Are you a Good Partner?

Imagine performing a difficult task. Just as you are coming up to the most complex and intense part of that task, your ever so helpful partner hovers over you, uncomfortably close, and asks, “Did you get it? Are you almost done? What do you have? Can I see? Hurry up! Tell me!” You think, Hey! Give me a second! Conversely, what happens when you have worked hard, toiled, and have reached the pinnacle “aha” moment of your task? You can’t wait to share your success with your partner. You look toward your partner who is walking away, looking up at the sky, and showing zero interest in your accomplishment. Or, you are working through a task and something catches your attention. You hesitate just a bit while deciding whether to focus in or to move on. Just as you are about to move on, your partner abruptly stops, holds his/her breath, and stares at you? Your response, Oh oh did I miss something? Maybe I should go back. Should I be doing something else here? Worse yet, your partner starts barking orders for you to tell him, in a very particular way, that you have completed your task even when you haven’t.

Do you see yourself in any of these descriptions when working your dog? Well, that’s not surprising because when learning the task of detection dog training, whether for sport or professional work, you’re told so many things to do as a handler which seem to contradict each other:

Support your dog.

Don’t talk to your dog.

Give your dog space.

Help your dog know where to search.

Move with your dog.

Give your dog time.

Read your dog’s body language.

Train a trained final response.

Wait the dog out.

Reward faster.

Get out of your dog’s way.

Detail the area.

Cue the dog.

Stop cueing the dog.

Reward away from source.

Trust your dog!!!

It’s no wonder people struggle. Add some leash handling into the mix and the difficulty multiplies ten-fold. Yikes!

So, why is it when watching experienced teams, they just seem to flow together. The dogs are efficient and on task. The handlers are present when needed and invisible when not. They are able to support without interfering. They get their dogs into odor but don’t inhibit the dog’s independent hunt nor do they detail every inch of an area to do it. As with so many things in life, the answer lies in finding balance with your individual dog ~ learning to be a partner who compliments rather than impedes. Serving as a partner who is active when needed and who fades back when not. These are skills that rarely come easily and usually require lots of training, practice, quality critique from others, and experience. 

Let’s examine each of the handler types described above and label them as follows:

1.     Helicopter Handler – the handler who hovers, closes in, and interferes throughout the search. This handler often crowds their dog off of target odor and sometimes even causes avoidance due to the pressure they put on their dog and the resulting stress when in target odor. With this much interference, the dog will also often relinquish all control of the search to the handler and wait for the handler to tell it where to search next rather than the dog hunting with independence.

2.     Whatever Handler – the handler who, in an effort to not cue their dog, goes to great lengths to appear disinterested by turning their back, walking away, looking up at the sky, or moving erratically. This handler often causes a dog to lose confidence in itself, often resulting in the dog leaving or avoiding target odor in an effort to avoid the stress and conflict due to lack of clarity of task. Or the dog while still wanting to please, feeling no support or interest from the handler and not knowing exactly what it should do, sticks close to the handler out of confusion and lack of confidence in the task.

3.     Alarmist Handler – the handler who watches their dog for the slightest interest or sniffing of anything. This handler locks up, sometimes gasps and holds their breath, practically clicks their heels as they stop dead in their tracks, and reaches for their reward before the dog has shown the handler that it is certain it has located target odor. This scenario is what most often leads to false indications or handler co-dependence. The dog is not clear when it is right or wrong because it is getting coaxed by and ultimately responding to the handler’s cues rather than odor. Worst case, the handler, when seeing any behavior change by the dog, mistakenly rewards the dog for non-target odors which causes all sorts of issues.

Certainly, there are many ways to mitigate the above issues through better training of the dog ~ training clarity of task, building confidence and independence in the hunt, building stronger motivation for the odor, proofing off of distraction odors and handler influence, broadening the dog’s understanding in different contexts, and increasing the dog’s ability to solve complex scent problems to name a few. But, at the end of the day, the dog is only one member of the team. Yes team! That’s what a dog and handler are. As handlers we need to ask how well we are balancing our training. Are we putting all of our energy into the dog’s training weaknesses? Do we put any time or energy into recognizing and addressing our own shortcomings as handlers? Do we accept responsibility for how we may be contributing to poor performance in our dogs? For the purposes of this article, we will focus only on the handler and ways the handler can become a better partner by eliminating negative pressure and influence on the dog while still providing positive guidance and support.

At the risk of anthropomorphizing, think of what it is like to work with a good human partner. You both have different skills and roles. Each carries their own weight. If you are a good partner, you value the skills of your partner and trust them to apply and stay within their role. It is neither productive nor prudent to challenge them at every turn, micro manage the task at which they excel, lack trust in their ability, or disregard their performance.

For example, your friend has lost a pair of sunglasses while the two of you were out for a hike. You have poor vision so, can’t really be of much assistance with regard to actually finding the glasses. You do, however, have a good recollection of where the two of you hiked. Your friend was chatting throughout the hike and not paying attention to the path walked but certainly knows what the glasses look like and has great vision. Working as a team, playing to each of your strengths, supporting each other, and staying within your roles, you have a really good chance of finding the glasses.

