Article about building Victim Loyalty in a search dog

Rules are just that, they are rules. They are meant to be followed for the life of the dog.

The dog chooses his favorite reward, not the handler.

The victim always rewards the dog.

The victim plays and praises the dog at the end of the operation.

The victim plays with the dog all the way back to base after the operation.

The handler is the dummy at the end of the leash and needs to let the victim praise and reward the dog. The handler keep its mouth shut.

The handler can never praise the dog more than the victim.

The victim always appears to be happiest with the dog.

When you have a problem, review rules 1-7.

Establishing victim loyalty will ensure success in the real world. Don’t fall into the statement “the victim doesn’t reward in the real world so they shouldn’t in training.” Anyone who tells you that does not understand animal behavior and training. Your dog must have loyalty to the victim to be a successful search dog. To the dog, it’s a game. And the most important part of that game is his loyalty to the victim.

by Jonni Joyce