Dog Training (sage study)

Dog training is a sage study in the field of Animal Training, encompassing a wide array of abilities essential for working with canines both as loyal companions and as functional partners in specialized tasks. This study requires expertise in numerous areas, including the domestication of wild dogs and wolves, training for hunting techniques, and conditioning for protection and guarding roles. Trainers develop a deep understanding of canine behaviour and psychology, allowing them to foster strong, cooperative relationships with the animals under their care.

Dog training involves teaching canines to perform a variety of tasks, such as assisting in prey capture, developing tracking skills, and honing sheep-herding proficiency. Additionally, it covers training dogs to respond obediently to verbal commands and signals, enabling them to attack on command or defend their handlers. Dogs may also be trained for scouting duties, search and rescue operations, and scent detection, with specific emphasis on identifying substances such as narcotics, explosives, or missing persons. These skills make trained dogs invaluable in diverse settings, from domestic households to law enforcement, military operations, and wilderness expeditions.

In addition to practical skills, dog training includes efforts to improve the physical capabilities and intelligence of dogs through selective breeding and tailored training programs. Trainers work to develop canines with enhanced endurance, agility, and sensory perception, ensuring their suitability for demanding roles. For example, some breeds are specifically conditioned for guarding, tracking, or scent detection, while others are trained for therapy or assistance roles, aiding individuals with disabilities.

Successful dog training requires patience, consistency, and a thorough understanding of canine instincts and communication. Trainers employ positive reinforcement techniques to encourage desired behaviours and discourage negative ones, building trust and respect between dog and handler. Advanced trainers may also specialize in working with particular breeds or addressing behavioural challenges, such as aggression, anxiety, or disobedience.

This comprehensive skill set allows individuals engaged in dog training to effectively nurture and utilize canines across a wide range of environments and tasks, highlighting the versatility and intelligence of these remarkable animals.

Sage Abilities

The sage abilities below are those acquired by a character through the study, according to status.

Amateur Status

• Canine Handling I: provides knowledge about the training and use of companionship dogs, working dogs and war dogs, with notes regarding species and additional benefits available to the character.

• Dog Feeding & Diet: provides the character with knowledge about what dogs eat, how much they should eat and how to tailor their diet for various circumstances.

• Domesticate Dogs: gives knowledge of how to nurture puppies to full growth, as well as the transitioning of both feral and wild dogs in order that they may be used as though tame.

Authority Status

• Canine Handling II: provides greater control in managing the dog's form of attack and general use in battle conditions.

• Dog Physiology: includes the maintenance and restoration of health in dogs.

• Truffle Dog: enables the training of a dog or swine to hunt and root out truffles; the character must also possess the mushroom hunt ability.

• War Dog Training: inculcates basic war dog training into ordinary dogs, enabling them to perform effectively in combat.

Expert Status

• Canine Grip: enables the control of two or more dogs in combat simultaneously.

• Dire Handling: allows the character to accept dire wolves as a trained canine companions.

• Dog Breeding: allows the selective breeding of dogs with superior physical attributes, size, temperament, health and intelligence in the creation of high-quality bloodlines.

• Dog Whispering: facilitates silent communication through subtle cues and gestures, fostering a partnership in which the dog responds with near-telepathic capacity.

Sage Status

• Enhanced Canine: provides dogs with heightened agility and reflexes, enabling them to perform nearly supernatural acrobatic feats gracefully.

• Ride Canine: permits the character to ride a dire wolf or worg, provided the character's size is within the creature's boundaries, which may require the breeding of a large enough canine mount.

• Unearthly Nose: empowers the dog with an ability to detect traces left by unnatural creatures, to uncover threats beyond the realm of the ordinary. Includes some ability to detect invisible creatures.

• Worg Handling: allows the character to accept worgs as a trained canine companions.

See also,
Assassin Sage Abilities
Fighter Sage Abilities
Paladin Sage Abilities
Ranger Sage Abilities