For illustration, let’s say that while out searching, every time your friend slows their pace a little bit to take a longer look at something, you race over and “helicopter” your friend. They may consciously or subconsciously respond to your pressuring by maintaining a steady pace so avoid and not trigger your badgering. This will reduce your friend’s chances of locating their glasses because they are no longer taking the time to look closely when they think they may have caught a glimpse of their glasses. Worse yet, your friend may just give up their own searching efforts and wait for you to direct them where to look. What happens if instead, you are the “whatever” partner, just dragging along in feigned support, never breaking stride or even looking in your partner’s direction? Your partner says, “Hey, hold up a second. I may have something here.” If repeatedly ignored, your partner will likely sense your disinterest and abandon trying to find their glasses. Lastly, if you are the “alarmist” partner, who constantly holds up progress in the search by thinking that you see the glasses and encouraging your partner to check out every anomaly along the path, even though you have really poor eyesight and your role is to remember the path hiked, your partner will become distracted and either start questioning their own ability to find the glasses or just acquiesce and wait for you to direct them to the next possible piece of trash or shiny object along the path. None of these are examples of being a good partner.

I suspect by now, some of you are seeing a little bit of yourselves in these examples. If not, maybe it is worth videotaping yourself while working your dog on a “blind” problem in which you do not know if or where any odor sources are hidden. Then sit down alone, with a trusted trainer, or training buddy to view the video. Don’t just watch the dog. Watch yourself. Watch how you move and how, if at all, your movement impacts your dog. If you turn, does your dog turn? If you move toward the dog when he’s on odor, does he shift away from odor or you, lower his tail or ears, lick his lips, go into a trained final response of sit or down but lose focus in the odor? If you walk faster, does the dog move faster and stop sniffing or does your walking faster get him into a better searching pace? If you walk as if on egg shells, does the dog seem more tentative or hesitant in their search? If you stand in one place and continue to face a particular corner of a room, does the dog continue to search that corner of the room. If you turn your body just 90 degrees away from that corner, does the dog then leave the corner of the room he was searching to continue searching along a wall? If your back is turned when your dog locates target odor, does your dog look back to you and then just follow along leaving odor behind? When your dog finds odor and is excited to communicate his find with you, does he look back to see someone who is disinterested, stern, demanding, lacking confidence, untrusting or does he look back to someone who is beaming with pride and “in it to win it” with him? Do you find yourself holding your breath just a bit or reaching for the treats or toy in your pocket every time your dog appears to have interest in something or are you breathing and moving naturally? These are just some examples of how we not only influence our dogs but how we can either impede or compliment their ability to do what they are best equipped to do…independently sniff out odor and communicate their find to us.

The interesting thing is that when people work with people, a good human partner is able to support and work cooperatively without micro managing. Good working partnerships allow each person to utilize their best strengths. When people work with detection dogs however, our natural team-player good-partnering instincts seem to go out the window. We walk awkwardly, get jerky in our movements, tip-toe around like any noise will ruin the search, and look up at the sky when the dog has found odor for fear of cueing the dog. We block the dog from searching by pointing and detailing too much, walking backwards in front of the dog (which also disrupts the odor plume,) pulling them off of target odor and pushing them to indicate when showing interest in a distraction odor, basically crushing the dog’s ability to have success on its own. We get impatient, demanding, insecure, stressed, overbearing, stuck, and even emotional. I think part of this is because so many are used to working with their dogs in obedience or agility or many other sports in which they have to completely control and direct their dog’s actions. Even in our family lives with our dogs, we direct everything. We are not used to relinquishing trust and control to our dogs, allowing them to work freely and independently. Detection work requires that we do. The dogs have the nose! The task of finding odor is entirely theirs.

We have only three jobs during the search ~ get our dog’s nose into an area where they can find odor, stay out of their way, and pay them enthusiastically for doing it! How do we do that while being a good partner? Some of the ways are illustrated above. Start by defining and really understanding your dog’s role versus your role. Train so that you can trust him to fulfil his role. Master your ability to watch your dog and guide him to where you need him to search without distracting him, getting in his way, or badgering him. Be patient and supportive without second-guessing, interfering, or stepping on him. As he works his way through a search area, give him a slack leash, flow in concert with him, and dance with him. If your dog shows some interest, fade back out of his way to give him space to bracket and sniff his way to what caught his attention. By fading back, you will have a better opportunity to see his specific body language changes. Give him some time to make the right decision ~ target odor or not target odor. Be ready to move forward with him again if he wants to move forward to search again. If you feel the need to keep moving while he is showing interest in something, you can move in an arc around him rather than walking away from him. When the dog is actively searching, you are an attentive and trusting partner, keeping track of areas that may need more coverage. When the dog has made the find, you are there to celebrate with him.

When teaching classes and workshops, I use the analogy of conducting an Easter egg hunt with a three-year-old child. We quietly encourage and guide the child toward the “hidden” egg but allow them to find it on their own. Once the egg is found, we are there to praise, hug, and say, “Wow, look what you found all by yourself!!”

The Great Fear Factors: Passive Response and the Final Response

From the December 2019 Edition of the UKC Show-Ops Newsletter
by: Sonja Nordstrom October 21, 2019

The detection sport of UKC Nosework tests dog and handler teams in search scenarios modeled after traditional working detection K9s. The sport is developed to be inclusive of all breeds, regardless of physical abilities and/or physical structure, and to showcase and capitalize on “their natural olfactory abilities.” The overall performance should convey “fun, enthusiasm, and the ability of the team to work in partnership.” Simply put, the objective is to have FUN while at the same time enriching and enhancing your dog’s life and your relationship with them!

