A dog handler needs to be able to handle any size dog.
A dog handler is someone who is responsible for the primary care and sometimes training of a dog or group of dogs. They are typically employed by animal shelters and kennels, but might also work for police and fire departments that have dogs on their staff. If you help run a business, organization or department that staffs dog handlers, then you will need to train the dog handlers before they can start working directly with the dogs.
Instructions
1. Go through the basic responsibilities that dog handlers in your organization have at the start of the training. For example, in a shelter, the handlers might walk the dogs and provide some light training to help make them more adoptable.
2. Teach dog handlers to learn about each dog before attempting to handle them. Some dogs require special considerations or effort. For example, one dog might be prone to darting out of open doors, while another might nip at hands or feet to get the attention of handlers.
3. Cover sanitation issues. Dog handlers should always wash their hands or use antibacterial gel before moving onto another dog to avoid contamination issues and the spread of disease.
4. Explain how the dog handlers should be dressed. In most cases, dog handlers should wear comfortable, thick shoes and long sleeves and pants to prevent injury. Jewelry can be dangerous and heavy scents can irritate dogs.
5. Show the dog handlers put a dog on a leash. For a slip leash, you simple put the end through the loop and then put the loop around the dog's neck. Other leashes can be attached easily to collars. Start with a relatively calm dog that allows you to demonstrate.
6. Go over your organization's beliefs about dog training. For example, some schools of thought on dog training set the person up as the alpha dog, placing a dog in an inferior status. Others reject this school of thought. Various types of commands can be used in different organizations, as well, such as "leave" and "down," which both mean to drop something in the dog's mouth.
7. Teach positive reinforcement. No matter what your organization's beliefs about training, positive reinforcement is what works with dogs. Show your dog handlers give a command and reward a dog with treats and praise when the command is followed.
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