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Why Keep K9 Training Logs?
If you have been involved with search and rescue for any length of time you are familiar with training logs. A search of any working dog social media group will produce results regarding training log discussions. You may keep training logs simply because someone such as a supervisor, team leader or well-known trainer has told…
Read MoreBehind The Scenes
The Call Responding to a callout with our search dog is the culmination of years of training and thousands of dollars. While the motivation to be a K9 handler comes from somewhere deep inside us, we know we couldn’t do it alone. As we watch handlers from across the country respond to Hurricane Laura, we…
Read MoreIt’s All About YOU
A few weeks ago I came to you live on Facebook from the hot and humid woods of Illinois where I was a decoy for my teammates during their trailing workshop. Don’t get me wrong, I love to train! Especially when I get to work my own dog. But there are a lot of benefits…
Read MoreK9 Water Training – Where We Go Wrong
HRD Water workshops are among our most requested courses at CFTE. From beginner to operational teams, handlers are always looking for ways to improve their water recovery skills, and more specifically their boat search skills. As a result, we have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of dogs and handlers. THE PROBLEM Water is…
Read MoreIt’s All About Balance
During a recent workshop one of the handlers asked me how I divided my time between water, disaster and land/wilderness HRD. I’ve been doing it so long I don’t spend much time consciously thinking about it anymore, but the truth is, it’s a balancing act. I firmly believe that a dog is capable of doing…
Read MoreLet’s Talk: Networking With Agencies To Increase Callout Frequency
We’ve spent the last 4 weeks focusing on training that centers around your dog. If you’ve been involved with K9 search and rescue for any length of time, you know there is so much more that goes into what we do including handler training, fundraising, educating the public, and building relationships with agencies that request…
Read MoreChallenging Your Deployable Dog: Searches for Small Spaces
Coming To Terms With A New Reality This week we want to look at ways we can challenge our operational or more advanced dogs while following stay at home orders. Many of us have now been practicing social distancing for well over a month. Here in Ohio we are getting ready to start our seventh…
Read MoreK9 Decon: Your Partner’s Health And Safety Are On The Line
Are You Prepared? Canine decontamination is a scary topic. For many handlers this thought has never crossed their mind. However, our canine partners are frequently exposed to dangerous environments while on a mission and it is our responsibility to mitigate the risk of exposure in order to ensure their safety and continued good health. It…
Read MoreNo! Don’t Touch That! (Stopping Unwanted Behaviors At Source)
This week we are going to focus on a topic chosen by you! We received several requests asking what to do if your dog picks up, rolls on, tries to eat, digs at, marks, or otherwise disturbs source? While this is a common problem, it is a serious one. You absolutely do not want to…
Read MoreWhat A Cute Puppy!
“What a CUTE puppy! Can I meet him? He’s so sweet!” After training numerous retrievers for SAR work I’m used to hearing this on a daily basis. Yes, it’s hard to find anything cuter than a Golden Retriever puppy. If you follow my personal Facebook page it’s currently filled with photos of a peacefully sleeping…
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