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.