The Most Important Part of Training

Fun.

Fun is serious business. While our search dogs perform a valuable service, they don’t do it for altruistic reasons. The search dog wants to work because it is a game, because it’s fun. During their training, we concentrate on rewarding the search dogs when they get it right. We praise them when they are on the right track, and we make a big deal out of it when they find the hidden cat or dog. We use treats, play, and praise.

In particular, Raphael and Tino have a rollicking play session after training. They really enjoy each other, and they are best buds. They play hard after training every Sunday, and this is part of why Sunday, training day, is the most fun day of the week. It’s also fun for us humans. Watching Tino and Raph romp around is like a sport and ballet altogether. Please watch this video of the search dogs performing the most important part of their jobs, having fun. (Be sure to maximize to full screen.)