Intro to Scent Detection - Week 3
Trained Final Response - The Indication
In Scent Detection, whether for fun at home, professionally or for sport when your dog finds odour they should do something to communicate they have found the hide. This behaviour(s) can be natural or trained and is known informally as the "Indication" (this is the common term that is typically used). When you have trained your dog to act in a certain way to let you know where the odor is this is known as the Trained Final Response (TFR).
There is pros and cons depending on who you talk to about having a Trained Final Reposnse (TFR). We personally like having one as it helps the dog communicate with us that they have found the odour by taking a consious action.
Some examples of a TFR are:
- nose hold on odour
- sit
- stare at odour
- lay down
- paw touch
- bark
In the professional work the type of work being done often affects the TFR that is chosen. Human Remains Detection (HRD) dogs used in Search and Rescue work are often trained to bark. This is for a couple reasons they train this indication. They often are not right near their handler as they range ahead to go and try to find the missing person so a bark alerts the handler their dog has found odour and where they are. Also, by barking the dog can stay back and not disturb any evidence. Explosive detection dogs are often taught somevariation of sit and/or stare to protect the dog's saftey (we do NOT want a paw touch in this case). Breed sometimes can play a part in the TFR chosen as well as sometimes the dog is naturally inclined to behave in a specific way.
Things to keep in mind when picking your TFR are:
- can you dog tell you where it is in a crowded space
- can you dog tell you where it is if the odour is up high
There is pros and cons depending on who you talk to about having a Trained Final Reposnse (TFR). We personally like having one as it helps the dog communicate with us that they have found the odour by taking a consious action.
Some examples of a TFR are:
- nose hold on odour
- sit
- stare at odour
- lay down
- paw touch
- bark
In the professional work the type of work being done often affects the TFR that is chosen. Human Remains Detection (HRD) dogs used in Search and Rescue work are often trained to bark. This is for a couple reasons they train this indication. They often are not right near their handler as they range ahead to go and try to find the missing person so a bark alerts the handler their dog has found odour and where they are. Also, by barking the dog can stay back and not disturb any evidence. Explosive detection dogs are often taught somevariation of sit and/or stare to protect the dog's saftey (we do NOT want a paw touch in this case). Breed sometimes can play a part in the TFR chosen as well as sometimes the dog is naturally inclined to behave in a specific way.
Things to keep in mind when picking your TFR are:
- can you dog tell you where it is in a crowded space
- can you dog tell you where it is if the odour is up high
Exercise 1 - Final Response Shaping
Step 1: Place the hide at nose level and bring your dog to odour
Step 2: Once you dog stops and sniffs the odour help your dog into the TFR you would like (so if this is a nose hold mark when their nose is ON SOURCE, if you would like a sit - ask for the sit and them mark that and reward at source)
Repeat this a few times, your dog should start to catch on and begin to offer the TFR.
Step 2: Once you dog stops and sniffs the odour help your dog into the TFR you would like (so if this is a nose hold mark when their nose is ON SOURCE, if you would like a sit - ask for the sit and them mark that and reward at source)
Repeat this a few times, your dog should start to catch on and begin to offer the TFR.
Exercise 2 - Known Interior Searches (3x - low, nose height, high)
Pick a room with a few different places you can hide things (such as your garage, living room or kitchen). Pick three different hides and do three separate searches. Pick one low location (under a mat or blanket, tucked in the baseboard, under a couch etc), pick one head or slightly above head height location (couch cushion, straw taped to wall, under coffee table, in a kitchen drawer), and lastly one approx 6-8 inches above his head.
Step 1: Pick your location from the above list
Step 2: Cue your dog to search and go into the area
Step 3: Watch for you dog to show COB or interest in the area where you put the hide
Step 4: Mark and reward for interest (reward close to source)
This is to start training the dog to search at different heights so make sure to keep the search itself VERY simple.
Step 1: Pick your location from the above list
Step 2: Cue your dog to search and go into the area
Step 3: Watch for you dog to show COB or interest in the area where you put the hide
Step 4: Mark and reward for interest (reward close to source)
This is to start training the dog to search at different heights so make sure to keep the search itself VERY simple.
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Exercise 3 - Known Container Searches
**Practice this with you knowing where the hide is**
Step 1: Set up 5 containers, one with odour (allow 10-15 mins time for the odor to really disperse in the container)
Step 2: Cue your dog to search and begin your search pattern
Step 3: When you dog offers interest or your TFR reward quickly
Do not be afraid to keep moving or slightly direct your dog to sniff the containers
Repeat this a couple of times, moving the container each time.
Step 1: Set up 5 containers, one with odour (allow 10-15 mins time for the odor to really disperse in the container)
Step 2: Cue your dog to search and begin your search pattern
Step 3: When you dog offers interest or your TFR reward quickly
Do not be afraid to keep moving or slightly direct your dog to sniff the containers
Repeat this a couple of times, moving the container each time.
Basic Scent Theory
When playing at home for fun it is not crucial to have an indepth understanding of how scent works but it is helpful to have some basic knowledge.
Some scent theory facts that are important to keep in mind are:
- Scent is heaviest at the source and disperses away from source in a cone (see attached drawing)
- Scent has environmental influences
- Wind strength and direction
- Temperature
- Hot = more volatile molecules moving more, also more likely to rise
- Cold = heavier molecules, more likely to pool
- Humidity
- Day Vs. Night
- Stationary objects impede the movement of air
- This can cause the air to divide and flow around the object
- It can also cause it to "pool" in an area and this area sometimes can contain more scent than source
So how does this help you? It can help paint a picture of what your hide is going to do and how best to help your dog.
Have an open window with air blowing in? Keep that in mind and understand when your dog is right beside the window they might not pick up on the odour but when you wake away into the "current" they might suddenly head snap and pick it up. It can also explain why when you dog passes a hide they sometimes do not pay it any attention but when you turn around they suddenly pick up on it, this is because they are now in the scent cone.
When you know how scent works better it can help you to build your search in your home to help your dog succeed.
Some scent theory facts that are important to keep in mind are:
- Scent is heaviest at the source and disperses away from source in a cone (see attached drawing)
- Scent has environmental influences
- Wind strength and direction
- Temperature
- Hot = more volatile molecules moving more, also more likely to rise
- Cold = heavier molecules, more likely to pool
- Humidity
- Day Vs. Night
- Stationary objects impede the movement of air
- This can cause the air to divide and flow around the object
- It can also cause it to "pool" in an area and this area sometimes can contain more scent than source
So how does this help you? It can help paint a picture of what your hide is going to do and how best to help your dog.
Have an open window with air blowing in? Keep that in mind and understand when your dog is right beside the window they might not pick up on the odour but when you wake away into the "current" they might suddenly head snap and pick it up. It can also explain why when you dog passes a hide they sometimes do not pay it any attention but when you turn around they suddenly pick up on it, this is because they are now in the scent cone.
When you know how scent works better it can help you to build your search in your home to help your dog succeed.