Exercises for fun that can work his tracking nose

Franksmom · 08-30-2011, 07:31 PM

I hope this is in the right spot if not feel free to move.
Frank is 16mos and he loves a game we play called "hide the dumbell" in our field that has knee high grass.
Tonight he actually spent 10 min. looking for his dumbell where I threw it, he never once gave up the hunt and it was fun to watch how he seemed to identify one spot in the field then spiral out from it till he found his dumbell. It really looked like he had a pattern in his mind he was following to find the dumbell.
Right now I put him in a stay where he can't see where I'm throwing the dumbell and then tell him find it. We also play where one of us humans hide then he has to seek us out.
I'm looking for any other games I can play with him like this that will up the fun so to speak.
Thanks for any suggestions

jennyp · 08-30-2011, 08:26 PM

We play Find It at home with treats. I put him in a sit/stay in another room while I hide the treat. Then I wait for eye contact from him before I say Find It!! and he goes running at full speed. At first I hid the treats in easy places but now I challenge him a bit more and hide them under the rug or inside a plastic bottle on the floor so he not only has to figure out where it is, he has to figure out how to get it. And he loves it!! It's his absolute favorite game.

**jocoyn** · 08-30-2011, 10:45 PM

Get a book on scent theory (Scent and the scenting dog or www.disasterdog.org has some slies on it) and set up interesting problems based on the illustrations and descriptions. scent generally goes up during the day and down at night and all kinds of interesting things depending on the weather.

Franksmom · 08-31-2011, 04:30 PM

Thanks for the site, I'll start looking at books.

**jocoyn** · 08-31-2011, 05:00 PM

Ok I went back to the site and wow I don't think you would find it...they have reorged it

The one I could find is not the one I saw a few years ago. I will try to find a link to some good slides on scent theory.

Franksmom · 08-31-2011, 05:43 PM

That would be Great! Frank is so proud when he finds the dumbell he just prances around like he's found a pot a gold and is ready to search again.

**jocoyn** · 08-31-2011, 09:22 PM

Well I never did find the item on the web but it is a 2002 FEMA course in scent theory that is quite good and covers scent conditions in normal outside environments; the new one on the disasterdogs site is more targeted to building collapse and is on their training age.

PM me with an email address if you want a copy of the PDF file that explains how scent moves. It may help you set up some interesting problems. Just about any book on search and rescue has the same info.

s14roller · 09-01-2011, 01:12 PM

It sounds like you already have a game he really enjoys. Maybe you can do that with people or with food as well.

I haven't really done much with tracking with my pup, but sometimes I'll hide some treats like the other poster, and have my pup go find it.

08-30-2011, 07:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
Franksmom Master Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Southern, Indiana, USA Posts: 773	Exercises for fun that can work his tracking nose I hope this is in the right spot if not feel free to move. Frank is 16mos and he loves a game we play called "hide the dumbell" in our field that has knee high grass. Tonight he actually spent 10 min. looking for his dumbell where I threw it, he never once gave up the hunt and it was fun to watch how he seemed to identify one spot in the field then spiral out from it till he found his dumbell. It really looked like he had a pattern in his mind he was following to find the dumbell. Right now I put him in a stay where he can't see where I'm throwing the dumbell and then tell him find it. We also play where one of us humans hide then he has to seek us out. I'm looking for any other games I can play with him like this that will up the fun so to speak. Thanks for any suggestions __________________ Franksmom frank(Rosehall's Duke of Hearts CD, BN, RN) gsd 4/10 indy (Indy Bluestorm CD, GN, RN,CGC) BC 4/06 king bc mix 9/03

08-30-2011, 10:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
jocoyn Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: South Carolina Posts: 8,054	Get a book on scent theory (Scent and the scenting dog or www.disasterdog.org has some slies on it) and set up interesting problems based on the illustrations and descriptions. scent generally goes up during the day and down at night and all kinds of interesting things depending on the weather. __________________ Nancy www.scsarda.org Grim (Grimmy Bear) & Beau (Bo-dee man) Waiting at the Bridge: Cyra, Toby, Rainbow, Linus, Oscar, Arlo & Waggles

08-31-2011, 04:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
Franksmom Master Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Southern, Indiana, USA Posts: 773	Thanks for the site, I'll start looking at books. __________________ Franksmom frank(Rosehall's Duke of Hearts CD, BN, RN) gsd 4/10 indy (Indy Bluestorm CD, GN, RN,CGC) BC 4/06 king bc mix 9/03

08-31-2011, 05:00 PM	#5 (permalink)
jocoyn Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: South Carolina Posts: 8,054	Ok I went back to the site and wow I don't think you would find it...they have reorged it The one I could find is not the one I saw a few years ago. I will try to find a link to some good slides on scent theory. __________________ Nancy www.scsarda.org Grim (Grimmy Bear) & Beau (Bo-dee man) Waiting at the Bridge: Cyra, Toby, Rainbow, Linus, Oscar, Arlo & Waggles

08-31-2011, 05:43 PM	#6 (permalink)
Franksmom Master Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Southern, Indiana, USA Posts: 773	That would be Great! Frank is so proud when he finds the dumbell he just prances around like he's found a pot a gold and is ready to search again. __________________ Franksmom frank(Rosehall's Duke of Hearts CD, BN, RN) gsd 4/10 indy (Indy Bluestorm CD, GN, RN,CGC) BC 4/06 king bc mix 9/03

08-30-2011, 08:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
jennyp Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Somerville, MA Posts: 191	We play Find It at home with treats. I put him in a sit/stay in another room while I hide the treat. Then I wait for eye contact from him before I say Find It!! and he goes running at full speed. At first I hid the treats in easy places but now I challenge him a bit more and hide them under the rug or inside a plastic bottle on the floor so he not only has to figure out where it is, he has to figure out how to get it. And he loves it!! It's his absolute favorite game.

08-31-2011, 09:22 PM	#7 (permalink)
jocoyn Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: South Carolina Posts: 8,054	Well I never did find the item on the web but it is a 2002 FEMA course in scent theory that is quite good and covers scent conditions in normal outside environments; the new one on the disasterdogs site is more targeted to building collapse and is on their training age. PM me with an email address if you want a copy of the PDF file that explains how scent moves. It may help you set up some interesting problems. Just about any book on search and rescue has the same info. __________________ Nancy www.scsarda.org Grim (Grimmy Bear) & Beau (Bo-dee man) Waiting at the Bridge: Cyra, Toby, Rainbow, Linus, Oscar, Arlo & Waggles

09-01-2011, 01:12 PM	#8 (permalink)
s14roller Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 262	It sounds like you already have a game he really enjoys. Maybe you can do that with people or with food as well. I haven't really done much with tracking with my pup, but sometimes I'll hide some treats like the other poster, and have my pup go find it.

Remove Advertisements Sponsored Links
German Shepherd Advertisement