You may be asking, “How the heck can it be fun if

I have to make my dog perform a Final Response?” “How do I get a Final Response without crushing my sensitive dog?” “My dog wants to scratch and dig at odor. Does this need to be corrected in order to qualify?” “Other K9 detection sport organizations say it’s better to just read the dog, so, why do I have to train a Final Response for UKC?” “If I teach a Final Response, won’t my dog be more likely to false alert?”

Fear not! The purpose of this article is to allay concerns and misconceptions regarding the Trained Final Response (TFR) and to share with you the benefits of shaping your dog into performing a willing, happy, and solid TFR. You have time to build your dog’s TFR up through the levels of UKC Nosework. The rules are carefully structured through each level of the sport to include a gradual increase in skill, including an incremental build-up of skills needed for the TFR as follows:

1. Novice level requires that the handler only be able to read their dog’s body language when in target odor; 
2. Advanced level requires that the handler be able to read their dog’s body language and the dog must be exhibiting a change in behavior that is recognizable to the official; 
3. Superior level requires that the handler be able to articulate three possible behaviors or chains of behaviors when in target odor; 
4. Master level requires that the dog must exhibit up to three possible clearly recognized and concise behaviors or chains of behaviors when in target odor; 
5. Elite level requires that the dog must exhibit no more than two clearly recognized and concise behaviors or chains of behaviors when in target odor. 

Just so we are all speaking the same language, here are the definitions of Final Response and Passive Response as stated in the 2020 UKC Nosework Rulebook:

• Final Response (Indication): A behavior that the dog has been trained to exhibit in the presence of a target odor. In Nosework trials, this response must be passive (sit, stare, down, point, etc.) 
• Passive Response. A type of response that the dog displays or indicates in a manner that doesn’t disturb the environment after the dog has detected a trained odor. Responses may include, but are not limited to, sit, stand, or lie down quietly, stare, etc. 

Before getting into the “how to,” let’s address the “why” and perhaps broaden your perspective on the value of a TFR. Whether for performance work or just living with our dogs around the house, clear communication is the foundation for any successful relationship. At the risk of anthropomorphizing, let’s use this example: if we play a game of hide and seek with a child, but give no means for the child to communicate their successful find with us, do we not set that child up for frustration? Does a child have fun on an Easter egg hunt if they cannot share and take pride in their success? It’s really no different for dogs. Setting a precise criterion for reward for your dog in the form of a TFR gives your dog clarity of purpose and a way for him to “demand” his reward from you. With clarity comes confidence. Therefore, teaching your dog a TFR ultimately empowers him and opens up a wonderful avenue of communication between handler and dog.

For the sport of UKC Nosework, there are many passive TFR responses which are acceptable: sit, down, nose to odor/ stare, and stop/look back at handler, to name a few. What you choose as a handler will likely depend on what behaviors your dog naturally offers that can be captured. Because the detection sports are timed events, a nose hold at odor is a very effective TFR because it is fast to execute, easy for the dog to perform at variable odor heights, and is not impeded if the dog tries to sit or down in a crowded area or on an unstable surface.

The following is just one example of a step-by-step forward chaining method which shapes a TFR by capturing natural behaviors. For some dogs, we are capturing a natural pointing or flushing behavior. For others, we capture the dog’s desire to communicate with us. This method can work for even the most sensitive of dogs without crushing or pressuring them. The rate at which your dog progresses through each step will very much depend on the individual dog. That said, spending too much time on any one step can create a situation in which the dog can get stuck and essentially need to be counter-conditioned to move forward, leaving one step behind as the dog is shaped into the next step.

• Step 1: Determine your dog’s absolute favorite reward and maximize its value to the dog. 
• Step 2: Create and build up your dog’s expectation of the high value reward every time it is in the presence of odor – whether that is when exposed to odor in tubes, boxes, drawers, or even your hand. Reward at this stage can be primary reward paired with odor or primary reward pay at odor. 
• Step 3: Offer your dog a choice of “odor” and “no odor.” Wait for the dog to discover that “no odor” equates to “no reward.” This essentially allows your dog to make a cognitive choice and extinguish any offered behaviors when target odor is not present. 
• Step 4: Once the dog begins makes the association of odor with reward, he understands that only odor yields reward. The dog’s expectation and excitement for reward when in odor will increase essentially building value in the game. Observe and make note of your dog’s natural changes of behavior (COB) when in odor. 
• Step 5: Set incremental behavior criteria and “capture” the desired behavior via well-timed and well-placed reward delivery (primary reward) or via secondary reward (marker word/ clicker). 
• Step 6: Increase the behavior criteria required of the dog to obtain reward in very small increments until the desired TFR is achieved. 

The incremental criteria changes can be as simple as getting the dog’s nose closer to odor, rewarding odor recognition, increasing duration/hold at odor, or waiting for the dog to sit or down at odor. One important thing to note, if desiring a sit or down as TFR, it is important for the dog to have sit or down on command away from odor before asking for it when in the presence of odor. Another way is to induce the sit or down at odor based on the position of the odor placement rather than commanding the position – where the nose goes, the butt will do the opposite.

