IMPROVING POD WITH THE AIR SCENTING SARDOG:
TRAINING FOR CONTROL AT A DISTANCE, RANGE, AND SEARCH PATTERN
Tom Osterkamp © 2002
Part 3 of 3
Part III: Range and Search Pattern
Introduction
Range is the distance the dog will move away from the handler and search independently. It varies with conditions, terrain and cover but the dog should be in sight and hearing of the handler most of the time to control and direct the dog and to estimate POD for the team. The natural range of the dog is influenced by genetics (some lines and some breeds of dogs are known to be wider ranging than others), environmental conditions, training and other factors (e.g. emotional and physical states of the handler and dog).
The search pattern is the geometric pattern that the dog uses in ranging out from the handler as the team advances through the terrain. Some common search patterns include:
- sweeping back and forth in front of the handler or quartering;
- circles with the handler near the perimeter;
- figure eights with lobes to the right and left in front of the handler;
- lines to and from the handler; and
- random.
The experience of upland bird hunters is that a sweeping motion back and forth in front of the hunter as they move forward is a productive method. However, this pattern is strongly modified by terrain, cover (places of concealment), weather and the experience of the dog.
In searching for missing persons, dogs that hang around their handler, range out only a fraction of the distance possible in a given terrain or run only short lines back and forth to the handler are of limited value to the team. The performance of these dogs can be improved by training for range and search pattern. The lining, stopping and casting skills developed in parts I and II are tools that can be used in this training.
Walks
Walking with your dog should be an experience that is pleasant, interesting and, initially, only slightly challenging to the dog. Walking also establishes rapport, builds confidence, and provides training opportunities. Puppies can begin walks immediately by starting in non-challenging settings (e.g. flat field with grass) and progressing slowly (over several months) to difficult terrain.
* A modified version of this paper will be published in SAR Dog Alert, spring, 2003.
Walk off leash to get the dog comfortable in wilderness settings (where the dog will eventually be required to search). Try to arrange for your dog to be in front of you by facing her, encouraging her to go ahead, and following when she moves off. Stop while she investigates smells and show a strong interest in human smells. Put an item in a field (glove, sock, shoe, shirt) with your scent and later that of others. Quarter upwind with the dog until she finds it and then give lots of praise.
Your search dog should enter heavy cover willingly and when a puppy is ready to do this, you must go with them. Reluctance to enter cover on your part will be noticed immediately by your puppy and she will develop a similar reluctance.
The fading zigzag
An effective handler reads his or her dog well, and this exercise will improve that ability. A football field or similar sized field with short cover is about the right size. The dog should be adept at casting and comfortable ranging out in front of you.
Start at the goal posts and walk downfield and toward the right sideline at whatever angle it takes to get your dog to go toward the sideline. When she has reached the sideline, anticipate her glance at you (you have to read this indication), simultaneously point to the left sideline with your extended left arm, turn in that direction (keeping your arm extended until the dog sees you) and give a command that the dog can hear ("over" or a whistle command different from the come in or stop). You may have to go almost to the sideline if her range is short.
Most dogs are uncomfortable at this point because they are now somewhat behind you and will hurry across in front of you to catch up and get ahead (this comes from the walks). You are now walking at a similar angle toward the left sideline. Repeat the above procedure turning to the right and then continue in this mode zigzagging to the other end of the field. Do this until the dog clearly understands that the hand, body turn and verbal command or whistle mean to turn with you and get back in front of you. One toy on each side and somewhat downfield helps maintain their interest in this game. Do not put the toy in the same place twice.
The idea now is to fade the zigs and zags. Try to gradually (over a month or so) reduce the distance that you walk toward the sidelines letting the dog range out ahead and giving the hand, body turn and command or whistle when she reaches the range where you want her to work. Your goal is to reduce your zigs and zags to just a few yards while your dog quarters, ranging from one side of the field to the other. Now generalize (i.e. go to other places such as fields with more cover, open forests, add distractions such as another person with you, another dog).
