Proofing Scent Articles
Scent articles are often a reason dogs fail a utility exercise for many reasons: dogs may first fear they are going to be wrong and just in a show environment grab any article; there may be other smells in the grass; distracted by environment and cannot fully concentrate; dogs have not practiced different article configurations; or they have kicked article out of pile are but a few of many reasons.
Beckett learned as a very small puppy how to use his nose to find odor. In nose work he learned how to differentiate different strengths of odor, converging odor, odor effected by the wind and different search configurations with containers. Dogs love nose work since there is no pressure on them and it is highly rewarded. It is a perfect way to introduce finding a scented article for the utility exercise. My dogs have always done very very well in this exercise and seldom failed. I attribute this to them playing scent work games similar to what they found with containers in nose work. I love to offer scent article puzzles for Beckett as a fun way to think and experience them in a very non-stressful home environment. Perfect for end of day thinking games.
VIDEO 1: The X formation with extra articles, different surface and coloring, and side entrance. We usually do articles on the hard floor but thought the highly colored rug with different surface and light shades might add to the puzzle.
VIDEO 2: This is a very challenging arrangement of 20 articles: one is in the middle; then way off to the side (dogs sometimes kick article off pile to side); on far left and then first one. In scent work the first scent is often ran by as they anxiously run the pile of containers so good to try in articles. Very windy pre-monsoon day which is why we did outdoors. Beckett does not like the monsoons and gets worried with the wind so this was perfect to do outdoors.
VIDEO 3: Often a dog will accidentally kick an article out of the pile and have trouble finding it. We teach the dog both in scent work and with scent articles to know how to look outside the large group. The second article was scented in the middle of the circle offering another challenge. Recently one judge used this configuration for both her utility classes. Tall grass and articles on side (laying on bell) offered 2 other challenges.
VIDEO 4: This video is from scent work where we trained and worked on finding a hide way off the the pile of containers. This training helped to teach to look off of where all the other boxes (articles) were for the scented source. We also were working on training independence in searches so we would not influence the dog and added distractors especially pastrami in a container. This was a higher level Masters/Elite search.
Beckett learned as a very small puppy how to use his nose to find odor. In nose work he learned how to differentiate different strengths of odor, converging odor, odor effected by the wind and different search configurations with containers. Dogs love nose work since there is no pressure on them and it is highly rewarded. It is a perfect way to introduce finding a scented article for the utility exercise. My dogs have always done very very well in this exercise and seldom failed. I attribute this to them playing scent work games similar to what they found with containers in nose work. I love to offer scent article puzzles for Beckett as a fun way to think and experience them in a very non-stressful home environment. Perfect for end of day thinking games.
VIDEO 1: The X formation with extra articles, different surface and coloring, and side entrance. We usually do articles on the hard floor but thought the highly colored rug with different surface and light shades might add to the puzzle.
VIDEO 2: This is a very challenging arrangement of 20 articles: one is in the middle; then way off to the side (dogs sometimes kick article off pile to side); on far left and then first one. In scent work the first scent is often ran by as they anxiously run the pile of containers so good to try in articles. Very windy pre-monsoon day which is why we did outdoors. Beckett does not like the monsoons and gets worried with the wind so this was perfect to do outdoors.
VIDEO 3: Often a dog will accidentally kick an article out of the pile and have trouble finding it. We teach the dog both in scent work and with scent articles to know how to look outside the large group. The second article was scented in the middle of the circle offering another challenge. Recently one judge used this configuration for both her utility classes. Tall grass and articles on side (laying on bell) offered 2 other challenges.
VIDEO 4: This video is from scent work where we trained and worked on finding a hide way off the the pile of containers. This training helped to teach to look off of where all the other boxes (articles) were for the scented source. We also were working on training independence in searches so we would not influence the dog and added distractors especially pastrami in a container. This was a higher level Masters/Elite search.