During the above process, using the training principles of classical conditioning, we can employ a secondary reward system with a verbal marker or clicker as a way to consistently and precisely time reward expectation. A secondary reward marker system allows the handler to clearly and precisely time the reward all while maintaining distance from the dog, staying out of the dog’s way, and allowing the dog to work independently. All too often, handler’s movements unintentionally become cues and part of the dog’s final response chain. Once the dog has a clear understanding that the marker is a bridge to a reward, the handler has plenty of time to either move in after the marker to reward the dog at odor or let the dog move away from odor to retrieve the reward from the handler. Keeping the handler out of the dog’s way makes the handler’s movements prior to the dog’s TFR less influencing on the dog.

At the end of the day, a dog will perform the behavior that is reinforced most consistently by the handler. If you want your dog to hold/stare with nose to odor, but your timing is off and you reward when the dog looks back at you, your dog will ultimately give you a “look back” response, usually also accompanied by moving away from odor. Remember that precision begets precision: the more precise your timing and communication are with your dog, the more precise your dog’s TFR will be. If you take the time to tap into your dog’s cognitive side and give your dog the opportunity and tools he needs to communicate with you, your relationship will flourish, as will your Nosework performance.

It's All Greek to Me!

On a 100+ degree evening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, I was sitting on a bench outside a restaurant with a male colleague waiting for our ride back to the U.S. Embassy Compound. I was appropriately covered head to toe in a black abaya complete with a head scarf to cover my hair. An elderly Saudi woman walked up to us and started yelling in Arabic and waving her finger at us in a scolding manner. Although I didn't understand a word, her message was pretty clear...women are not supposed to sit next men on a bench in public...or at least that's what I figured she was trying to communicate.

Let's face it. We all speak to our dogs and assume they understand or should understand our every word. Should they? Do they? In fact, they are more likely learning to understand us by responding to our tone, movement, intent, mood, and body language than the words we speak ~ just as I was essentially understanding the Saudi woman who was yelling at me. Certainly, if I had understood her, she would not have had to continue her rant toward me. Also, her attitude did not make me feel particularly warm or friendly toward her. When we bring a new dog into our home, they are in very much the same position of understanding as I was on that bench in Riyadh.

How many times have you heard someone say, "Sit. Sit. Come on now. I said sit. Sit for Mommy. Be a good little boy. Sit. Sit. Sit!" This scenario also usually includes increased frustration and impatience on the part of the human, elevated verbal tone and volume, and physical cuing and/or touch to get the desired response. In situations like this, the dog is usually either completely ignoring their person, avoiding them, or giving them a blank and confused stare. Of course, this scenario is somewhat exaggerated to get the point across but I think everyone has seen something similar at one time or another. So often, our dogs are probably hearing our words like the droning, murmuring, unintelligible voices of the adults portrayed in Charlie Brown cartoons. Worse yet, they may also be perceiving us as increasingly volatile angry beings to be avoided.

Another source of confusing communication with our dogs is when we use one word to mean several things. For example "down." Often times people use "down" to get the dog to lay in the down position, to get the dog off of a counter top, AND to get the dog to not jump on someone. Using one word for three different situations and desired behaviors does not give your dog a clear picture of the meaning of "down." In this situation, using "down" for the down position, "off" to get your dog off of a counter top, and "no jump" to get your dog off of people is a clearer option.

In reality, learning the meaning of each and every word/command that we use with our dogs takes repetition, time, patience, and consistency in the use of our words. When first teaching our dogs what our words and commands mean, it is best to speak single words rather than sentences and reward the dog when it responds correctly to each individual word or command. Once the dog knows each command individually and can generalize that command across location, position, distance, and context, we can start to chain several commands together such as "come, front, sit, and finish" before rewarding. 

I also like to teach what I refer to as "hard commands" and "soft commands." When giving a "hard command," I train for, expect, and will reinforce a fast and precise response. A recall "here" command (actually "hier" in German/Dutch for me) is an example of a "hard command." I want the response to be fast and direct. "Soft commands" on the other hand, are looser and considered more of a suggestion, something like "this way" or "over here." Because of my background with working K9s, my "hard commands" are most often used when working and given in a foreign language such as German or Dutch. I use the foreign commands in large part to keep myself from speaking in sentences and because the foreign language words stand out from the every day language my dogs hear. 

So, here is a list of some of the everyday words (in no particular order) with their meanings that I like to use to communicate with my dogs. Where possible, for the purpose of this list, I've used the English translation rather than the German/Dutch words that I use when working in the field:

• Yes! - Perfect/Reward is imminent (a positive precisely timed marker)
• Dog's Name - Respond with some attention
• Good - Great job. Keep doing what you are doing (used to add duration)
• Ready? - Preparatory word to acknowledge attention
• Sit - Sit
• Down - Go into a down position with butt and elbows on the ground
• Stand - Stand up on all 4
• Pick a hip - Go into a relaxed down position with weight on one hip
• All the way - Lay on your side for health examination
• Stay - Stay until I come back to release you...it may be a while
• Wait - Hold your position, I will release you soon (used at doorways, into/out of car)
• Release - Free dog! Can leave bed/car/door/whatever
• Look - Give me eye contact and hold it
• Leave it - Don't touch
• Be nice - Behave nicely with other dogs when greeting/don't get too rough
• Say hi - Greet a person politely/they are okay
• Uh Uh or Nope - Not what I want                                                                                                 (a negative marker used as information not scolding or punishment)
• Inside - Go into the house/building
• Outside - Go out of the house/building
• Under - Crawl under something
• Spring - Jump over something
• Hup - Jump onto something
• Through - Go through a tunnel
• Mark - Focus attention in the direction I point (hand open palm next to face)
• Run Out - Run fast and straight in the direction of the Mark
• Over - Move in the direction of my arm movement to left or right in a straight line
• Tuck in - Tuck under a table or airline seat
• Speak - Bark
• Quiet - Stop barking
• Treat - Expect a treat just because
• Let's go for a walk - Head to door and wait for leash
• Kennel - Go into the large outdoor kennel
• Load up - Head to car and hop up into car crate
• Crate - Go into the crate
• On your bed - Go lie down on your bed (chained response of Bed + Down)
• Place - Lie down between my legs (chain of the between the my legs position + Down)
• With me - Change of direction when loose leash walking
• Walk nicely - Maintain loose leash casual walking
• Heel - Precision attention heel (combination position of dog's shoulder to my knee + Look)
• Push - Push your nose into my hand while walking next to me
• Swing - Flip around to my right side and heel while walking backwards
• Finish - Go from Front position to Heel position sit
• Here - Come immediately and fast
• This way - A suggestion to follow generally when off leash hiking
• Off - Get off of furniture/counters
• No jump - Don't jump on people
• Easy - Take toys/treats softly
• Kisses only - Lick/no teeth
• Back - Back up
• Out - Leave the area
• Look out - Get out of the way of a moving mower/wheel barrow/other
• Car - A car is coming so go to the side of the road out of the way
• No cat! - Leave the kitty alone
• Potty/Take a break - Do #1
• Big potty - Do #2
• Let me help you - Relax so I can give first aid/meds
• Settle - Quit running around and relax
• Thank you - To stop barking at the window, I've got it covered
• Hey/Enough -To break fixation/rough play
• Whistle (Fox 40) - Drop everything and haul asap back to me
• Whistle (human) - Used to get attention/change of direction/follow when I am in the field
• Find it - Hunt out target odor
• Another - Search again for more target odor
• Show me - Take me to the find and point to it with your nose
• Closer - Get closer with nose to target odor (used if the dog is fringing)
• Slow - Slow down to hunt deeply in tighter grid for smaller sources
• Careful - Slow down and pay attention when moving through dangerous area
• Suche - German for Search - Follow the trail or track
• Bring - Retrieve an object to me
• Hold it - Hold the object in your mouth steady without chewing
• Touch - Put your feet on a designated touch pad or object 
• Drink - Drink on command from dish or stream (important when out working)
• Swim - Enter the water and cool off (also important when out working)
• Attack - Go bite the decoy
• Pass Auf - Watch the decoy
• Guard - Stay with the decoy, watch, and re-attack if he runs.
• Out - Give/Release the object to me
• No - Don't do what you are doing (usually followed by a direction to do something else.)
• Uh oh - When I find something ripped up like a bed or other mess.
• It's okay - When they need some comfort, not feeling well, or getting picked on
• Where's your toy? - Find a toy/ball that we have been playing with
• Head down - From down position, hold head down on paws.
• Spin - Do a 360 degree spin in front of me
• Let's feed the horses - Act like an idiot and charge out to the barn
• Breakfast - After feeding the horses, run back to the house for breakfast
• Suppertime - After feeding the horses, run back to the house for supper
• Best dog in the world!!! - This one comes with tons of praise!!
• My perfect boy - used as much as possible when snuggling on the couch

As you can see, without even realizing it, we ask our dogs to understand many words. If we start chaining those words together too soon and asking for finished behaviors, it stands to reason our dogs will get confused. The more consistent and clear we can be with the words we use, the less conflicted and more likely our dogs will be to respond quickly and correctly to our commands.

But, you ask, "How do I teach each word and behavior clearly?" I'll leave that topic for another blog. 

TEACH ~ TRAIN ~ MANAGE ~ TRUST!!

More Nosework Tips: Cocktail Anyone?

Before anyone gets too excited at the thought of a hot toddy by the fireplace on a cold winter night, that's not the kind of cocktail I am writing about. Sorry to disappoint. This article is about odor cocktails.

When training detector dogs, some people train one odor at a time. For example, a narcotics dog would first be trained on marijuana (at least in states where marijuana is still illegal.) Once the dog shows firm odor recognition and response on marijuana, other narcotics odors (cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, LSD, MDMA, PCP) would be added one at a time to the dog's "library" of target odors. The odors are added by either pairing each additional odor with the prior odor, pairing each odor individually with the reward, or rewarding the dog when it shows interest in the newer/novel odor thus adding it to the dog's "library" of target odors.

Another method is to put all of the desired odors to be trained together into a "cocktail." In the case of UKC Nosework, this means the dog is imprinted on all five odors (birch, anise, clove, myrrh, vetiver) at the same time. The rationale being that a dog processes and catalogs each of the odors individually even when they are presented together.

The best way to describe this capability is with the "stew" analogy. When a human walks into a kitchen with stew on the stove, we usually identify the odor as just "stew" or maybe "beef stew." When a dog walks (or runs as the case may be) into the same kitchen, he logs into his brain each and every individual ingredient in the stew: beef, carrots, pepper, salt, celery, bay leaves, and so on. By imprinting the dog using a "cocktail" the dog is presented with the full library of odors he will be asked to detect.

