K9 Behavior Basics

Understand dog behavior to work with, not against, your K9’s instincts. Learn how to: Recognize and interpret your K9’s expressions, gestures and signals. Use operant conditioning to efficiently and humanely train K9s. Plan and execute effective K9 training programs for search and detection, patrol, remote guided camera, attack, and more. The art and science of training police, military and other service dogs continue to evolve as we learn more about dog behavior. In this revised edition of K9 Behavior Basics, expert dog trainers Dr. Resi Gerritsen, Ruud Haak and Simon Prins share the essentials every trainer needs to know about these advances in K9 training. You’ll learn how to successfully implement or improve your dogs’ training programs using operant conditioning. The authors outline key concepts in dog behavior and communication and provide practical approaches to operant conditioning. They share proven techniques and solid advice from their more than thirty years of specialized K9 experience. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned pro staying up-to-date, K9 Behavior Basics has something for you. Get a free ebook through the Shelfie app with the purchase of a print copy.

Twenty-five years of study and experience went into the making of this one-of-a-kind reference. Veterinarians, animal scientists, dog owners, trainers, consultants, and counsellors will find this book a benchmark reference and handbook concerning positive, humane management and control of dogs. Reflecting the author's extensive work with dogs, this book promises thorough explanations of topics, and proven behavioural strategies that have been designed, tested, and used by the author. More than 50 figures and tables illustrate this unique and significant contribution to dog behaviour, training, and learning.

Learn how to: Master the basic skills and common procedures every decoy needs. Read dogs accurately through seven key factors. Stimulate and reward useful forms of K9 aggression. A good decoy is a K9 trainer’s most valuable tool. A good decoy can make a poor dog better, a mediocre dog good, and a good dog excellent. A poor decoy, on the other hand, can havedevastating effects, ruining even a good dog. Stephen Mackenzie, professor of animal science and deputy sheriff with more than 30 years’ experience training and handling police dogs, shows you how to master the art of being a decoy in this revised and updated new edition. You’ll learn how to communicate effectively with your canine partner and how to stimulate specific types of aggression in the dog in a safe, positive way. This guide is essential reading for all decoys, including both instructors and students. It will improve the effectiveness of all K9 personnel, handlers, and trainers. Get a free ebook through the Shelfie app with the purchase of a print copy.

Training that works by harnessing your dog’s instincts. Learn how to: Stimulate your dog’s natural hunting drive for effective SAR training. Start your dog’s training program with an easy, three-step process. Develop skills in a variety of search operations, including wilderness, avalanche and disaster scenarios. Dr. Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak have trained search and rescue dogs for more than 30 years and have taken part in rescue operations around the world. They serve as training directors and international judges for the International Red Cross Federation, the United Nations, the International Rescue Dog Organization and the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI). Based on their decades of study and experience, their innovative SAR training method is rooted in a firm, scientific understanding of K9 instincts. Step-by-step instructions, dozens of illustrations and photographs from the field establish a professional K9 SAR program to benefit both beginners and experts. Get a free ebook through the Shelfie app with the purchase of a print copy.

Whether you’re searching for drugs or a missing person, K9 Scent Training will improve your K9 team’s capabilities in the field. Use proven techniques to train your dog for: Scent identification line-ups to indicate a scent connection between crime-scene evidence and a suspect. Tracking along a wide variety of track types, including the cold track, the broken-off track and tracks that run over or under cross-tracks. Detection work for searches in buildings, vehicles, open terrain and more. In this must-have guide for SAR teams and police K9 trainers and handlers, Dr. Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak present everything you need to know to build or improve a scent training program. Scent training involves high-stakes work, and in the case of a search for a missing person, the right training for your K9 can mean the difference between life and death. Beginning with the science behind odors and how dogs perceive them, Resi and Ruud show you how to harness that knowledge to eliminate training problems and maximize your dog’s potential. You’ll learn how to start scent training for young dogs using simple exercises before building up to more complex training. Finally, using techniques they’ve perfected over decades, Resi and Ruud share their specialized, step-by-step programs for advanced scent identification training and tracking. Get a free ebook through the Shelfie app with the purchase of a print copy.

Create a safe, successful K9 training program that results in reliable protection dogs. Learn how to: Select the optimal breeds, temperament and physical and mental characteristics for protection work. Master the obedience-training techniques that form the foundation of protection training. Use the methods of the Dutch Police Dog (KNPV) program, which produces some of the finest police and protection dogs in the world. Dr. Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak, leading dog trainers from the Netherlands, share their proven, comprehensive program for training dogs for personal protection. Their cutting-edge techniques and work with the International Red Cross, the United Nations and the International Rescue Dog Organization (IRO) have placed them in world demand. In this fully revised and updated edition of K9 Personal Protection, Resi and Ruud start with the basics, including how to select the right dog for protection work, how to properly raise a protection dog from a puppy and how to correct a dog’s bad behavior. Next, they cover fundamental obedience training for protection dogs, such as training for heelwork, the recall, the send away and more. Finally, they present a complete program for training reliable protection dogs, from basic exercises and decoy techniques to the exercises of the KNPV program. Get a free ebook through the Shelfie app with the purchase of a print copy.

Professional Schutzhund trainers and instructors Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak bring their years of knowledge and experience together in this book, K9 Schutzhund Training. Appropriate for training dogs for both protection work and for international sport dog certification and competition, this is designed to be an especially practical training method. Founded on the idea that effective training can only happen when a good bond and good communication exist between handler and dog, this method allows individual handler-dog teams to progress at their own speed. Different breeds and individual dogs may require different lengths of time and repetition to effectively learn to perform the exercises contained in this book. While many trainers claim a dog can be trained to perform to this level in only a few weeks, the authors show that effective, long-lasting results can only be achieved with time and patience. The three sections of this book focus on tracking, obedience and protection.

The best positive obedience training program for your pets or working dog. Use proven techniques to: - Train your puppy with basic exercises to prepare for future obedience training. - Correct common problem behaviors, such as barking, bolting, and chewing. - Progress from basic to advanced exercises to ensure your dog is always learning. Obedience is the foundation of any reliable, well-trained dog. Without obedience, working dogs are ineffective in operations and pet dogs can be annoying and possibly a danger to themselves or others. In K9 Obedience Training, certified animal behavior consultant and veteran search and rescue (SAR) dog handler and trainer Susan Bulanda shares the secrets of building an effective obedience training program. SAR dogs need “thinking” obedience: they sometimes need to exercise intelligent disobedience in the field. You can use the same training program for any working or pet dog. For trainers who demand the best obedience training for future working dogs, Susan’s techniques lay the groundwork for success. And pet owners who want to help their dog be easy to be around will find lots of training tips and exercises too, along with straightforward advice on proper handling, grooming, and teaching simple tricks.