In the second step of training we only offer the dog its toy (ball in sock) in combination with a human being. In either rubble or snow, we will first work with the helper in an open hole; later on the hiding place will be closed bit by bit.

With the first step of training, by making the dog crazy for his toy, we have made the dog a strong searcher. This kind of playing, however, should not take place on rubble or in a wood without a ‘victim’, because then the toy, and not the human, becomes the object of searching.

The second step of training is designed to help the dog making the connection: Locating the human (human odour) means getting my toy. This toy (the prey) is still the same, namely, the ball in a long sock, with which the dog can let himself go by shaking it to death, playing, walking around, throwing it up and so on.

Disaster search

Start by throwing the toy low over the ground in the direction of the helper in the open hole, after which the dog can go directly to the hole to pick up the toy offered by the helper. If the dog is doing well, then the helper takes the toy with him before he goes to the hole and the dog has to go pick it up without the toy being thrown for him.

Then the hiding place can be closed bit by bit. If the dog momentarily backslides or forgets at this stage of training (especially when the hiding place is somewhat closed over) then the article should be thrown in the direction of the hiding place and one of the people who built the hole should put it in that hole and close it.

Wilderness search

With wilderness searches, the helper walks away with the dog’s toy in his hand and sits or lays down in the sight of the dog. The dog will be sent to the helper and receives his toy immediately. Like in disaster search the helper does not pull the toy, but lets the dog take the toy out of his hand. After that there is again the playing and the prey-sharing with the dog. If this is going well the helper next hides himself behind bushes with the toy in his extended hand. The dog will be sent and again receives his toy immediately.

Hwith its instinctunting behaviour

As soon as the dog gets his article he carries it around, full of pride. For him this is a living prey, this is a real prey. When the dog begins to chew on the toy as he carries it, the handler may not react. This behaviour comes from the wild dogs and hunting dogs of the past who found the prey and were allowed to press out the blood and body fluids as a reward while carrying it. This is no longer allowed for the modern hunting dog, for commercial reasons. Our future search and rescue dog, however, is allowed to do this. We have to pay attention to the fact that this prey, in the mind of the dog, is still living. This chewing allows us to gauge how much the dog is getting into its hunting behaviour.

During searching and later on, when the dog carries the toy, the handler may not interfere. He has to wait very patiently until the dog lays the prey in front of his feet for the prey-sharing.

Immediately

Important in this second step in training is that the dog receives his toy immediately from the helper. For some ‘careful’ dogs it is better when the helper does not look at the dog or move, and not pulls the toy but gives the dog the opportunity to take it out of his hand. This way of training the dog learns: Finding human odour means getting my toy! When the dog understands this very well, we go to the next step.

In a real pack understanding between handler and dog, the latter will after a while lay the prey in front of the handler’s feet. Why does he do that?

The dog, of course, still has the instincts of his forefathers, the wolves. They also carried the prey back to the pack, allowing the prey to be shared out, exactly as our dog is doing now. After laying the prey in front of his handler, the dog expects the handler, as a member of the pack, to divide the prey. This prey-sharing must not degenerate into an obedience exercise, like sitting in front of the handler and offering a dog biscuit, because the way the dog works out its hunting behaviour is always right.

For correct sharing the prey with his dog, the handler takes the ball in the long sock and lays a dog biscuit on it, held up with thumb and forefinger. Wait for a very short moment to make the dog’s excitement a bit higher and after that allow the dog to get the dog biscuit. Repeat this act one or two times. Of course, the reward has to be offered on the toy, because this forms a connection with the dog’s prey.