Once the dog has solid odor imprint of the "cocktail," each of the odors should be pretty quickly separated out and worked one at a time. Initially, when separating out the odors, the dog will show change of behavior and odor recognition but may not know to generalize or accept only the single odor as his target odor. Therefore, it is recommended to assist and reward the dog when he first shows odor recognition at the single odor. Once rewarded, the dog will quickly learn that any single odor or combination of odors from the original "cocktail" is his target odor.

Because so many people participating in Nosework train obedience and other disciplines using operant conditioning and shaping, their dogs have learned to offer behaviors to gain rewards. When initially trained one odor at a time, and if care is not taken to make the distinction that not every newly introduced odor is a target odor, these dogs can be more likely to offer trained indications when presented with novel odors.

Training with a "cocktail" provides the complete odor "library" to the dog right away, leaving no ambiguity re target odor. It is a very efficient way to train multiple odors and can reduce the likelihood of producing a dog that responds with false indications to novel odors. So, happy sniffing and bottoms up!

More Nosework Handler Tips: Handler Influence and Pressure

One of the best things about judging a Nosework trial or funmatch is the opportunity to watch a whole bunch of dogs and their handlers working the same problem back to back. Aside from observing and learning how the scent conditions change over time with the angle of the sun, wind, and temperature changes, there is the chance to see how handlers influence their dogs either by helping or unintentionally hindering them. 

During a recent funmatch here in Utah, I judged the vehicle element. As the day progressed, with the sun hitting the front of the SUV and a light breeze pushing across and into the grill, the odor lofted up the black bumper guard pooling at the edge of the hood and also along the bottom, pooling on the opposite bumper rail (see image below.) 

Because this was a funmatch with lots of inexperienced and beginner teams, the fail rate on this element was quite high. What was expected to be a straight forward hide, became quite tricky as the sun came out warming the black bumper guard causing the odor to travel upward to the hood and the breeze picked up pushing the odor across to pool on the opposite bumper guard. Generally, the dogs showed good changes of behavior in odor and most were able to locate the hide but many handlers called "alert" on the fringe pools either to the left of the hide or up above at the hood. What stood out most to me, however, was the effect of unintentional handler pressure on the dogs. In nearly all of the "fail" runs, it went something like this: dog sniffs along bumper, dog shows good change of behavior, seeing interest the handler crowds in and stands over the dog (unknowingly directly opposite the hide location,) dog continues to work through the odor pool to source but is now crowded/blocked/or experiencing what I like to call a "squeeze effect," handler adds additional pressure by repeatedly saying "find it" "show me" "where is it" while reaching toward their treat bag. Inevitably, the dog gives eye contact to the handler with every command while also squeezing quickly through the tight space between the hide location and the handler. Ultimately, the dogs in this situation either extinguished, frustrated out, or went to the fringed odor pools where they were not so crowded by their handlers. In many ways this is to be expected. So many of the dogs participating in Nosework compete in other disciplines such as Agility, Obedience, and Herding where focus on their handler's movements and body position is desired and trained. 

Ideally, when working detection however, dogs learn to work independently and without being so sensitive to their handlers, in essence teaching the dogs to prioritize odor response while desensitizing them to their handler's movements.  That said, Nosework and the professional discipline of K9 Detection still requires a team effort. It is the handler's job to get the dog into a productive area of odor and then the dog's job to work all the way to source. 

Allowing dogs to work fun, high energy, motivational searches off leash can build their confidence, independent hunt, and indication without being subjected to handler cues as they are learning. It also allows the handlers to observe their dog's natural search pace, search style, and changes of behavior when in productive odor and as they work all the way to source odor. At some point, however, as the search areas get larger and more complex, the handler needs to be involved to ensure the dog is getting into all the nooks and crannies of a search area. It may not seem like it, but even as a dog is zipping around off leash in a seemingly erratic pattern, the dog is very often feeding off of their handler's body position, hand position, posture, and direction of travel. When we then attach a leash, the dog's sensitivity and response to their handler's movements and position often magnifies. 

So, when working our dogs on leash we need to learn to guide while following, support while staying out of the way, direct without putting pressure, and fade away as the dog works to and indicates source odor. This sounds simple enough but, depending on the sensitivity of the dog and that dog's prior training, can be a delicate balancing act. As handlers this means we need to be aware of not only our presentation and unintended cueing behaviors when we see our dogs in odor, but also our proximity to them. If we lock up every time the dog shows change of behavior, our behavior becomes part of the dog's indication sequence. The direction our bodies face can either push the dog back or encourage him to follow or move forward. If we turn away from them and march off when they get into odor, the dog will likely pull off. When we lock in place when the dog is working in a pool but not finding source, he will often get stuck there. Simply moving along can be enough to get the dog "unstuck" and searching again. If we choke up on the leash, we will likely illicit an opposition reflex and induce or crush an indication. If we hover over the dog and badger, he will likely focus on us rather than the hunt and odor, offer behaviors, or shut down. If we are too close to the dog when he starts to bracket in an odor cone, we make it difficult for him to change directions and work his way to source. By having awareness of how our behavior, movement, and body position influences our dogs, we can minimize unintentional cueing thus building a more secure and independent response to odor. 

