Dog Talk BlogTraining and Behavior Insights by Barb Gordon

Over the past twenty-five years I’ve seen some pretty complicated lesson plans, developed by some pretty big time dog trainers, for teaching the scent articles in AKC, UKC, and CKC Obedience. When it came down to my turn to teach them for the first time, I was very intimidated. Guess you could say down right scared. I felt like it was way over my head. Something only pros would attempt or be successful at. I put it off until I couldn’t put it off anymore. Out of my own confusion and uncertainty, I taught it to my first unfortunate Bouvier in a very haphazard way. My second Bouvier and all my dogs to follow, faired a lot better, because I decided to simplify it all for myself. If it was simple for me to understand, it would be simple to teach to my dogs. Through trial and error, I came up with a simple training method that is easy to understand and easy to teach to dogs.

To date I have taught this to a good number of people, who in turn taught it to their dogs. I have taught it to my four Bouviers, two Golden Retrievers, my Border Collie, and two Miniature Pinchers. All became confident and consistent at the task of scent discrimination.

I believe as humans we often forget that we are training canines, otherwise we wouldn’t make things so downright difficult for ourselves and our dogs. And what is the first sense a canine depends on? That’s right; his nose. From the day a pup is born his nose is his main source of information. In fact his only source. It’s certainly silly of us to think we have to make scent discrimination a lesson he has to learn. He comes naturally to it. He could teach us a thing or two about it. He already knows how to use his nose. I just have to teach him to find the smell I want him to find.

My goal is to teach a dog to become so confident in the lesson, he can hardly wait for me to send him to the pile. He races out, finds the right article, and races back with it. If I make it “Dog simple,“ that is what I will get. The more “Human complicated” I make it the worse the outcome. I’ve been there and don’t want to revisit it.

A Simple Lesson

This lesson can be taught to young dogs, dogs without a retrieve, or dogs yet to be trained a retrieve. This is because no retrieve is required in the training stages. It’s about finding the right scent. In Canada (CKC) they have wood, leather, and metal, UKC is just metal and AKC is metal and leather. I do all three of these organizations because I live close to Canada and in Spokane we have both AKC and UKC clubs. Therefore I teach all three types or articles.

This is designed for a person working by themselves, because 99% of my training is by myself. I don’t have helpers. Not because I don’t want helpers, but because I live rurally and there aren’t a lot of folks close by. If you can’t put your pup or dog on a sit and stay yet, put him in a crate or tie him out. If you do have help, have someone hold your dog. They can also touch the other articles and put them out for you.

Bring patience, calm energy, and simplicity to every lesson.

When sending a dog out to the articles, hold him back and encourage him to go out with a lively attitude. To encourage speed on the return, run away from the dog and call him in an upbeat voice.

I do what is called “Hot scent.” This is teaching a dog to search for the freshest new scent and ignoring the old fainter scent. I don’t wash my articles after training. I do whip them with a cloth to remove food bits, and set them out to air. It is my experience that this is the way to a confident consistent dog.

I know that some trainers put out a couple articles at a time. I have found that this is not necessary, however if you have a dog that just wants to grab and pick things up, start with just a couple. Be flexible. This is a guideline, not a tablet carved in stone. Listen to what your dog is telling you he needs.

Take one of each article out of your set and put them aside. These are your articles so you can touch them.

Place the others out on a floor a good distance (six feet minimum to start) from each other. They are this far apart to teach a dog to investigate each one. It also gives you plenty of time to get to the chosen article before the dog eats the bait off of it, and starts checking out the other articles for food. These articles are not to be touched by you, so just drop them and move them with a stick or tongs.

Now choose one of your articles and rub the bar. Don’t over due it. Your dog can find a rose petal in a field of garlic. Spending more than a few seconds touching the bar is unnecessary. Don’t rub the ends. Scent does not stay put. If you put scent on the ends it can drift too close to another article and confuse your dog.

Put a small piece of bait on the bar. I use squeeze cheese because it sticks really well. Do not rub food in your hands and rub the bar. Don’t put huge pieces or smear the cheese on the whole bar. The food is only drawing the dog to your scent. Your scent is what you are teaching him to find.

