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Working Dogs
Author
Cindy Tittle Moore, rpd-info@netcom.com
Copyright 1995.
Table of Contents
* Working Trials
+ American Working Trials
+ French Ring
+ Schutzhund
* Search and Rescue Dogs
+ Where to get started
+ Tracking and Trailing
+ Area search
+ Disaster search
+ Cadaver search
+ Related testing
+ References
* Sled Dogs
+ History
+ Types of sled dogs
+ Mushing terms
+ Mushing equipment
+ Skijoring equipment
+ Weight pulling equipment
+ Other equipment
+ Training the musher
+ Training dogs to pull
+ Training lead dogs
+ Training for weight pulling
+ Training for skijoring
+ Health, diet, and care -- Sled Dog Specifics (briefly)
+ Final remarks
+ References
* Herding Dogs
* Narcotics and Evidence Dogs
* Patrol Dogs
* Water Rescue Dogs
* Drafting Dogs
_________________________________________________________________
Working Trials
This section overviews a number of sports that are related to what is
loosely termed "protection work". These all involve multiple
components of obedience, tracking, and patrol work, however, not just
"protection" training. And as a matter of fact, the different sports
described below focus on different elements. AWT rarely emphasize
bitework, while Schutzhund has a heavy emphasis on it even though the
two sports both have the three components of obedience, tracking and
patrol dog work.
Some pointers to online information:
* American Working Trials, kept by Mark and Kim Donnell,
donnell@arlut.utexas.edu.
* French Ring Homepage, kept by Neal Wallis, mrmalinois@aol.com.
* Schutzhund Homepage, kept by Linda, linda@net-connect.net.
* Schutzhund Homepage, kept by Ed Frawley, frawley@win.bright.net.
American Working Trials
French Ring
Schutzhund
(See also the Schutzhund FAQ, still under construction.)
Schutzhund dogs are generally considered working dogs, as many of them
are subsequently used as patrol dogs and guard dogs. However, there
are many people who participate in Schutzhund as a sport, enjoying the
training and titling in of itself.
Purpose
Schutzhund is a German word meaning "protection dog". It refers to a
sport that focuses on developing and evaluating those traits in dogs
that make them more useful and happier companions to their owners. In
Germany, a Schutzhund degree is required before breeding a German
Shepherd Dog.
A dog that is unreliable around people will have a difficult time
passing a Schutzhund test. In order to enter for a Schutzhund I title,
the dog must have passed a the Begleithund test, which is a
combination of a CD and Canine Good Citizen test.
History
Schutzhund is a dog training and breeding regimen developed originally
in the 20's by the Deutsches Shaeferhund Verein (German Shepherd Dog
Club), or SV, in order to maintain the working ability of the breed.
While the term Schutzhund means literally "protection dog", the
training involves work equally in tracking, obedience and protection.
In order to get a Schutzhund degree a dog must pass all three phases
of the work. Also, a working title (at least a SchH I) is required for
breed survey purposes, and in order to register an approved litter.
The first Schutzhund trial was held in Germany in 1901 to emphasize
the correct working temperament and ability in the German Shepherd
breed. SV, the parent club of the breed, developed the Schutzhund test
as a way of maintaining reliable dogs with traits suitable for
breeding.
Today
Many countries and working dog organizations have also adopted
Schutzhund as a sport and test of working performance. International
rules have been established by the Verein fuer Deutsche Hundesport
(VDH). The first SchH trial in the U.S. was held in California in
1970. In 1987 the U.S.A. alone sanctioned nearly 300 trials with a
total entry of 1,800 dog/handler teams.
Many breeds now participate in addition to GSDs. While there may be
individual dogs of a particular breed that may be suitable for the
work, the following are most consistently able to perform: GSDs,
Belgian Malinois, Doberman Pinscher, Bouvier des Flandres, Rottweiler,
Tervuren, Boxer, Giant Schnauzer, etc. Generally, these are larger
working breeds with strong prey and defense drives, and temperaments
suitable for the tasks of the training.
