So you have decided to help out a poor animal and take on a Rottweiler rescue dog. Good for you! Once you get your new dog settled it he should be fine and there should be years and years of joy and happiness for you and your new dog. It takes a lot to agree to give a home to a Rottweiler rescue dog so you are to be congratulated for taking the time and effort to be humane to an animal that has been treated inhumanely in the past. It is a shame but the Rottweiler is sometimes exploited for its aggressive nature and trained to be overly aggressive and a danger to people. Unfortunately these Rottweilers cannot be given new homes and are destroyed when it is determined that their behavior cannot be changed. So while it is a tragedy that this happens it is also a relief to you to know that your Rottweiler is not predisposed to being dangerous at all. As soon as you get your Rottweiler rescue dog home you are going to need good advice on how to train your dog and get it used to your home. Your vet is a great resource for this advice and if there is something your vet feels like that cannot answer for you then they may get you the information for contacting a reputable Rottweiler breeder who can help you with your questions. Housebreaking is a big issue with rescue dogs and sometimes crating an animal can be considered cruel especially an animal that was just in an abusive situation. If you get a dog that is housebroken then that is one less thing you will have to worry about. When it comes to any breed housebreaking is always extremely important. If your dog is already housebroken then you are very lucky and can move on to other parts of training your dog. If your dog is not housebroken then you can use the crate method as long as you use lots of positive reinforcement and never leave the dog in its crate when you are home. A Rottweiler rescue dog has been through a lot and one of the main things they need from a new owner is love and attention. Most times Rottweilers that have been abused are also neglected and when you get a Rottweiler rescue dog you need to let it know right away that things will be different. Be careful though as they are still aggressive dogs and you need to proceed at a slow and easy pace so that they have time to understand what is going on. Your adoption of a Rottweiler rescue dog is a very humane and wonderful thing to do and you should be ready for many years of love and happiness with your new dog. Always be careful when dealing with your Rottweiler and remember that your dog is on guard until it feels comfortable so just proceed slowly but always with a firm hand. Always praise the dog for the things it does right and always be positive with your Rottweiler. A Rottweiler can be a wonderful pet if it is just given a fair chance.
Rescue dogs are frequently used to aid in finding missing people, whether in avalanche areas or in the forest, since they have such a fine sense of smell. Just one dog can do the work of nearly two dozen rescue workers, by covering the same amount of ground in a fraction of the time and far more thoroughly. But how are these dogs chosen and what type of dog training do they go through?
The Selection Process
Most rescue dogs are chosen as puppies. The first selection is usually done around 2 months of age, but the puppies will be weeded out to select the best candidates again at one year, once they`ve matured a bit. While there are some specific breeds (German Shepherd, bloodhounds, etc.) that work better for this type of training, they still need to meet certain standards.
The qualities looked for in these puppies include the following:
-Strong "prey" drive, the ability to hunt something for extended periods of time, which is useful when searching for lost hikers for several hours. -A calm temperament. Excitable or nervous dogs rarely do well in the field and are not selected for training. -Dog obedience. If a dog isn`t interested in following commands, it won`t be possible to control him in the field, which is essential for tracking. Puppy training begins once the dog has proven to fulfill all the requirements.
Training a Rescue Dog
The first step in training a young dog to track people is to lay the foundation. This basic puppy training is actually very similar to what any working dog would need to learn and once the puppy has mastered the basic skills, he is ready for more specialized training.
The foundation training includes socialization, desensitizing the dog to external distractions, dog obedience classes and barking on demand, among other things. These dogs also learn to follow hand signals, rather than simply voice commands. This makes it easier to direct a dog that is too far from its trainer to receive voice commands and also allows for silent work when needed.
Once the dog is adept at these skills, it`s time for more advanced dog training that will prepare him for the real world of scents. One of the first things a puppy learns is to track by air, following a scent carried on the wind or simply lingering in the air. This is very important for areas that don`t hold a scent, such as river beds. The dog is also trained to track scents left on the ground.
To help train these dogs, they are often taken on courses where a person has laid a trail on purpose. The dog is given an object or item of clothing with the person`s scent and is allowed to smell it before casting for the scent in a specific area. In these cases, the person laying the trail will purposely cross roads, walk through water and double back, so the dog can learn to distinguish the true trail. Distractions are also provided, including other animals and people walking across the trail.
Since rescue work often requires the collection of evidence, particularly in the case of death, rescue dog training includes learning to point out objects dropped by the person they are tracking and to handle any evidence with care. The most common method of alerting their masters to the fact that they have found something of value is to bark.
These dogs participate in specialized rescue dog training and in most areas, are required to pass a tracking and ability test in order to become a certified rescue dog. They then need to be recertified every couple of years or so, depending on the area. They provide a very valuable service and are instrumental in the recovery of missing people every year.
Both Sharon Davies & Amy Nutt are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Sharon Davies has sinced written about articles on various topics from Rottweiler Dogs, Pets and Rottweiler Dogs. About the author: Sharon Davies is a passionate lover of the Rottweiler and owns a popular website that can teach you how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved. Sharon Davies's top article generates over 1220000 views. to your Favourites.
Amy Nutt has sinced written about articles on various topics from Culture and Society, Recreation and Sports and Women. company offers in-home obedience to create happier dogs and happier families. When looking for. Amy Nutt's top article generates over 368000 views. to your Favourites.