Post by bonefinder on May 2, 2012 22:32:47 GMT -5
The more I do historic ( my passion), the less I like cadaver. I've noticed a change in rhythm of Porter's work style when we switch back and forth. Some of this may be breed/drive related and also his energy level but I find it very disruptive.
If we do too much cadaver, it is VERY hard to maintain a slow methodical work style needed in historic. Also, in most cases with cadaver, you are looking for one "large" source, relatively speaking. There could be a shallow grave of somebody recently buried and it triggers a "nose frenzy" for the dog, thus the dog works a large area very quickly.......well, because they CAN. Why waste time when they can smell it so far away?
Historic, the focus is SOOOOOOO different. Slow and methodical. Perhaps multiple finds/bones.
I am starting to reconsider whether, or not, I want to do any cadaver ( although I surely want to remain certified with NAPWDA) as I don't like the change in focus of Porter's work ethic. I have considered training my next dog by using two different rewards.....one for cadaver, one for historic. Has anybody you know done this before? Would it help differentiate, in the dog's mine, what "speed" we will be working?
I am really starting to think that doing both may confuse the dog. That being said, if a dog can find historic level, we know cadaver is a relative piece of cake so perhaps it only requires an occasional training a few times a year.
Lots to talk about when you head this way again. Bonnie
If we do too much cadaver, it is VERY hard to maintain a slow methodical work style needed in historic. Also, in most cases with cadaver, you are looking for one "large" source, relatively speaking. There could be a shallow grave of somebody recently buried and it triggers a "nose frenzy" for the dog, thus the dog works a large area very quickly.......well, because they CAN. Why waste time when they can smell it so far away?
Historic, the focus is SOOOOOOO different. Slow and methodical. Perhaps multiple finds/bones.
I am starting to reconsider whether, or not, I want to do any cadaver ( although I surely want to remain certified with NAPWDA) as I don't like the change in focus of Porter's work ethic. I have considered training my next dog by using two different rewards.....one for cadaver, one for historic. Has anybody you know done this before? Would it help differentiate, in the dog's mine, what "speed" we will be working?
I am really starting to think that doing both may confuse the dog. That being said, if a dog can find historic level, we know cadaver is a relative piece of cake so perhaps it only requires an occasional training a few times a year.
Lots to talk about when you head this way again. Bonnie
(sigh). Problem is that he's right. I had a nasty source in that particular block and I marked it figuring I'd set it aside not to be used for anything else but. I've hidden it in dense bushes out of the search area. I've tossed it into my deadfall. I've put it out in a sea of other cinder blocks. Murphy can find it with unerring accuracy. Yet, this same skill is one reason he missed his last cert. The area for testing was used routinely by locals and they'd put a wet source in one area two weeks prior. Murphy hit on it with committment so I had to take it. The evaluator didn't put anything there. He's not at fault. He had to call it a miss. Asking the locals where they placed sources....oh yea, that spot two weeks prior....We were real careful not to make a mess. Concrete can be as much of a sponge as bone to certain scents. Thorpe stopped hitting on the same block three weeks ago. He did try to alert on a block that was now blank where bones had been placed two feet away, but that was out of laziness on a visual and I'd set him up as part of his training. After that he checked every block, blank or not, then moved on (which was my objective of the exercise.)