A Note about Protection Work
The results of this type of training depends heavily on the
temperament of the dog and the quality of the trainer. There are
enough bad trainers out there that you have to be very careful who you
choose. The best avenues for finding a good trainer are through a
responsible and dedicated club. Most of these tests include
temperament tests as any good protection dog is stable and trustworthy
around people. The common image of a ferocious, barely controlled dog
has no place in these events and tests.
Protection work in itself does not make a dog mean. In order to do
protection work you must have a temperamentally stable dog. An
inappropriately aggressive dog is actually not a good candidate for
this work. You need a dog with confidence and good nerves. A nervous
or shy dog is a poor candidate because it can't take the stress of the
training. A protection dog needs both prey and defensive drives. An
unbalanced dog is very difficult to train because protection work is
the blending of both these drives to produce a calm, reliable dog that
understands the work.
A dog must be brought along slowly to build confidence and
understanding. A dog should not be hurt or frightened in order to
elicit aggression. If neither prey work or defensive postures elicits
a response, the dog either doesn't have the proper drives or it is not
mature enough to handle the work.
Some owners inappropriately encourage aggression in their dogs outside
of protection training. This is wrong. They sometimes do not keep the
control over the dog, often delighting in the macho behavior of their
dog.
Protection training will not change the dog's basic temperament. It
does give you a good view of the dog's total temperament under stress.
An edgy dog will always be edgy. A stable dog will always be stable.
Description
There are three major degrees awarded - SchH I, SchH II, and SchH III
-- in order of increasing difficulty. SchH I (IPO I) is the apprentice
test. A SchH III dog must demonstrate a high level of performance,
ability and courage.
The traits that make for a good Schutzhund candidate mostly are innate
characteristics that must be bred for. Even among dogs bred out of
Schutzhund bitches and dogs, a minority have the ability to reach even
SchH I, and a small percentage will have the necessary drive,
intelligence and hardness to achieve a Sch III title. In addition to
breeding, early development is important. The young pup should not be
subjected to strong corrections or experience being dominated by
another dog, and all training and play should end on a positive note,
with the pup "winning."
The IPO (International Pruefungsordnung) rules, under the auspices of
the FCI (Federation Internationale Cynologique), are similar to the
Schutzhund rules and the trials are run in the same manner, with the
exception that no evaluation of the fighting instincts, courage or
hardness of an IPO entrant is performed during the protection phase of
the trial.
A summary of the available degrees:
Degree Min Age
B Begleithunde 12 months
(Companion Dog)
FH Faehrtenhundpruefung 16 months
(Advanced Tracking Dog Test)
AD Ausdauerpruefung 16 months
(Endurance Test)
SchH A Schutzhund Examination A 18 months
SchH I Schutzhund Examination I 18 months
SchH II Schutzhund Examination II 19 months
SchH III Schutzhund Examination III 20 months
References
_Schutzhund: Theory and Training Methods_ by Susan Barwig and Stewart
Hilliard. 1991 Howell Books ISBN 0-87605-731-8
_Training the Competitive Working Dog_ by Tom Rose and Gary Patterson
1985 Giblaut Publishing Company 3333 S. Bannock, Suite 950,
Englewood,CO 80110
The Rose book is getting obsolete, particularly the obedience
section (Tom now uses much more motivational techniques) but here
is still a lot of good theory and practical exercises.
_Schutzhund Obedience: Training in Drive with Gottfried Dildei_ by
Shiela Booth. 1992, Podium Publications.
Highly recommended by many.
_________________________________________________________________
Search and Rescue Dogs
SAR comprises a large variety of abilities, some of which are covered
separately below. SAR varies by locale and purpose: searching for
victims in rubble (avalanches or collapsed buildings) is different
from searching wilderness/forest areas for a missing person. SAR is
often linked with local law enforcement, as SAR dogs can trail escaped
convicts or suspects from a crime scene.