• Place the article with the bait on top of the bar, somewhere in or to the outside of the other articles at the six foot distance.

• Go get your dog and bring him near the articles.

• Give him scent from your hand, then tell him, “Find,” or whatever command you are going to use to tell him to use his nose.

• Hold him back, to encourage speed, and let him go.

• Stay close but do not interfere with him.

Most dogs will go to the articles, out of curiosity, and start checking them out with their nose. Resist talking. It’s unnecessary and only distracts the dog. If he stops working be patient and wait. Don’t look at him either. In fact ignore him. If you look at him he will look back at you expecting something. When he doesn’t receive any help or information, he will go back to checking things out. If he doesn’t, or walks away, I usually get down on the ground and start using my nose and checking out the articles.

This sounds silly, but it works.

If he totally looses interest, (leaves the area) only then will I show him the article with the food on it. “Look what I found.” Even though you were the only reason he got to the article, praise him, “Good dog. Good find.”

I find that people get really nervous when the dog doesn’t get the idea right away. They don’t want him to fail so they almost can’t resist talking to him, encouraging him and down right doing all the thinking for him. This only makes a dog in training unsure and nervous. It’s vital that you remain a calm observer, and only help the dog if he really needs it. Each person will learn when their own dog is asking for assistance. Be a good observer. Be patient.

• Eventually he will find the one with the bait on it.

• Go to him as quickly and quietly as possible.

• Kneel down.

• Let him eat the bait off the article, all the time making a big fuss, “Good dog! Good find!”

• Now pick up the article and run off with it calling the dog to you; “Max come.”

• Once he gets to you, repeat the praise, “Good dog! Good find!” and give him another food reward. It’s not important for him to front or sit right now.

Repeat the exercise placing the article in a different place each time. Use the two or three articles you have so he gets used to looking for more than one type. Also use different articles from your set each day.

This is a fun lesson, so you can do it ten times and the dog will not tire of it.

We teach this to very young pups. After one or two days of training, they start getting excited when we put the articles out. It’s best to do two short sessions if at all possible each day.

Once the dog starts getting the idea move onto step two. Be careful not to hurry through these first steps. Make sure the dog really gets what you want him to learn.

Step Two: Scent Discrimination Training

Put the bait on the bar and turn the article upside down. The rest of the lesson is the same.

As soon as he gets this go to step three.

Step Three: Scent Discrimination Training

Make the bait smaller and smaller until there is no bait.

If your dog has a retrieve on him, go to step four. Most dogs will begin to pick up the article, simply because they are dogs. As soon as they find it, you grab it up and race off. They go into dog mode and start grabbing it up before you can. If this happens praise the dog and encourage him to come to you. “Good dog Max. Bring it here.” Tell him to drop it and reward. If this doesn’t occur, it’s no big deal. Remember this is teaching scent discrimination, not retrieving right now.

The great part of it is the dog will never forget how to play this game, because it is taught in a way dogs learn. Once you do teach a retrieve you can start telling him, “Good find!” “Bring it.”

In step five you start moving the articles closer together, until it resembles trial conditions. Start standing back from the articles and sending the dog to them, until you reach the standard distance you will be in trial conditions. Lastly turn the dog away from the articles in “heel position.” You can teach a direct go to the pile or you can teach a turn and sit, then send to the pile.

Having Fun With Scent Discrimination

Dogs are very smart and can often tire of simple games, so I like to challenge them once they learn the basics of any training.

In “Attention” training for example, you present the dog with distractions. He soon learns everything is a trick, to see if his attention can be diverted elsewhere. The challenges get bigger and bigger and in the end he learns not to takes his eyes off you for any reason. He feels good about it because he learns how to win the game at every turn. He can no longer be fooled into looking away. By the time he gets to a trail the distractions he is faced with seem easy in comparison with what he has been challenged with.

It is my experience that boring trainers, bore their dogs. Being inventive and challenging a dog to a higher degree keeps them bright, alert and involved.

