Introduction

The dog has been a loyal companion of humankind for thousands of years. This companionship has not always meant a comfortable and peaceful life for the dog, however. In living together, humans took control. From wolves (the first dogs), humans selected animals with suitable traits and domesticated them.

Our dogs today have a great willingness to adapt to their circumstances and the rules of the pack, which now includes the human family. They are a pleasant animal, able to live close to humans. From the wolf they received qualities such as watchfulness, loyalty, and submissive behavior, which are also the source of their popularity as pets and K9s.

In this book we meet the wolf, the domestic dog’s ancestor. We become acquainted with its behavior and see how and why this animal was domesticated. From that foundation, we take a closer look at dog behavior and communication signals. These are fundamental to understanding how dogs play and learn, and it is important for every K9 handler to understand these behaviors. After all, if we understand the behavior of dogs, we can more easily raise and train them.

It is a pleasure to have a K9 as a reliable companion in service. For a successful team, the parties at both ends of the leash must trust each other. For this trust to develop, it is essential for us to recognize and correctly interpret the dog’s expressions, gestures, and signals. In this book we explain them.

We then explain operant conditioning, a successful method of K9 training that can be used for all kinds of special-service dogs, such as search and detection, patrol, remote guided camera, and attack dogs. We first describe the history and development of operant conditioning training with animals and how the training works, and then, of course, we provide practical techniques in how this method can be employed.

As a K9 handler, you are privileged to know what is going on in the dog’s mind and to predict its behavior. After reading this book, you will have a better understanding of that special animal: your K9.