Red Dog Rising by Jeff Schettler
Red Dog Rising, by Jeff Schettler, published by Alpine Publications, ISBN: 978-1-57779-104-1, price, $12.95, pgs. 243.
Every once in a while, a spectacular book comes along that is fun to read, riveting, and informative. This is one such book. I personally have not been as excited about a book in a long time. Jeff Schettler is a retired police Bloodhound handler who tells us about the training and use of his first Bloodhound, Ronin.
Mr. Schettler has gone through what every search dog handler has experienced, such as the battle to prove the worthiness of dogs; learning how to train, read, and use a dog; facing discouragement; and most important of all, experiencing the bond that only a working dog handler can understand, with their dog.
What is so refreshing about this book is that Jeff freely shares his mistakes and learning experiences with the reader in a refreshingly conversational voice. Woven throughout his accounts of training and missions are lessons about how to use a dog and why. He even has a chapter about the myths surrounding scent dogs. The chapter, "Myth Busting" starts with these sentences, "I'm going to tell you the truth about Bloodhounds. I won't pull any punches, and what I write about here is based upon my own training and experience." Jeff does just that.
The appendix is a collection of information about training and using a scent-specific dog. Under the subtitle, "Reading the Trailing Dog," Jeff starts by saying, "The problem that most handlers have is their inability to read their dogs properly."
Everyone who is interested in police K9 work should read this book. The true accounts of some of Jeff's actual missions give the reader a glimpse of what it is like to be the point man in a criminal pursuit. I also strongly suggest that every dog handler and those who work with SAR dogs read this book. It is one of the best accounts that I have read thus far.
Jeff will provide you with a signed copy upon request. Please give the appropriate information for an autograph salutation.
Susan Bulanda- National Pets Examiner
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