Sunrise and Sunset Times 
Taos area weather 
Current night sky phenomenon
|
| 2006 - Claire and her handler, Andi, prepare for a walk. |
| 1/2007 - Andi has put Claire in a down stay as the K-9 Unit trains at the historic Kiva site just below Fossil Hill off of Highway 518. |
|
1/2007 - Claire comes in for the find during her first call-out with a strange subject. Way to go, Claire! It is important to lay a solid foundation when training a search dog. The dog may know what they are doing, but repetitive training is the key to a solid foundation. Moving too fast or skipping training steps makes for less confidence and reliability in difficult or stressful situations. Claire and her handler are taking her training slow and steady in order to lay the proper foundation for Claire's life as a search dog. |
| 1/2007 - A happy Claire runs to her handler once she has found the subject. Life is not good, its great! |
|
1/2007 - Andi is rewarding Claire for finding the subject with a vigorous session of play with her favorite toy, a rope bone. In order for a search dog to work consistently, they must have an appropriate reward at the end of their efforts. The successful search relies on the dog's instinct to use its nose and hunt for prey, which needs to end in a successful find (capture of the prey) and then vigorous and satisfying play with the handler and subject (a ritual of prey sharing with the pack). This completes the natural cycle of the hunt and leaves the dog feeling successful, confident, and gratified. |