Most dogs have a natural range that may be genetic. Dogs whose range is too long or short need special methods and may even require professional help. Here is a method that has worked in correcting both problems. It requires lining, stopping and casting skills. First, seed the field with toys at the desired range on each side of the field. They should be visible at close range (5 to 10 yards). From the end of the field, line the dog toward the right side and start walking down the center of the field. If she starts to turn short, stop her and cast her back until she gets to the line of toys and finds one. If she goes too far, stop her and cast her to a toy. Have her retrieve the toy and repeat on the left side of the field. Continue repeating this sequence alternating from side to side until all the toys are picked up. Seed the field with toys again and repeat the process. Repeat again at the next few training sessions and then go to different fields.
Once the dog understands the distance they need to work at, gradually reduce the number of toys to one on each side. When they don't find a toy on one side, watch for their glance and use the hand, turn and command or whistle to move them to the other side of the field. After their alert is sound and they have mastered runaways and pop-ups, replace these last toys with a person hidden some distance downfield and to the side with the wind moving from them towards the field. Practice quartering at the desired range and have the dog make the find and get her usual reward.
Some dogs do not quarter well or revert to some other pattern even after this training. This is not a problem as long as they cover the area to both sides ahead of the handler. However, running lines from the handler out and back is an inefficient pattern since one half the dog's energy is wasted covering the same ground. They should be discouraged from doing this by stopping and casting them to the side.
Practical aspects
The primary goal of this training is to produce a free running and wide ranging search dog that is under control at a distance. Each dog will develop a search style all their own. Over time, search dogs should learn to work at the fringe of where they can see you. Generally, it is not desirable for them to work out of sight. In this case, the handler would have to slow or stop and wait for them to return which is not efficient. Dogs should work at the maximum range that you can see them perhaps appearing and disappearing as they move through the terrain. This allows for control for safety and for estimating POD.
The handler has to learn to adjust her speed for variations in terrain and cover to make efficient use of her dog's range, search pattern and rate of working. This will minimize the dog's energy expenditure. As a general rule, let the dog work; do not continue moving ahead at the same pace when your dog enters cover, leaves a trail, or checks behind you while searching. Slow down or wait for them to return and then move forward with them still in front. This encourages penetration into cover without fear of being left behind a fast-moving handler. Conversely, moving too slow with a fast dog will force the dog that has a good range and search pattern to cover the same ground more thoroughly than necessary. If the dog is independent, it may start to work out of sight for long periods.
While searching, the dog may disappear in cover for a longer time than usual. This is a difficult situation since, if the dog is called, there is a risk of calling her off the scent of the person you are trying to find. My experience with dogs trained using the above methods suggests waiting a few minutes. They will usually come looking for the handler if not pursuing a scent. Calling or whistling for your dog when you cannot see her should be done as a last resort or if there are concerns for her safety.
Some issues about using whistles include confusing the dogs when several K9 teams are searching and that they would not be effective on whistle searches for lost persons. It is not likely that more than a few handlers in a unit will whistle train their dogs. Since there are a half-dozen or more different whistles with differing sounds, they can each agree to use a different whistle. My experience has also been that even if two handlers use the same whistle, their dogs can often tell the difference between them. Finally, whistle searches by K9 teams appear to be extremely rare.
Conclusion
Training for control at a distance, range and search pattern provides the necessary tools to conduct an efficient search that will:
- reduce the energy expenditure of the K9 team;
- result in better area coverage; and
- improve the team's POD.
Attempting to obtain these results has been my primary motivation in developing the methods described in these articles. At the same time, I sought to develop methods that use less force than usual. This training requires a significant amount of time but can be done in very short time segments and does not require help from another person. It is quality time spent with your dog along with being pleasant and a positive way to train a more capable search dog.
K-9
Specialty Search Associates
