[Kingsj]

For the last few weeks I've been working hard on building Liesl's focused response/trained indication and learning her natural indicators. We've been playing find-it games with her favorite ball toys and I've tried to get her to rep her trained indication behavior with each meal (down/nose to source/focused response). I've been recording them and reviewing and trying to improve... Yes, I am a bit obsessed. I tend to get this way when doing foundational type training.

Yesterday, my team supplied me with my first source odor material (for HRD). Although Liesl has been exposed to source before, it was very preliminary and more of a "do you think she would mind hunting for HR?" type exposure. We made it fun, but she has never indicated on source before.

We did three short finds last night. I set up an easier set of find's with HR over her ball. Liesl did GREAT! First, she passed the source odor, and I just kept walking with her. When she came back to it, and indicated, I rewarded very quickly (I've been using a modified version of Andrew Ramsey's nosework method to reward and train a focused response, btw). The second time through, again with the source in a very easy spot, she did not pass the odor source and she did not hesitate. She indicated with a down with her nose to the source. She looked so sure, I even gave a light tug on her collar, just before I rewarded her. Same scenario for the final find.

I should mention, Liesl is VERY biddable, so it has been my goal from the beginning of any nosework to get her to follow the source regardless of what I do. And I feel she is coming along VERY nicely.

We did four finds this morning, and Liesl did perfectly! This morning, I built her focus duration (by a fraction of a second) and tugged lightly again to proof her commitment to the source odor. I'm super pleased with her performance.

I was very proud of her, and I'm very proud of how quickly we've been able to get a decent indicator on source odor. I can't wait til our next team training!! She is just killing it!

 

[ladylaw203]

For the last few weeks I've been working hard on building Liesl's focused response/trained indication and learning her natural indicators. We've been playing find-it games with her favorite ball toys and I've tried to get her to rep her trained indication behavior with each meal (down/nose to source/focused response). I've been recording them and reviewing and trying to improve... Yes, I am a bit obsessed. I tend to get this way when doing foundational type training.

Yesterday, my team supplied me with my first source odor material (for HRD). Although Liesl has been exposed to source before, it was very preliminary and more of a "do you think she would mind hunting for HR?" type exposure. We made it fun, but she has never indicated on source before.

We did three short finds last night. I set up an easier set of find's with HR over her ball. Liesl did GREAT! First, she passed the source odor, and I just kept walking with her. When she came back to it, and indicated, I rewarded very quickly (I've been using a modified version of Andrew Ramsey's nosework method to reward and train a focused response, btw). The second time through, again with the source in a very easy spot, she did not pass the odor source and she did not hesitate. She indicated with a down with her nose to the source. She looked so sure, I even gave a light tug on her collar, just before I rewarded her. Same scenario for the final find.

I should mention, Liesl is VERY biddable, so it has been my goal from the beginning of any nosework to get her to follow the source regardless of what I do. And I feel she is coming along VERY nicely.

We did four finds this morning, and Liesl did perfectly! This morning, I built her focus duration (by a fraction of a second) and tugged lightly again to proof her commitment to the source odor. I'm super pleased with her performance.

I was very proud of her, and I'm very proud of how quickly we've been able to get a decent indicator on source odor. I can't wait til our next team training!! She is just killing it!

why are you tugging on her collar?

 

[Kingsj]

I use a special wide, flat, neoprene collar when we work with target odor. I have been putting her on a 6' leash while we work on the duration of her indicator. I have been using that to proof and (hopefully) increase the strength of her trained indication.

 

[NancyJ]

I would like to get to a Ramsey seminar and am not really familiar with his methods. So I really can't say..that is not judging just saying how you are doing it all is not really clear to me.....We started with a very different approach. .......

 

[Kingsj]

The team has helped with getting her acquainted with source odor by playing with scent tubes, and when she shows interest we reward. I believe they are trying to build a positive association with the source odor.

One of the reasons I like Ramsey is becuase he explains what he is teaching. I'm an engineer, so if I feel like I understand the principles being taught I can adapt them to different situations. Of course, because this is my first dog to do any nosework, I'm expecting I'll make some mistakes, but thats how we learn, eh?

How did you get started?

 

[DinoBlue]

Not familiar with Ramsey either.

We use Randy Hare's method with the boxes.

 

[ladylaw203]

he has tweaked the method we use to train police and military dogs and adapted it to civilians. The way we train commitment to source is by withholding the reward until the dog exhibits the final trained response we desire. If the dog has the drive for the reward and the reward is ONLY delivered at source,the dog will commit and not move


Also we start out with a scented reward. the dog searches and alerts to that. then the reward object is removed and only target odor placed out this is what motivates the dog to search and alert