In scent discrimination we challenge the dog to find the right article even if it’s not near the pile. I’ve often seen dogs kick an article away from the pile, but will not leave the other articles, simply because they have always been together. He hasn’t learned to look anywhere else. He hasn’t truly learned the game. He hasn’t learned to think outside the pile.

It could be under a chair while all the other articles are around the chair. It might be on the chair while all the other articles are on the ground.

We choose different surfaces like gravel, dirt, rubber matting, concrete, green grass, dead grass, wood floors, tile, linoleum, wet grass, snow, mud. You name it we put articles on it.

Putting articles near fences, trees, and hydrants teaches a dog to tune out marked area. The areas other dogs mark with urine. This is vital because no one knows at an outdoor trial (or even an indoor one) if a dog has marked ring gates, matting, or other surfaces. A dog may have had an accident in the ring. Also if you are not the first dog in the ring there will be other smells of human and dog traffic. If your dog is not challenged in training for this occurrence, he will often fail the test.

Taking your dog to different buildings, parks, and busy areas, teaches them to concentrate where there are new smells, new noises, and new things. Any high traffic area is a good place to challenge your dog at.

A fun winter indoor game is to hide an article in the room somewhere and have the dog find it. Make it easy at first, then increasingly more difficult.

Presenting the dog with noise and movement is always important

Having someone stand in different places such as halfway between you and the article pile or right at the pile.

It’s really fun to see how smart and clever dogs can be and a joy to see the light bulb go on when they are successful. Remember a dog that is not challenged is only half trained.

PROBLEM SOLVING

If your dog knows a retrieve to a dumbbell before he learns scent discrimination, he can easily get confused when there are twelve or more dumbbells. He might believe the name of the game is “Retrieve the dumbbells.” If this happens to your dog, use something other than dumbbell shaped articles. Other choices might be;

Canning jar rings

Wooden dowels

Leather tracking articles

Tools like screw drivers and wrenches

sticks

Toys

These do not necessarily have to be wood, metal and leather; just a different shape.

Once a dog gets the idea of the game start adding your articles back into the mix, but do not use them until he will ignore them.

For dogs that likes to look for the food, rather than use their nose. You can put articles in boxes with lids and have him search the boxes for the right scent. Once he gets it, take the lids off but leave them in the box, then next to the box, then back to normal trial conditions.

WRONG ARTICLE

If a dog picks up the wrong article, let him bring it back. Do not take it from him. Instead give him scent from your hand and send him back to the pile. He will usually drop the wrong article and start looking again. If he drops it only then can you pick it up and get it out of the way so he won’t return to it.

He may hang onto the wrong one but start looking among the articles, find the right one and drop the other. Anytime he brings the right one after making a mistake make a big fuss and really reward him.

Never punish a dog for a making a mistake. Help him get it right, but making it impossible to do it wrong a second time. Mistakes help a dog learn. Dogs that are afraid to try have often been punished for mistakes. Always help the dog through a problem, before you assume he is deliberately disobeying you. Never force retrieve a dog in the pile of articles. He will start retrieving everything in order to avoid a correction. If you have a retrieve problem, work on it separately, away from the pile. If your dog needs help, make the lesson a no brainer, but don’t fix it for him. Teach him to be a problem solver and responsible for the work.

PICKING IT UP AND DROPPING IT

Sometimes dogs will pick up an article, then drop it back into the pile or come part way, then drop it and go back to the pile. Disagreeing with anything that is not right is very important. I will tell my dog, “No,” to stop him, then insist he pick it up. Insisting is simply pointing out the dumbbell and telling him to take it, or holding it up and telling him to take it, or putting it in his mouth. This is different from a correction. Once he does take it, I will praise, “That’s right. Good dog.” Once again if I have a retrieve problem, and have to apply a correction, I will work on it away from the articles. The last thing I want is a dog that is stressed out about retrieving.

