If you struggle with getting a release off of toys or bite objects, or if you just want a sophisticated look at a dog‘s motivation around toys via fight, possession, prey (chase) behavior, and getting cooperation (release or toy return), watch this video. Obviously,...
I know, I said I'd do a better job keeping up my blog. What can I say? I suck. Anyway, Xen is coming up on his one-year birthday! He's making really nice progress in his training. The following video shows training for "object guard". His job is to prevent me from...
I haven't written on my blog in many months. What happened?! All is well! I stopped running day-to-day operations at FDSA, and that freed up time to do what I am seriously passionate about - education. Free education, for the most part, because I spend a very high...
Denise,
Wouldn’t the small of the food treats on the ld be far more salient to Brito than your smell?
I would also wonder if you shouldn’t be using a ‘something’ (wooden spoon? piece of dowel? salad tongs?) to move the lids around, rather than your little fingers.
Food smell is why he wants to play the game! That’s ok for now.
I don’t sweat small amounts of scent on the other objects; too time consuming to worry about it and over the long run, not so important. But it’s certainly ok if you want to use something to move your objects. With my adult dogs I’ve always handled the ‘wrong’ articles and never had an issue with it. Big difference between a heavily scented article and one that has been lightly handled by the edges.
I’ve been wondering how I could start scent discrimination with a dog who is not yet retrieving; this is a great idea. I do have one question–would there be an issue using food scent with a dog who has already done quite a bit of Nose Work? Or will that just give her a head start?
I’ve often thought that the hard part of scent discrimination is that the dogs can’t believe we’re asking them to do something that is (for them) that easy!
It should be fine. Just progress quickly.
Do you have a suggestion for a dog that doesn’t slow down to sniff? She sort of pounces frantically on the lid. Just slow everything down and keep feeding? Or is Brito just more deliberate? I liked the idea of isolating scent from retrieve so thought Id try this….