National Urban Search & Rescue Response System
Canine Search Specialist Training
Canine Search Specialist Training
Unit 2: Canine
Behavior and
Drive
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National Urban Search & Rescue Response System
Canine Search Specialist Training
Unit Objective
Upon completion of this unit, you will be
able to describe the basic aspects of
canine communication, behavior, and
drive
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National Urban Search & Rescue Response System
Canine Search Specialist Training
Enabling Objectives
 Explain how handlers and canines
communicate
 Describe common canine signals
 Identify the factors that influence behavior
 Describe basic learning principles
 Identify and describe canine drives
 Describe how to apply canine drives to
search training
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National Urban Search & Rescue Response System
Canine Search Specialist Training
Canine Communication
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National Urban Search & Rescue Response System
Canine Search Specialist Training
Canine Communication
 Instinctual
 Learned
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Canine Search Specialist Training
Instinctual
 Posture
 Facial expression
 Breathing
 Focus
 Intention
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National Urban Search & Rescue Response System
Canine Search Specialist Training
Learned
 Training
 Play
 Life experience
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Canine Search Specialist Training
Myths and miscommunication
“Clever Hans”
 Learned
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Canine Search Specialist Training
Miscommunication
 “The guilty look”
 “He’s mad at me!”
 “He knows this!”
 “He’s ignoring me!”
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Guilty
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What are they thinking?
Body Language
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Canine Search Specialist Training
Dominance
 Signals associated with
dominance
 Grabbing muzzles
 Pinning head and neck
 Chin on neck and /or back
 Body slamming
 Direct stare
 Vertical retraction of lips
 Tail straight up in the air
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National Urban Search & Rescue Response System
Canine Search Specialist Training
Submission
Submissive signals
 Avert gaze
 Lower head and neck
 Lower tail
 Approach with “C”
shape
 Submission grin
 Ears back
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National Urban Search & Rescue Response System
Canine Search Specialist Training
Play
 Exaggerated looking
away
 Paw raising
 Play grin
 Nibble greeting
 Nose pushing
 Panting or play face
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National Urban Search & Rescue Response System
Canine Search Specialist Training
Fear
 Behaviors
associated with fear
 Shivering or shaking
 Salivating
 Tail tucked
 Immobility
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Fear!
Aggressive
Submissive
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Canine Search Specialist Training
Aggression
 Ears forward
 Direct eye contact
 Forward lean
 Tail high
 Lips retracted
 Low growl
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Canine Search Specialist Training
Signs of Conflict
 Panting
 Yawning
 Submissive signals
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Canine Search Specialist Training
Conflict
(continued)
Displacement behaviors
 Eating grass
 Sniffing grass
 Grooming
 Scratching
 Play behaviors
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Conflict
(continued)
Ambivalent behaviors
 Looking away
 Turning back on you
 Sitting down
 Marking
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Canine Search Specialist Training
Behavior
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Behavior
Factors that influence behavior
Genetics
Internal stimuli
External stimuli
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Genetically Proven Breeds
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Canine Search Specialist Training
Internal Stimuli
 Drives
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External Stimuli
 Training
 Experience
 Environment
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The TRUTH About Dogs
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The TRUTH about Dogs
 Dogs
 Are amoral
 Live in the present
 Are completely self interested
 Will always do what they consider to be in
their best interest at the time
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Canine Search Specialist Training
More …
 Dogs
 Will repeat what works for them
 Are constantly monitoring our movement
for an opportunity to get something for
themselves
 Learn through Operant and Classical
conditioning
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Canine Search Specialist Training
Learning Principles
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Kinds of Learning
 Experience + Repetition
 Observational = watching
 Classical conditioning = reflexive
 Operant conditioning = shaping
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Classical Conditioning
 A specific type of learning which
connects a stimulus with an
unconditioned response (REFLEX)
 “Conditioned” means “ learned”
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Operant Conditioning
A specific type of learning where offered
behaviors are encouraged or discouraged
by their consequences
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Operant Conditioning
(continued)
 Add reinforcement to increase behavior
 Add punishment to decrease behavior
 The reward or punishment must be
immediate to the behavior
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Operant Conditioning
(continued)
 Behaviors that are not reinforced will
extinguish themselves over time
 Do not take long-established behavior
for granted
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Generalization
 Under-utilized technique
 Unrecognized pitfall
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Generalization
(continued)
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Problem Solving 101
 Has the dog LEARNED the command?