Remember the word “No,” is just information, just like the word “Yes,” or “good dog,” is information. No tells the dog he’s doing something he shouldn’t. It should never be yelled. “No,’ is delivered in a low tone and “Good,” in an uplifting tone. Standing over a dog is intimidating so give him space.

WHEN A DOG SHUTS DOWN

This is a favorite problem of mine. Remember it’s not how a dog a dog responds to any problem, it’s how I deal with his response. Shutting down is simply a dog that is stuck. He does not know how to solve the problem, so he stops trying. This happens to many dogs, even with the best training, so if your dog does this, don’t beat yourself up over it. If your response to this is, “Okay I can see you’ve had enough, so we will quit for the day,” you will teach your dog that shutting down is a good solution to his problems. Not what I want to teach.

If I am doing scent articles and my dog stops working or just stands there and stares at me, I will wait to see if he will get back to work. I’m not going to look at him or give him evil stares to intimidate him. I’m certainly not going to talk to him about it. I’m going to stay relaxed and patient. If he doesn’t go back to work, I will go take him out of the pile and resend him to it. This often gets him moving and gets his brain unlocked. I want to teach him that stopping is not an option. It won’t get you out of this situation. Work it out. Try. This is the message I want my dog to get.

If your dog continues to stop working, make the lesson easier, so he can be successful. A word of warning here; be sure to make him do the work. Do not do the work for him. Any training session should always end with a measure of success.

LEAVING THE AREA

Whenever the going gets tough, a good solution for some dogs is simply to leave. Once again this is an area where I must disagree with the dog’s choice. Dogs don’t get throwing your hands up, getting frustrated, or angry. They do get that you will follow through, help them out, insist, or make a task easier for them to understand. Running away from things is not a good solution. This is the message I want to send to my dog.

CRASHING AND TRASHING

For dogs that stomp all over the articles and send them flying, keep them apart and add more articles, toys or whatever so he has more things to check out. This will usually slow them down, because they have to work longer and have more area to investigate. Most dogs need to be encourages to go quickly to the pile, but these dogs need you to keep them calmer, so have them sit and wait until they can go quietly. It’s a state of mind as well as having their butt solidly on the ground.

BE PREPARED TO GO BACKWARDS

Whenever I have a problem I can’t seem to resolve, I go back over the basics of the game with my dog to make sure he does not have a foundation problem. Sometimes we think a dog has the idea before he is solid. This is especially true of our first dogs. Once we put all the pieces together, he falls apart. You may hate the idea of going back to the beginning and going over things again, but it is often what solves the problem. Don’t be afraid to go back.

FINALLY

Every dog learns in a slightly different way. My Golden retriever Ember got it in three weeks. My Bouvier Easy took six months. Some dogs will get this right away and some will take weeks and even months. I really don’t care if Jane Smith’s dog has it down pat in three weeks and my dog hasn’t gotten the big picture yet. Comparing on dog against another is like comparing one child against another. It unfair and unreasonable.

Once you start this lesson work everyday. Don’t start the training unless you can. Repetition and consistency is the name of the game. Once a dog gets how the game is played, work it consistently a couple times a week, in different locations.

If Utility was easy everyone could do it. Every dog would have a UD title. The truth is it’s difficult to learn and equally difficult to train dogs to do successfully. It requires knowledge about dogs and how they learn. It requires overcoming our own shortcomings. It takes time and patience. Even the top dogs make mistakes and fail to qualify. It’s a very flunkable test. Hang in there and may the dog fairies be on your side. Sometimes you need all the luck and all the help you can get.

PHOTO 1. Mary and Border Terrier, Bell. Bell was taught scent discrimination when she was three months old. In this photo she is confidently picking up the right article at a year of age. Note how relaxed Mary is.

PHOTO 2. My OTCH Golden Ember (10 years old) at the WIOC (Western International Obedience Competition). She confidently looks for the right article, even though she is surrounded by noise and distractions.

Four of the Author’s dogs. Focus (Border Collie) Promise (Golden Retriever) Bracken (Bouvier behind Promise) and Rosta (Bouvier by gate) All obedience/agility trained dogs. Promise also does hunt tests.