Is it possible to train a mini schnauzer to do search and rescue ?

Question

My autistic son tends to wander off, and I was looking into service dogs that are trained to track him if and when this happens.
The problem is, I already have a mini schnauzer puppy who is only 5 months old, and was wondering if I could just train him to track my son instead.
So, can a mini schnauzer be trained to track, or do I have to have a "tracking" type dog?

Answer 1

Schnauzers were bred to find and 'exterminate' vermin, so they have good noses :])

They are also pretty fearless and have good energy. And your dog will have a bond with your son, which can be used way to your advantage!

Contact one of the SAR groups in your state and ask them where you can meet with them to learn more. I would also enroll immediately in an obedience class, so you can get the kind of control of your pup that you will need. Also, most working dogs have something they are absolutely nuts about (tennis ball, particular stuffed or squeaky toy, Kong, etc) that is ONLY used as a reward during search training and work. So find something that seriously floats your puppy's boat :]) and keep it out of sight. This will be your big-time reward once you get to training the actual tasks of finding and alerting.

Very best wishes to you all!!
Playing games with pup such as "FIND IT" and developing it to "FIND TIMMY" will be good practice.

You don't need a particular dog, since you will only need the dog for your son, so I don't think you're going to have a problem.

Answer 2

I did a quick search and found these helpful sites. We have a mini-schnauzer too and my family adores him. He's comic relief! He's so intelligent that I think obedience training would be a good start then possibly on to more advanced tricks or courses. It's just a matter of time and money! Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.

Answer 3

Almost any breed can be trained to track. The reason most dogs you see doing it are larger breeds like German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers is because they can cover more ground & not tire out as easily as a small dog - when being used to find a lost child or dangerous criminal, time is of the essence. Schnauzers have excellent noses, and years ago I read about a Standard Schnauzer that could detect cancer in human's bodies at levels other conventional tests could not. If you want to teach your dog to track to help in your son's situation or for fun, get books about tracking & go for it! If you want to check into competing, check on www.akc.org for more information. You could even check with law enforcement or fire departments to offer your dog's services, if you get really seriously involved. In a situation where there is a collapsed building or a child in a narrow cave passage, smaller dogs could come in handy for locating victims. Good luck!

Answer 4

Schnauzers are pretty smart, so you should be able to train him to search for your son.

Some dogs have better noses for following a scent than others, I don't think schnauzers are one of the better noses in the dog world, but they still can smell 5-10 times better than we humans can.
maybe call or email a search and rescue place and ask them if they train or have a tape they recommend or a book to teach you how to train your dog.
take care and good luck.

Answer 5

I had a nightmare of a time training my yorkie. She was two years old before she was fully trained to where I could completely trust to take my eyes off of her. Anyway, I confined her to a smaller area, where I would be, NEVER taking my eye off of her. Sometimes that meant putting her on a leash and connecting it to the coffee table next to me. I would set the timer for an hour and I would take her out at least that often or at any signs she showed me. She got to where she would only go when I took her outside. Then here recently she started scratching at the door to let me know she needed to go outside. She even is waking me up (I work all night and sleep all day) to let her out. Just stick with it! He will figure it out eventually. He is still very young. Good luck! I know it is very frustrating. I had to replace carpet in my bedroom because of her. But, she is so sweet and perfect now. It is worth the work.

Answer 6

I have two minature schnauzers and all I can say is that I think it would be a challenge. I have had three in total and I have friends that have two each and ALL are quite highly strung. I am sure that they could be with intensive training but good luck, I think you may need it.

Answer 7

A dog should be trained on how to eat, walk with you, not to bark, potty training and sleep on its place etc. You can teach anything to your puppy, dogs get trained easily with some good instructions. If you want some good training tips visit https://tr.im/IpVEu

If properly trained, they should also understand whistle and gesture equivalents for all the relevant commands, e.g. short whistle or finger raised sit, long whistle or flat hand lay down, and so on.

It's important that they also get gestures and whistles as voice may not be sufficient over long distances and under certain circumstances.

Answer 8

You can train any dog to track. Your local obedience training center should have tracking classes. My field pointer is a state certified search and rescue (tracking) dog. Good luck.

Answer 9

Hey there,
The best online resource that teaches how to stop any unwanted dog behavior is: http://www.goobypls.com/r/rd.asp?gid=572

You can find thousands of videos and interesting materials. Their methods are effective, gentle and simple.
Bye Bye

Answer 10

they dont have the attention span to be able to "look" for your child. I think you would be better off getting another dog that can be trained well to do that kind of thing, and keep your mini as YOUR pet. the trained dog will have to bond to your son, and your mini might get overly jealous, so he needs to bond with you.