There are many good online sources of information on SAR dogs now. I'd
start with the FAQ list for the SAR-DOGS mailing list at
http://www.drizzle.com/~danc/FAQ/sarfaq.htm. There are also a number
of SAR Dog web sites listed in
http://www.zmall.com/pets/dog-faqs/lists/www-list.html.
Where to get started
It is best to affiliate with a reputable SAR organization. You may
even wish to join the reserves unit with your local law enforcement --
this entitles you to insurance protection, for example. Be picky about
finding a professional organization to join: there are many wannabe
clubs out there that would really just get in the way of an actual SAR
effort, and there is variability even with law-enforcement groups.
There are some national groups and many states have their own
organizations (e.g., California's CARDA -- CAlifornia Rescue Dog
Association, WOOF -- Wilderness Finders, Inc., SSD -- Sierra Search
Dogs). An additional benefit is being able to learn from people who've
been at this for a long time: no book or self-training will ever give
you the valuable insights you can gain this way. These types of
organization will have their own certification and testing processes.
For example, WOOF requires dogs and handlers to be dual certified --
wilderness AND disaster SAR.
A professional organization should have law enforcement liasons (or
even be part of the police force) as any search, even for a missing
person, has the potential for turning into a hunt for a felon. Some
organizations are put together from law enforcement reserve officers,
sometimes active duty officers. Others simply work closely with local
law enforcement. Some states have statewide SAR organizations, others
operate on a per county basis. However SAR is set up in a state,
cooperation for the protection of everyone is essential.
Any dog can detect scent. Some are individually better at it than
others. Some breeds (especially the hounds) have been bred so that as
a class, they contain many more talented individuals. A dog's
conformation, structure and temperament will all affect its talent at
tracking or trailing. But the breed doesn't really matter, except for
serious and professional tracking. You can have fun with tracking on
your own. All you have to do is train your dog to follow its nose.
Some extremely practical information, whether or not you're serious
about SAR, to get started with can be found in:
Button, Lue. _Practical Scent Dog Training_. Alpine Publications, Inc.
214 19th St. SE, Loveland, CO 80537. 1990. ISBN: 0-931866-47-2.
A step-by-step practical training guide for air scent, evidence
search, disaster search and the AKC tracking test. Starts with
young puppies. Well illustrated and methods extensively tested at
Los Alamos' Mountain Canine Corps.
Tracking and Trailing
There are two major ways to follow the trail of a person, although
they're really on two ends of a continuum. _Tracking_ is the process
where the dog follows the person's exact path. _Trailing_ is the
process where the dog follows the person's scent, which may or may not
approximate the path the person took because of factors affecting the
dispersal of scent such as wind and temperature. Contrary to popular
opinion, water does not disrupt a tracking or trailing dog, the dog
will simply cast around for your trail on the other side, if the water
has carried surface scent away (if the water is still, the scent
remains on the surface of the water). In addition, trained dogs can
locate corpses in the water, so the theory that water does not hold
scent does not, well, hold water. Dogs can even trail people in cars,
from the scent that blows out of the window or through the vents of
the car.
Some common terminology: A Track Solid dog follows a track, and
usually the newest. A Track Sure dog will follow the track associated
with the scent he started with, and will not follow a track laid by a
different person as long as the second track was laid at a different
time. A Track Clean Dog will follow the correct trail even if it
crosses other trails laid at the same time. For example, for disaster
work (e.g., finding victims in rubble), dogs lead their handlers
towards any human scent from the rubble; this is "tracking solid." A
Bloodhound, given a scent article, will "track clean," finding that
same individual regardless of whatever crosses the track.
To start trailing a specific individual, the dog needs an
uncontaminated scent article. Best items are underwear, T-shirts, or
something that the person has directly handled. The scent article is
just as much evidence as the "smoking gun" is, unfortunately, many
people (including law enforcement folks) are still unaware of how to
use scent as evidence and often handle, and thus contaminate,
potential scent articles. Dogs can still get around this by doing the
"missing member" search: the dog takes note of which scent on the
article is not immediately present and searches for that person.