 Has the trainer supplied adequate
MOTIVATION (reward)?
 Is there a strong history (FOUNDATION) of
rewarded responses to the command?
 Has the dog GENERALIZED the behavior in
this context?
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Canine Search Specialist Training
Problem Solving 101
(continued)
 Did you PROOF against distractions
(dogs, cats, noise, activity)?
 Did you PROOF against competing
motivations (drives-food, pack, prey)?
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BREAK
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Instinct and Drive
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Instinct
A canine’s innate response to certain
stimuli, independent of any thought
process
May or may not produce the desired
behaviors
Those that have application to search need
to be developed and strengthened
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Drive
 Some canines have predispositions towards
certain instincts
The STRENGTH of this predisposition
= DRIVE
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It is important to remember
that hyperactivity
does not equal drive
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DRIVE!
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Types of Drive
 Food
 Pack
 Prey
 Defense
 Hunt
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Benefits of Drive
Use of drive in regular training exercises will
 Improve physical conditioning
 Increase intensity and concentration
 Improve focus and attitude
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Food Drive
A canine’s desire to persist in getting
food, is not always related to hunger or
biological need for food
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Food Drive
(continued)
 One of the easiest drives to build
 Rewards can be given while the canine
is in the correct position
 Canines can be rewarded without
having to break position
 Most effective way to control high prey
driven canines
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Prey Drive
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National Urban Search & Rescue Response System
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Prey Drive
Canine’s intensity in
chasing
Catching
Biting
Carrying
a prey object
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Prey Drive
(continued)
 Can be developed
into play
 Can be incorporated
into each training
session
 Builds stamina and
physical
conditioning
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Prey Drive
 Will increase
canine’s motivation
 Increases
concentration
 Stress reducer
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Hunt Drive
Fundamental to search success
Innate desire to hunt with nose
Does not require visual cues
Very rewarding to dog
Reduces need for external motivation
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Pack Drive
Canine’s desire to
work within framework
of the pack
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Pack Drive
 Needed to maintain
working relationship
with handler
 The canine needs to
view handler as the
working partner
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Defense Drive
Canine’s response to
protect itself from a
perceived threat
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Defense Drive
 This behavior is
detrimental to search
work because it
produces
 Avoidance
 Aggression
 Insecurities
 Unsociability (sharpness)
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REWARD SYSTEMS
= Prey Key
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Prey Key
A reward that the
canine is obsessed
with (toy, food)
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Advantages of Using Prey Key
 Gives canine a motivating focal point
 Moderate or control other behaviors
 Gives options to difficult training
problems
 Allows corrections without seriously
affecting the canine’s positive attitude
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Building Drive
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Building Drive
 Frustration
 Opposition reflex
 Animation
 Isolation
 Deprivation
 End session while canine still wants more
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Frustration and Opposition Reflex
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Animation
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Isolation
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Deprivation
 Clink-Clink
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End session with canine wanting more
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Troubleshooting
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Troubleshooting
 Distractibility
 Low drive
 Boldness
 Sensitivity
 Focus
 Agility
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Errorless Learning
 Teach in small increments
 Anticipate errors and prevent them
 Change only one variable at a time
 Provide adequate motivation
 Generalize behavior
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Unit Summary and Evaluation
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National Urban Search & Rescue Response System
Canine Search Specialist Training
Unit Summary
 Explain how handlers and canines
communicate
 Describe common canine signals
 Identify the factors that influence behavior
 Describe basic learning principles
 Identify and describe canine drives
 Describe how to apply canine drives to search
training
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National Urban Search & Rescue Response System
Canine Search Specialist Training
Unit Evaluation
Please fill out the evaluation on this unit
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