Ultimately, on leash detection work can be a dance in which we flow with our dogs, working in concert and rhythm with them to cover a search area thoroughly and completely. It is a skill worth learning. 

Nosework Training and Trialing Tips

On June 25, 2016, I had the pleasure of judging a Non Licensed UKC Nosework Match in Taylorsville, Utah. The match was the last step necessary before becoming a licensed UKC Nosework Club. The match, the second hosted by the newly-formed Utah Nosework Club, had three elements: Containers, Vehicles, and Exterior searches. While judging the Exterior element, I made a mental list of observations, feedback, and training tips for sharing to help people move forward with their Nosework training. So, here it goes:

Attitude: What became obvious from the start was everyone’s love and affection for their dogs. It was so refreshing to see the encouraging pats and kisses given to the dogs both before entering and after exiting the search area even when the result was an NQ. This positive attitude carried over from competitor to competitor in the form of cooperation, flexibility, and a unity of purpose to have fun and share in a great activity with and for their dogs.  

Inclusion: The breeds at the trial ranged from French Bulldog to English Mastiff and everything in between. I know there was at least one dog that was under one-year-old up to a 12-year-old Weimaraner that rocked the course with the fastest time of the day. Each team worked with their own style and at their own pace. Many of the handlers were first time dog sport competitors or were folks competing with dogs that were too sensitive or reactive to participate successfully in other dog sports. What all the dogs shared, however, was love for their people and a new found confidence in themselves. 

The area: The exterior area was marked off with folding gates. A large rock monument dominated the center of the area and a few folding chairs, a small cooler, and a scooter were scattered around. Despite a relatively steady, light breeze, the large rock monument in the center caused some swirling of the odor and also presented a visual and physical obstacle for people to work around. In addition, a canopy of trees over the area resulted in sections of sun and shade, impacting odor behavior with lofting odor in the sun.

Pattern: When working the area, most handlers chose to follow their dogs without any sort of pattern or plan. In this particular search area, the dogs generally came straight into the area along the right edge and turned left when they got to the end barrier. Some of the dogs that were allowed to free search on a scan quickly got to source odor. Most, however, did not find odor during their initial scan. Several teams then found themselves searching the same area over and over again while missing other areas altogether. After completing the initial scan of the area, it can be more effective and efficient to start a patterned search around the perimeter, allowing the dog to pull into the center when/if they hit odor. My preference is to move in a clockwise pattern around the outside perimeter of the search area with the dog on my left. When there is a large obstacle in the middle of an area, I then work the dog around the center obstacle in a counter clockwise direction while still keeping the dog on my left. If the dog does not show any odor change of behavior (COB), I reverse direction affording the dog the opportunity of a different approach to the odor. By working a pattern, the handler can keep track of where the dog has searched, be certain of full coverage of an area, be certain they are not blocking the dog’s access to odor, and be better able to work as a fluid team with the dog. No matter what element you are training (interior, vehicle, exterior, or container,) it is the handler’s job to get their dog’s nose into a productive area of odor and then the dog’s job to work into odor and indicate as closely to source as possible. One of the best ways to train a pattern is using hide placement during training. For example, for a vehicle search, the systematic training progression of hide placements would be:

1. Passenger side front bumper           
2. Passenger side headlight
3. Center front license plate
4. Driver’s headlight
5. Driver’s side front bumper and so on.

The hides would then be worked in a sequence such as 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 1, 3, 4, or similar. In training this way, the placement of the hides builds an expectation for the dog that the find is imminent. Building this expectation in the dog will result in a dog that works with purpose and remains focused throughout the search. Note: when working vehicles, I prefer to start with a counterclockwise search pattern, again, keeping the dog on my left side.

Help or hinder: The sport of Nosework requires essentially only three things: hunt, odor recognition, and odor response. For some dogs, the intrinsic value of the hunt is natural and motivating. For many others, however, the dog needs to first gain confidence and enthusiasm for the hunt as they build on the game and begin to understand that odor means reward. One of the toughest things for new teams is knowing when to support the dog versus when to back off. It is a delicate balance. Try to think of it this way. If you are sitting and someone keeps telling you to “sit” “sit” “sit”, wouldn’t you likely start to think you should be doing something other than what you are doing or perhaps sit somewhere else? So, when working Nosework, if a handler repeatedly tells his/her dog to “search” “search” “search” when the dog is already actively searching, the repeated commands will serve only to confuse the dog and take the dog’s attention away from his task.
Some of the best “rules” I can share regarding the above are as follows:

1. If your dog is hunting, stay out of his way, stay quiet, and support his effort by moving along with him.
2. If your dog is stuck or looking back at you, avoid eye contact, look toward where you want your dog to search, and move with a little impulsion as if you are hunting too. This will often give the dog just enough “umpff” to get him searching again. In most cases, it is best to not speak as that will reinforce the dog looking back for support and draw attention away from the search. Said another way, support with movement rather than voice.
3. If your dog is being “doggy” or “distracted,” redirect to get him back into the game with an energetic and happy command to get back to work (or whatever your search command is).
4. If your dog shows odor COB, try to stay out of the way, fade from your dog’s interest, all while not pulling or guiding the dog off of odor. Give the dog some time and space to work to source on his own. Try to avoid repeatedly asking “is that it?” “Show me” “Have you got it?”
5. If your dog shows odor COB but can’t seem to source the odor, move him away to get him out of odor so he can clear his head, shake it off, and then allow him to try to reacquire odor by coming in from another direction.
6. If you dog’s COB is fleeting or subtle when in odor, take heart. In training, provide high motivation and positive association with the odor to build your dog’s confidence and security in the game. Once the dog is locked on, you can shape a stronger odor response such that your dog will ultimately demand that you acknowledge his COB and trained indication with a reward.    