Traditionally, people think of SAR dogs hunting through forest or
wilderness for lost hikers or children. While this is still quite
true, SAR dogs also find escaped prisoners, lost [mentally impaired]
patients, lost children in the city or the suburbs, suspects fleeing a
crime scene. As a result, urban SAR is rapidly growing.
Bloodhounds are by far the best for performing difficult and long
trails. They are large (100-120 lbs), capable of covering great
distance, and their facial structure (loose skin) allows them to cup
and catch even the faintest scent. Their stubborn and patient
temperament allows them to stick with trails that are miles long.
Bloodhounds were originally bred for large prey, and have been used to
track people since about the 16th century. For smaller game, other
hounds were developed, with shorter legs and smaller size. These type
of hounds cannot cover trails as old or as long as the Bloodhound.
Labradors and German Shepherds are often used in tracking. They do not
do as well with older or longer trails, but are more than capable of
following trails within their limitations. Also because they can work
off leash better than the Bloodhound can, they can work more rapidly
if there is a need for haste.
Area search
Quite often no scent article is available. Dogs trained in area search
can be employed instead. These dogs air scent (that is, test the air
rather than follow a specific scent) and search for any human scent.
This is most often used in wilderness search for missing hikers or
campers. Patrol dogs will also use the technique to find anyone hiding
in a building or other confined area. Disaster search dogs (below)
also employ air scenting in their work.
Disaster search
Some SAR dogs are trained to search through rubble for people. In this
scenario, the dog is not finding a specific person, as is the case
with tracking and trailing. The dog is looking for any human scent.
Avalanches, collapsed buildings, airplane and train crashes are all
examples of sites where these kind of dogs are employed. Most often,
German Shepherds, Labradors, Belgian Sheepdogs, Malinois, and similar
sized breeds are used for this kind of work: these dogs work well off
leash (which Bloodhounds do not) and are suitably agile for scrambling
around in the debris (which Bloodhounds are not).
Cadaver search
Dogs can be trained to find cadavers, new or old. Some dogs are
employed on archeological digs to help locate old graves. Other dogs
are used by law enforcement to find recently dead people, or to
collect all the bones found in an area. Others find drowning victims.
This is a rapidly expanding field, with new methods of training
currently being developed.
Related testing
Many SAR organizations will put together mock disaster sites and
evaluate dogs sent over the sites. There are no standards or anything
like that except within a particular organization.
For tracking and trailing, AKC and ABC (American Bloodhound Club) have
a series of titles in tracking (TD, TDX) and trailing (MT, MTX). ABC
is negotiating with the AKC to add the trailing titles to its standard
set.
References
American Rescue Dog Association. _Search and Rescue Dogs_. Howell Book
House, 1991. ISBN 0-87605-733-4.
ARDA outlines their philosophy and methods for SAR. This book is
excellent for an understanding of the depths of committment and
work to be a SAR volunteer. It is a compilation of notes made over
a thirty year period; consequently some of the information is out
of date. There are two main deficiencies in this book. The first is
a bias toward the German Shepherd Dog, such that they actually
refuse to use any other breed; the second is a seemingly cavalier
disregard for the consequences of deliberately searching for
cadavers with SAR dogs, when such dogs should always search for
live scent (particularly for disaster work).
Bryson, Sandy. _Search Dog Training_. Third printing. Boxwood Press,
183 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove, CA 93950. 1991 (c 1984). ISBN:
0-910286-94-9.
A well organized, comprehensive discussion of search dog training.
Includes practical tips, discussion of search and rescue and the
law and many other topics.
Davis, L. Wilson. _Go Find! Training Your Dog to Track_. Ninth
printing, 1984. Howell Book House, Inc., New York. c1974. ISBN:
0-87605-550-1 (hardcover).
Blurb: "Major L. Wilson Davis is America's recognized authority on
Tracking -- named in September 1973 to the Obedience Advisory
Committee of the AKC as its official consultant on Tracking and
scent training for dogs. This official status follows upon decades
of recognized achievement in these phases of Obedience training.
