Post by oksaradt on Apr 9, 2010 9:54:26 GMT -5
Just a quick tip for those handlers whose dogs haven't discovered below ground yet.
You can train the dog to pursue scent to source and watch its progress using this technique.
If you have a concrete driveway with expansion joints, you can place teeth at various locations down a crack. My joints fill up with dirt and debris because I live in the country. It doesn't matter. I can excavate a small section, place teeth in it, and back fill with soil, twigs, whatever.
To start a dog this way, it's best to either wet the teeth with distilled or well water Or to place wet teeth in the crack. Let the teeth sit for a while for scent to travel along the crack. If possible, work this in the shade as sun will make the scent picture more complicated.
Once the dog gets the concept, it's ok if it checks the cracks when nothing is there and moves on. Using this, overlaps can be taught as well.
I've done this with all my dogs over the years when I needed a quick set up that could be made to either be easy or very difficult depending on conditions and other items placed in the driveway such as a recently emptied bucket that contained cat urine litter balls and fecal matter. Considering I placed the bucket in the path of the seam it demonstrated committment to scent to work up to it, check it, work around it, and get back on the path to source.
Jim
You can train the dog to pursue scent to source and watch its progress using this technique.
If you have a concrete driveway with expansion joints, you can place teeth at various locations down a crack. My joints fill up with dirt and debris because I live in the country. It doesn't matter. I can excavate a small section, place teeth in it, and back fill with soil, twigs, whatever.
To start a dog this way, it's best to either wet the teeth with distilled or well water Or to place wet teeth in the crack. Let the teeth sit for a while for scent to travel along the crack. If possible, work this in the shade as sun will make the scent picture more complicated.
Once the dog gets the concept, it's ok if it checks the cracks when nothing is there and moves on. Using this, overlaps can be taught as well.
I've done this with all my dogs over the years when I needed a quick set up that could be made to either be easy or very difficult depending on conditions and other items placed in the driveway such as a recently emptied bucket that contained cat urine litter balls and fecal matter. Considering I placed the bucket in the path of the seam it demonstrated committment to scent to work up to it, check it, work around it, and get back on the path to source.
Jim