Will she grow out of it?

[Heather Rae]

Been a little while, but things with Tuesday are great. She's a wonderful dogs, excitement pees but that's about her only obnoxious trait.

 

My question though....

 

Tues is about nine months old now, still a pup, but I'm not sure if that has something to do with it or if I'm overestimating a dog's abilities.

 

My goal is to train her to search out rubber grenades that people frequently losing on our airsoft field, maybe this is lofty, lemme know, but its going fairly well, she's definitely got the concept of the game down. I am, however, concerned that she always searches in the same patterns and doesn't seem to depend or use her nose hardly at all. The toys are fairly strong scented, even I could find them by nose if I had to. I don't want her to only use sight as they toys sometimes get hidden by bushes, is there anyway to encourage her into using her nose or will she eventually figure out that its a faster method to getting a treat?

 

She's been great though, always trying to herd our malamute when we're on free runs. -shakes head-

[Maralynn]

I don't think it's too lofty of a goal, but to get consistent results you need consistent training.

 

I'm kinda guessing you've got two things going on here - her age (9 months is young) and not much of a training plan besides she finds it, she get rewarded. But those are just some guesses!

 

Can you describe how you've gone about training her to do this?

[beachdogz]

Hmmm...I'm not quite sure if I know what you mean. If I am understanding correctly this may help you. Over the years of training in utility for scent articles, I found that each dog scents differently. Some prefer to put their nose right down to the articles. Others "air scent"...they actually look like they are ignoring the articles and then swoop down and get the right one. They are picking the scent out of the air, straight up from the article. Some dogs have an actual pattern -- they may work the articles clockwise, counter-clockwise, or use a pattern that is special to them.

 

I remember one time questioning my dog's method of scent discrimination, and I remember someone who was more knowledgeable saying to me, "We actually don't know HOW a dog uses its nose, and so we don't question it when the dog is getting the right article."

 

So if I am reading your post right, you may think she is sight retrieving, however, if the smell is that strong, she could be air scenting (since a dog's sense of smell is keener than sight.) Also, she will probably develop her own pattern and may use that pattern always.

 

To encourage her to use her nose, or to make sure she is using her nose, you will need to "hide" your grenades and reward when she finds them. If they are hidden, then she can only find them by scent.

[Root Beer]

You might want to check to see if any of your local training centers offer nose work or scent classes. They are getting more and more popular, and it would give you some ideas about the kind of work you are looking to do.

 

If there isn't any place near you that has that, search youtube for canine "scent work" or "nose work". There are all kinds of videos on scent games. You will probably find some that you would consider helpful.

[urge to herd]

Nosework starts by pairing the scent, usually beech or sweet birch essential oil, with a stinky treat scent. The scent and the stinky treat are placed in a small container that has holes punched in it, but that the dog can't get open. The container is hidden in an easy to locate spot, out of sight of the dog, but easy enough to reach. So, places like behind a chair, or just around the corner in another room, are where you start. As the dog gets better at finding, you make the hides a little harder.

 

The important thing at this stage is that the handler is with the dog, let's call her Fly. When Fly finds the hide, the handler offers a yummy treat. The handler holds the treat right at the container that holds the scent/treat. So Handler, let's call her Jane, has a pouch of treats. When Fly finds that hide, the handler leans over and offers the treat from her own pouch, with the hand holding the treat right on top of or next to, the hide container.

 

As Fly gets better at finding the hide, the stinky treat is taken out of the container, and it's only the scent of beech or sweet birch that Fly finds. Jane still rewards at the source/container. When you remove the stinky treat from the container, make the container very easy to find again, then gradually increase the difficulty.

 

So for your girl, get her excited about finding the grenades by pairing them with a stinky treat. I'd also take the grenades and work in a different area, enclosed, so that you can watch her more easily for subtle signals that she's giving off that she's working the scent. Remember, the air currents carry the scent all over the bloody place. In an enclosed space, you'll be able to hear that huffing sound Fly makes when she's drawing air in and out of her nose/mouth rapidly. You can also see her cheeks puffing in and out.

 

If you can take a nosework class to get the basics, it will be so much easier to read your girl. There are nuances and subtleties I can't put in words. I think your idea of your girl finding the rubber grenades is very workable, but you'll need some help refining both your skills and hers.

 

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

 

Ruth and Agent Gibbs, who loves, loves, loves his nosework classes