Following distinguished service with the K-9 Corps during WWII, he
has been active in the Governmnent's program of using trained
tracking dogs for the recovery of detonated missile parts in
missile experimentation. Major Davis was an AKC licensed judge for
all classes of Obedience. He is presently training director of the
famous Oriole Dog Training Club of Baltimore. He organized and
headed the Baltimor City K-9 Corps, one of the finest in the
country, and is often asked to lecture and advise police
departments on the use of tracking dogs in law enforcement. Major
Davis is a recipient of the Quaker Oats Distinguished Service Award
for his dedicated contributions to dog training."
Pearsall, Milo D. and Hugo Verbruggen, MD. _Scent: Training to Track,
Search, and Rescue_. Alpine Publications, Inc., Colorado. 1982. ISBN:
0-931-866-11-1.
Blurb: "The authors first look at the scientific qualities of scent
-- what and how dogs smell and how environmental factors affect the
track. Then they use this background as a basis for training.
Topics include the science of scent, kindergarden puppy tracking,
tracking equipment, tracking tests, training to search, search and
track, search and find, search and rescue, trail companion, scent
and the law enforcement agency, first aid on the trail and much
more."
Tolhurst, William D. with Lena F. Reed. _Manhunters! Hounds of the Big
T_. Hound Dog Press, 10705 Woodland Avenue, Puyallup, WA 98373. 1984.
ISBN: 0-9617723-0-1 (hardcover).
Tolhurst is a Search and Rescue volunteer in upstate New York. This
book recounts his experiences using Bloodhounds in trailing. Many
fascinating stories. Tolhurst includes a section on training a dog
to locate dead bodies.
_________________________________________________________________
Sled Dogs
My thanks to Stephen Lee for this section.
History
Prior to the formation of sled dog racing as a formal sport, sled dogs
were bred and used by native peoples of the polar regions of the world
in their everyday lives for survival in harsh climates. Two dogs
commonly employed in sledding are Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian
Huskies. These two breeds had quite different origins and uses.
Alaskan Malamutes originated with a group of Eskimo people known as
the Mahlemiut. The dogs of that time were very large freighting dogs,
capable of pulling heavy weight. The Mahlemiut people inhabited the
region in the upper part of the Anvik River in Alaska, and were spread
out over a large area. The Mahlemiut people used these dogs for
hauling food back to the villages. The gold rush in 1896 created a
high demand for these dogs. On the other hand, Siberian Huskies
originated with the Chuckchi people of northeastern Siberia. These
people had a Stone Age culture and used their dogs for a variety of
things, like herding reindeer and pulling loads. These dogs were
smaller and faster than their Mahlemiut counterparts. These dogs were
exported to Alaska at around the time of the gold rush. Thus the gold
rush played a very important role in the development of our modern day
sled dog breeds.
Sled dog racing began as a formal sport with the first All-Alaska
Sweepstakes race in 1908. Prior to this, Alaska's mushers had little
opportunity for recreation and they used their teams primarily for
work and transportation. Rules for the races were established, and
they provided a good diversion to the difficult living conditions. In
the 1920's, airplanes were gradually replacing sled dog teams for
transportation, freight hauling, and mail delivery. In 1925, sled dogs
proved that they were invaluable during the "Great Race of Mercy to
Nome." In Nome, an outbreak of diphtheria threatened to become a fatal
epidemic. A 20lb package of antitoxin serum needed to be relayed from
Nenana to Nome. Twenty drivers and more than 100 dogs were recruited
for the run. Planes were ruled out due to extreme cold (40 below and
colder) and if the plane crashed, the serum would be lost. Serum was
transported from Anchorage to Nenana by train. The drive was a
success, the serum was delivered and lives were saved. The drive
covered some 674 miles in less than five and a half days. This, along
with the simple commemoration of the uses of the Iditarod trail, is
the origin of the Iditarod sled dog race.