Read your dog: During the trial, several of the dogs timed out during the search. 

In most cases, these dogs did show COB at or near odor source, yet the handler did not recognize the COB and pulled them off to search elsewhere. Conversely, some dogs showed “doggy” sniffing behavior spending a lot of time investigating objects where target odor was not present. The handlers then mistakenly called an alert thinking that the dog was indicating. One way for a handler to learn how to better read their dog is by having a friend video the team and closely observing the dog’s behavior in a search area that has numerous distraction odors but no target odor. Watching for the changes in ear set, tail behavior, sniffing behavior, and mouth/lips when in the odor of other dogs, critters, trash and/or food versus the COB when in target odor will help the handler to recognize and work through these distractions. When being “doggy,” dogs often have loose frothy lips, increased salivation, lowered ears and stilled or stiff tail. When in critter odor, dogs often have a pronounced arch in their neck with pricked ears and rapid high tail wagging. When in target odor, some things to look for include closed mouth, increased sniffing with sucking and short exhale bursts, quick changes of direction (bracketing), increased or stiff or circling helicopter tail behavior, changes in pace, changes in ear set, increased excitement, and pulling and/or body contortion to get into or near tight or difficult areas.

Accuracy vs. speed: Titling in Nosework requires that the dog is accurate and can source odor within a reasonable amount of time. “Winning” a competition, however, requires that a dog is accurate, fast, and without faults. Handlers who wish to become very competitive in the sport of Nosework are often faced with the dilemma of perhaps jumping the gun calling an indication early and incorrectly versus taking the time to be certain that their dog has correctly sourced odor. For novice dog teams, my suggestion is to focus on accuracy. In the words of Wyatt Earp, “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.” As the dog learns the game, works more independently, and responds more strongly to odor, the trained indication can be shaped and perfected and the speed will come.Cueing: One of the most frequent handler errors I’ve observed both in training and in the trial setting is handlers who stop moving and reach into their pockets for rewards the second they see their dogs show interest in anything. This causes the dog to look up to the handler which is then often followed by “Is that it? Do you have it? Show me” and ultimately an incorrect call by the handler “Alert!” We’ve all been there, and it is admittedly a hard habit to break. As a handler, it is difficult to relinquish control and trust to our dogs when we want to help them to succeed. When training, it is very important to build the dog’s independent hunt and independent response to odor. Where safe, it can be very helpful to allow the dog to search off leash in training to develop the dog’s independence and ability to work away from us. It also allows the handler to stand back and more easily observe and take note of the dog’s natural pace and COB when working freely and when in odor. Also, rewarding the dog when the dog is focused on odor versus looking back at us will more clearly communicate to the dog that the game is about the odor. Using a marker (clicker or verbal) or throwing a toy right over the dog’s head when the dog is focused on odor allows us to reinforce the dog’s response from a distance.

Getting the trained indication: Let’s just say there are many ways to get there. Some separate out the indication behavior as a trained exercise before even introducing odor. Others shape it in over time. With a highly motivated dog, the trained indication can be introduced with odor in the very first training session. There are pros and cons with any method. That said, my suggestion is to build the dog’s drive and desire for the game, odor, and reward. Handlers and trainers simply need to convey to the dog the formula S = R = R (Stimulus/Odor = Response/Trained indication = Reward.) Making a strong connection between odor and reward increases the dog’s drive for the game. Once drive is high, the indication can be pretty easily shaped using hide placement and good timing. For example, if a dog is pawing, place the hides such that they cannot become interactive and self-rewarding and/or self-reinforcing and be sure to mark/reward before the dog starts to paw. If you want to shape a down at source, place the hide such that the dog has to reach under something with his nose to induce a down position. Once the dog starts giving the correct response, duration can be shaped into the equation.

Video: The dog in the video below learned to search in a pattern along the side of this truck based on the systematic progression of hide placements as described above. The down indication was shaped by placing the hide where the dog must reach her nose up in such a way that it induces her into a down. The reward is delivered after a verbal marker “yes” which occurs when the dog is focused on odor and also in a down position. Once she is stronger in her commitment to odor and indication, the duration of her stare and down will be required before she is rewarded. The video also shows some great COB when the dog gets into odor. 
UPDATE: This dog has gone on to become a stellar law enforcement Detection K9. This video was in her very early stages of building the game and shaping a search pattern and indication. This foundation has produced a very successful detection K9. We are so happy for her to have found her perfect place in this world. 

After more than 20 years of working detection with professionals, volunteers, and sport enthusiasts, I continue to observe, hone techniques, and learn. There is so much more information that can be shared but, at the risk of writing a mini novel, I will leave it at this. I hope somewhere in these observations and training tips, you can find something to help you and your dog move forward in the journey that is Nosework!