My Search Dog, Scout

If you read my blog you will read about my dog. Scout was born on October 26, 2017; a Belgian Malanois. Scout is as Mal as they come. He insists on constant attention, loves being petted, and above all is a toy hound. His addiction to toys is known in the vernacular as "high drive." I have had the pleasure to raise two German Shepherd Dogs (GSD). Mals are not a smaller, lighter version of GSDs. They are more like GSDs on steroids! These dogs need a job and at least twice daily vigorous exercise.

My chosen job for Scout is searching. He joined the Sandia Search Dog team in ABQ last September and loves the hunt for "lost" (in training this means hidden) people. It seems simple: the subject walks off with a toy and when he finds the person, through sniffing the air for discarded skin cells, he is rewarded with a toy and lots of play. In fact, training is challenging, lengthy, and requires skill--which I hope I am developing. To become certified as a handler/dog duo takes a year and a half to two years. Lots of fun in store. In this blog I will continue updating you on Scout's progress and add some notes on my travels, some of which will include him. Thanks for coming along on this journey.