Types of sled dogs
Naturally, most northern breeds were used as sled dogs. Alaskan
Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, Eskimo Dogs, Greenlands, Samoyeds,
Norrbottenspets, and Hokkaidokens are all sled dogs. However, lots of
different breeds of dogs have been and are used to drive sleds and
carts.
People use Irish Setters, Dalmations, Golden Retrievers, etc., to
enjoy mushing sports. In fact, most modern day speed and endurance
mushers use mixed breeds (often Siberian crossed with Greyhound). So,
if you do not have a "sled dog," but still want to enjoy the sport,
fear not, for most any type of dog can be used. Mushing is fun, both
to take part in and simply to watch.
Mushing terms
Contrary to common belief, the word "mush" is not used to drive sled
dogs. Mush comes from the French word "marche" which is from the verb
"marcher" which means to walk. Undoubtedly, the French used this
during gold rush days. The word "mush" is felt to be too "soft" a
sound to be used as a command. Below is a short list of common
commands and terms associated with dog driving sports.
Hike : Get the dogs moving
Gee : Turn right
Haw : Turn left
Easy : Slow down
Musher : One that drives sled dogs
Mushing : The act of driving sled dogs
Lead dog : Dog that steers the sled dog team and
regulates speed
Wheel dog : Dogs closest to the sled
Sled : Wooden rig the dogs pull in the snow and
on which you stand
Snowless rigs : Also called training carts. Take the
place of the sled when there is no snow.
There are many other terms common to dog driving sports. One book that
has a very good glossary in it is _Dog Driver_, by Miki and Julie
Collins. See the references section for a complete citation.
Mushing equipment
The types of mushing equipment alone could cover many pages: only the
main points are covered here. The references listed at the end of this
section provide additional information.
There are two main types of sleds -- basket sleds and toboggan sleds.
Basket sleds (also called stanchion sleds) are popular among sprint
racers and recreational mushers. They are fast on glare ice and hard
pack trails, and are also good in high wind conditions. They are
lightweight, and the basket is set high off the runners, which can
keep gear dry. Toboggan sleds are more durable and stable than the
basket sleds, and they are capable of carrying bigger loads. They are
more rigid and generally less maneuverable than basket sleds. The bed
of the toboggan rides two inches above the snow. These sleds handle
soft snow better than their basket counterparts. Both types of sleds
are equipped with a brake, which is a vital item. The brake is very
simple, consisting of a spring loaded wood plank attached to the sled
bed at one end and a metal hook at the other. When riding the sled,
standing on the runners, one simply pushes down on the brake, driving
the hook into the snow. It is an effective method of slowing and
stopping the sled.
So, which sled? It depends on what you want to do. Basket sleds are
lighter and more suitable for racing. Racing trails are groomed and
hard packed for speed. They can be used for longer trips and camping.
However, to carry more gear and run in softer snow conditions, a
toboggan sled would be better. For the novice and/or once-in-a-while
musher, the basket sled is the best choice. They are generally cheaper
and easier to learn on.
In order to have your dog pull the sled, it must have a proper
harness. There are many, but two main types of harnesses are the
x-back and the freighting, or weight pulling harness. For speed or
recreational mushing, the x-back harness is the harness of choice. The
harness is extremely important as it properly distributes the weight
of the load across the dog's muscular-skeleto system. Of all the
components of mushing, the harness is the most important. The x-back
harness is sometimes referred to as a racing harness, but it is NOT
strictly used for racing. As long as the load is not too heavy, the
x-back is used for a wide variety of dog driving activities. The
harness should should be padded around the front and fit the dog very
well. Unfortunately, a picture is not possible, and without that, it
is a little difficult to visualize. See the references for additional
details.
The weight pulling harness is used to haul heavier loads. Therefore,
one would expect to see freighting harnesses used in conjunction with
toboggan sleds. They are also used in competitive weight pulling. They
are similar to the x-back harness, except that they are constructed to
give the dog different freedom of movement and different distribution
of the load. The freighting harness has one very important feature
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