Because of the strong foundation built with the Foundation class (prerequisite for this class), dogs and handlers are able to move into the fun, “upper level” skills much faster. And these skills are actually easier for the dog when they are introduced early, in level appropriate ways, before contrary habits and expectations are developed from repeated lower level searches. The following training is organized into steps that mostly build upon one another and help the dog work through all sorts of scent puzzles using purposeful set-ups with gradually increasing difficulties to make the learning easy and intuitive for the dog.
This class will cover:
- Making container & buried practice more fun, interesting, & successful
- Ignoring all kinds of distractions
- Teaching the dog that the search area is not a toilet
- Helping handlers overcome any stress about blank (no odor) areas
- Precision indications- as close to source as physically possible
- Purposeful pooling odor puzzles to help dogs systematically learn to sort them out
- Over, under, around, and through to build confidence and drive
- ABCs of inaccessible hides (Above the dog’s head, Blocked, & Contained)
- Converging odor- it’s not as scary as you think!
- Searching big empty spaces/crack & ground hides
- Taking your training ‘on the road’, things to consider
Scent Sports Dog Training Center 