Intro to Scent Detection - Week 4
Known vs Blind Hides
Known Hides are ones that you set yourself. Blind hides are ones that someone has set for you and you do not know where there are. If you do not plan on competing doing blind hides is something completely optional but can be a fun way to test yourself and your dog. If you do plan on competing blind hides are necessary for building confidence in your each other as a team.
We recommend if you are going to do blind hides only doing 10-20% of your hides as blind, the rest should always be known.
We recommend if you are going to do blind hides only doing 10-20% of your hides as blind, the rest should always be known.
Exercise 1 - Blind Interior Search
Step 1: Pick a room with a few different places you can hide things (such as your garage, living room or kitchen)
Step 2: With the help of a spouse or child have them place the hide for you. Make sure they understand what types of hide placements you and your dog are ready for (we don't want them making it too hard). Make sure they also make it so you cannot see the hide.
Step 3: Cue your dog to search
Step 4: Watch for COB and your TFR (Depending how your dog is doing you may not have a nice TFR yet, that is totally okay, in this case watch for your dog to get excited/interested in an area. If you or your dog are having issues it is okay for the person who has set your hide to help you out.)
Step 5: Say alert when you feel your dog has found the hide, wait for confirmation from whomever set the hide. Make sure they are quick to tell you if you have found it.
Step 6: BIG reward!
Step 2: With the help of a spouse or child have them place the hide for you. Make sure they understand what types of hide placements you and your dog are ready for (we don't want them making it too hard). Make sure they also make it so you cannot see the hide.
Step 3: Cue your dog to search
Step 4: Watch for COB and your TFR (Depending how your dog is doing you may not have a nice TFR yet, that is totally okay, in this case watch for your dog to get excited/interested in an area. If you or your dog are having issues it is okay for the person who has set your hide to help you out.)
Step 5: Say alert when you feel your dog has found the hide, wait for confirmation from whomever set the hide. Make sure they are quick to tell you if you have found it.
Step 6: BIG reward!
Exercise 2 - Known Container Search with Delayed Reward
**Practice this with you knowing where the hide is**
Step 1: Set up 5 containers, one with odour
Step 2: Cue your dog to search and begin your search pattern
Step 3: When you dog offers interest or your TFR start to wait a few seconds longer than normal
Step 4: Big reward, as close to source as possible, if he is still alerting after you are done counting (re-ask him to search if needed to get an alert if he leaves source)
This delay is what you will have noticed in many of my demo videos. This is to start building more commitment to odour.
Step 1: Set up 5 containers, one with odour
Step 2: Cue your dog to search and begin your search pattern
Step 3: When you dog offers interest or your TFR start to wait a few seconds longer than normal
Step 4: Big reward, as close to source as possible, if he is still alerting after you are done counting (re-ask him to search if needed to get an alert if he leaves source)
This delay is what you will have noticed in many of my demo videos. This is to start building more commitment to odour.
Exercise 3 - Known Container Search
**Practice this with you knowing where the hide is**
Step 1: Set up 10 - 15 containers in two or three rows, one with odour
Step 2: Cue your dog to search and begin your search pattern
Step 3: When you dog offers interest or your TFR reward!
Step 4: Big reward, as close to source as possible
This will help prepare you for your Designated Odor Test.
Step 1: Set up 10 - 15 containers in two or three rows, one with odour
Step 2: Cue your dog to search and begin your search pattern
Step 3: When you dog offers interest or your TFR reward!
Step 4: Big reward, as close to source as possible
This will help prepare you for your Designated Odor Test.
