http://sniffydog.today.com Training the Scenting Dog Wed, 06 May 2009 14:15:55 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The two puppies rescued from under the rubbish pile are still here. I'm beginning to understand why, despite the cute pictures and the nice descriptions, nobody seems to want a puppy right now. The real mystery, in fact, is how the dog has hung on as a human companion for thousands ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/05/06/are-you-sure-you-want-a-puppy/   The AKC is implementing a new program to include mixed breeds in more of its events.  In October of this year, owners of mixed breeds will be able to enroll their pets for an ID number.  In April 2010, they can then "be eligible to compete in mixed breed classes at stand-alone AKC ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/04/30/akcs-new-program-for-mixed-breeds/ While talking about training the puppies, I wrote yesterday that Wanda had become more comfortable in communicating with me.  This has indeed brought about what I had hoped: turnabout is fair play. I broke out the cheese and started some lure-label-reward style training.  The Wanda of a few days ago would have ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/04/29/from-communication-to-training/ Communication isn't the same as command.  If you want a dog who snaps to it like a good cadet, you aren't really looking for communication, as that's a two-way street.  If you want a dog who lets you know someone's been in your yard, or that it's dinnertime (useful if ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/04/28/communicate-and-cooperate/ The three main methods of detecting a scent can be distinguished by the dog's posture. The air scent dog holds her head high, looking for the scent carried on the wind and not trapped in the ambient vegetation:  (Notice she's nowhere near a handler and is off leash, the common method for civilian air-scent ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/04/27/what-does-a-german-shepherd-look-like-at-work/ What's the secret to teaching anyone anything?  Your dog, your kids, your pet python?  A brain is a brain, and the key is the same for all of them. Motivation. Think back to school (if you're not still in it).  Which class did you do worst in?  Was it, perhaps, the one ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/04/25/the-training-secret/   The difference between tracking and trailing is twofold.  Part of the difference is in how soon the tracklayer's scent stuck to the surface covered.  Most of the difference is in what the primary source of scent is. A trailing dog works on stuck-down scent sources, skin rafts primarily, from the human (or ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/04/24/tracking-is-crushed-vegetation-scent/ Today at Sniffydog, we're looking at positive training again. I've started Dustin working in the harness, as he's probably as big as he's going to get. I start puppies in their collars, because collars are cheap and harnesses are not. Luckily, he's smallish for a male and Sunny was largish for a ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/04/23/positive-training-and-your-tracking-dog/ What can you train a sniffer dog to find? Well, does your target release any chemical footprint into the air at all?  Yes?  The dog can learn to find it. I just ran across a wonderful article from the BBC, 2007, on two labradors trained to detect the chemicals used to make optical disks.  Trained by ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/04/17/sniffer-dogs-find-anything-with-a-smell/   If you want to train a tracking dog who performs consistently and well, it isn't enough to plonk him on a track and hope.  You need to have an idea what you have, what you need, and what steps (no pun intended unless you like puns) will take you from one ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/04/16/setting-goals-in-tracking/   Some trainers like to insist that what we know of human pedagogy has nothing to do with training dogs.  "Dogs aren't people," they say.  "You don't do them any favors by thinking they're like people." Imagine my amusement when I found Science News: Dogs Studied to Learn About Human Behavior. Temple Grandin in Animals ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/04/16/dogs-arent-people/ I just ran across an interesting article on a Korean scientist cloning a successful drug-sniffing dog to make more like him.  Apparently the clones all passed the initial tests, while normally there is a 15% pass rate.  This raises lots of questions, such as what the training methods are and ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/04/15/cloned-drug-sniffing-dogs/ Apropos two posts ago, I have tried training Wilma on the clicker.  Click, treat.  Click, treat.  She seemed to be enjoying herself.  After half a dozen clicks or so, she drifted off to go bite her brother and I trained Dustin with some more of the cheese.  By accident, I ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/04/14/clicker-training-revisited/ The Portuguese Water Dog has enjoyed a good deal of press lately since the Obamas have announced plans to bring one to the White House.  Lucky dogs!  Hopefully...  I met a couple of these when doing AKC Agility with Sunny.  They were solid performers and very active -- their person said ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/04/14/portuguese-water-dogs/ Clicker training is something I've only tried once before, on our fluffy dog Tasha.  She is a bit of a princess, found the noise offensive to her discriminating nature, and walked off before we could pair the click with the treat.  She looked frightfully put out that we would even ... http://sniffydog.today.com/2009/04/13/clicker-training/