots, and gloves, before
being concealed. If you do not think
you will be able to stay buried in
a hole, say so before you are covered
up. Sometimes holes aren't comfortable
enough, other times they may just
freak you out. Either way, TELL
US. While you are buried,
do not make a sound. Try not to rustle.
Try not to move at all. Play
unconscious! Before being
concealed find out:
- Should you try to reward the dog.
- How many times must the dog bark
before you reward her.
- Should you just speak to the dog,
or do you need to hand her a food
or a toy.
If you don't know what to do, don't
do anything. If he gets desperate
the handler can yell directions to
you. As in wilderness, it is very important that you make a big excited
fuss over the dog when it is time
to reward it. Just handing the dog
a toy or piece of food isn't enough.
We want to hear lots of "good
dogs!" and similar stuff. Really
get excited, the dogs will love you
for it.
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Please Follow These Guidelines
During Workouts
- Arrive on time - and we are serious
about this!
- Train, train, and train some more.
- Have a clear objective for each
exercise.
- One exercise - one objective
- Dogs not working are to be staked
out or put up.
- Dogs on leash or staked out are
not to be harassed by loose dogs.
- Aggressiveness toward people and
dogs must be consistently discouraged.
- Excessive, premature, or abusive
corrections will not be tolerated!
- Mean what you say, but don't be
mean to your dog.
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