First, make sure the basics are done before spending too much time in searching. If your dog does not show pronounced desire to possess the reward object, you should not be hiding the object in areas where the dog cannot get directly to the reward. Second, the “pot” test is a TEST given at set […]

It has only been three days with the new puppy “Trip” but here are some things that might not be second nature to everyone- Patience is my greatest ally- I have 10 to 14 months to bring out the best in this pup. I haven’t put a leash on him yet. I want independence, not […]

[accordion] [accordion_panel title="2020"] April Training Plans and Development Overview How Training Frequency Impacts Learning Lemonade March Starting with an 8 week old pup January The Play Ideas Video [/accordion_panel] [/accordion] [accordion] [accordion_panel title="2019"] December Assessment versus training Play is Pay!!! October Putting it all together August Content versus Context Raising Criteria in Odor Recognition Stuff […]

When comes to creating desire for the reward object there are only two approaches. The first is to make use of a young dog’s desire to play and the second is to train the dog to engage the reward object. Play is much easier to use and develop. Using food motivation or negative reinforcement to […]

The detection dog capable of working undistracted from its task in any environment is a very rare dog. European vendors selling dogs to the United States government, with many years of experience, often have an acceptance rate under 50%. In a government supported breeding program for detection dogs, the acceptance rate was under 20% for […]

1. Understand the end goal for a detection dog. This is where behavior assessments and statements of work for purchase are very important (more info available on the website). 2. Use the educational resources on this website. – The blog is short snippets of information that should inspire questions via email or via the Face […]

Some recent articles on why dogs need to use their nose in normal development. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions/201902/allowing-dogs-sniff-helps-them-think-positively?fbclid=IwAR3ohjklOiK84SVd28pAboOINeau4Vl4rLT4OOIWLWqYC_6pui6XIudrGhI https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2019/02/finding-hidden-food-in-nosework.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CompanionAnimalPsychology+%28Companion+Animal+Psychology+by+Zazie+Todd+PhD%29 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159118304325?via%3Dihub

We have talked about the importance of generalization before. Generalization is the resilience to perform regardless of changes in context. A recent paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-10089-0  One of the concepts discussed is the separation of learning into two distinct tracks: the context of the learning and the content of the learning. We all have heard a trainer comment […]

https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/fact-sheet/fact-sheet-national-canine-division https://youtu.be/Sz2gTaLFD2o At an EU/US working group meeting I recently attended, there was much reference to the national odor recognition test that was established by the ATF. The ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms), DOS (Department of State), and FPS (Federal Protective Service) all mentioned the use of the preliminary test for their certification/validation […]

1. Understand the end goal for a detection dog. This is where behavior assessments and statements of work for purchase are very important (more info available on the website). 2. Use the educational resources on this website. – The blog is short snippets of information that should inspire questions via email or via the Face […]