Well, how fun was that? Last weekend I was at the “Im-PECK-able Training Seminar” put on by Craig Schultz and Sally Dickinson for the K9 Behavior Consortium in Manassas, VA. I went primarily to learn more about sniffer dogs for my next mystery novel (wheeeee!), but reveled in spending time with some great dogs, and some way cool, interesting people. Along with Meryl Peeps. The chicken.
Bonus: I got to spend time in person with kick-ass writer and dog handler, Cat Warren, of the NYT best selling book, What The Dog Knows. (You’ve read it, right?) Cat and I have spent the last 5 + years working together on our respective first forays into fiction, and I consider her a dear, close friend. Except, we’d never met. What fun to discover that she is just as warm, funny, knowledgeable and lovable as she is on Facetime.
The seminar itself had a lot going for it. Some was familiar–a good, in-depth discussion of operant conditioning, for example, but there was lots of work by handler-dog teams at varying levels expertise, learning to apply those principles and enhance their timing and precision. Most teams were either working with law enforcement or FEMA at disaster sites, or training to do so. I expected to find dogs in training for drugs or bombs, but none were there at this seminar. (Which, by the way, had the same demographics as every dog training seminar I’ve ever been to–over 90% women. I have much to say about this, which you will only hear if you buy me two Cosmos and then convince me that I can still manage to drink them.)
Basic training for this kind of scent work includes first shaping for the “TFR,” which stands for Trained Final Response, or what the dog is trained to do when it locates the source of the scent, whether it’s drugs, bombs, a live body, or human remains. (Aside: The world of scent work has an obsessive adoration of acronyms, influenced no doubt by law enforcement and the military. TFRs used to be called “alerts.” [I think? Correct me?] Dogs who searched for bodies, either in disaster sites or victims buried in the woods, used to be called “cadaver dogs.” Now they are called HRD, which stands for Human Remains Detection, which I will grant sounds both a bit more respectful and more accurate.)
TRF’s vary, although most dogs are trained to either sit or lie down once they find the scent. FEMA, however, requires dogs to bark, given that they often work out of sight of the handler. Some dogs trained for “live finds” are asked to run back to the handler, who might be far away, and then run back to the victim. Lassie would approve.
Meet Wick, a participant in the seminar, and a Parson Russell Terrier owned by Jennifer Jordan, who works primarily at archeological sites. Wick is a three-year old bundle of adorableness and intensity, who grabbed my heart the moment I met him. (The dogs in the seminar were a fun variety–GSDs, Malinois, and Labs, as expected, but also, a Golden, a GS Pointer, Wick the terrier, and a McNab. I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few, my apologies.
The seminar included an in-depth discussion about the use of operant condtioning, and lot of practical applications of it while working with the handler’s dogs. For example, here’s Wick with Greg Strickland, one of the hosts and trainers, in an exercise helping handlers to know exactly which tug toy is most reinforcing for the dog. Every dog was R+’d with tug games, with no exception that I can remember.
Both Greg and Craig encouraged the dogs to grab one of the toys with so much loud noise and energy that my Border Collies would have run out of the building. It was a testament to how rock solid these dogs are–and, of course, need to be for this work. I thought it an interesting example of what was included in the lecture–Is your R+ really R+, or could it be punishment? Depends on the dog, of course–fun to see dogs selected for this kind of work be oblivious to a level of commotion that mine would run from.
An exercise the next day asked each dog to locate and give the TFR to a scent on which they were being trained. The question wasn’t just could they find the odor (on a ridiculously windy day), but would they give the TFR quickly and clearly. (Fun fact: Dogs trained to find lost people, say by scenting the person’s T-shirt, have to be trained to ignore all the other people standing around during a search. One dog at the seminar, early in its training, spent a lot of time “alerting” to the observers.)
Once a dog was successful, it was reinforced with a tug game–every dog at the seminar, if I remember correctly, was pretty much a tug toy crack head. Here’s Wick illustrating his commitment to the game:
The next day dogs were tasked with discriminating their target odor from others, set up in clever “scent boxes” in semi-open barns used for county fairs.
Here’s what the line up looked like–the handler walks the dog down a line of boxes with different scents, waiting for the dog to give a TFR if a target odor is located. (Some trials had no target odor, and dogs were enthusiastically R+ if they didn’t alert and moved past them without focusing on them. Not a small thing to ask if one of the odors was wet cat food.)
Wick showed off his stuff by focusing on, and then lying down at the correct odor:
Some random things I learned and enjoyed:
Chicken training, organized by Sally Dickinson of Fully Involved K9 Academy, remains a great way to work on one’s timing and precision. Here Meryl Peeps awaits her turn at being faster than the trainer:
Nothing like a chicken to teach you how good your timing is. Or not. This trainer was kick ass, and had her chicken pecking at the yellow disc in no time at all. We are all so grateful to Bailey & Breland for starting Chicken Camps, I’m glad they are still going!
I also heard about how often the legal systems assumes dogs are perfect. “If a dog doesn’t find anything on the search, it’s not there.” But, of course, dogs are not machines (which also aren’t perfect), and we were cautioned that there are a multitude of forces can lead to false negatives. (Including that metronidazole can cause a lack of scenting ability for up to 10 days in dogs.)
I love how Craig emphasized the importance of providing 1,000’s of chances for R+, which he meant literally. Most people go too far too fast, asking dogs to make distinctions they aren’t ready to make. (And isn’t that true in all training, really, no matter the species? Basics, basics, basics!)
Also, that Craig, with his extensive background working with marine mammals, reminded us that R+ applies to the behavior, not the dog. I thought about that a lot. . . It’s something that is easy to lose sight of, which can lead to some sloppy timing. I think I see a blog post about just that coming on in the future!
I learned a lot specific to scent detection, but so much was a great reminder that the of animal training cross boundaries. For example, as with sheepdogs, the handler’s behavior has a huge effect on the dogs. As does context: Is the dog trained to search for a lost child used to doing it with the handler in different gear? An urban setting than a woods? Has the sheepdog worked sheep off the farm in a variety of fields, barns, or arenas? How much is he or she thrown by goats inside of sheep? (Maggie will answer that question in the section below, but she’d rather not talk about it, really.)
Overall, it was a great time, and I thank Craig, Sally, Greg, and a host of others for welcoming me into their fold. I’ve been telling Maggie that she and I have to do some more scent work now that she is getting older and retired from trialing. Maggie has responded that I’d then better stop sitting and tapping at that stupid, clacky thing and take her the eff outside.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: Well, first, I couldn’t resist showing you where we stayed in Manassas, VA for the seminar. This is the Nelson Cottage, a part of the Mansassas Junction B n B. It was absolute heaven! Tucked into a stunning yard, surrounded by birds signing spring praises, it was cozy and perfect, and next door to the yummy breakfast served by its engaging owners. A win win for us, for sure.
After we got home we had the fun of taking Skip and Maggie to a farm where we could work in a new environment, and on goats, sheep, or young cattle, our choice. The goats were up, and I was assured that they wouldn’t bash into my dogs like some goats, so I put Skip in with them and he loved it!
The goats were super “sticky,” in that they glued themselves to our legs and didn’t want to leave, so Skip had to stay focused and determined to move them away. He never lost his cool and I was happy with how he worked them. The best part is that they didn’t flock like sheep, so Skip had to do a lot of work keeping them together, great practice for him to work on his without me having to say a word.
Maggie, on the other hand, tried for a bit, and then begged me with pleading eyes to get her the heck out of there. I, of course, did, and promised her no more goats ever in her future.
I got a chance to make a new appetizer last week, based on a Turkish pastry called Kol Boregi (from Cooks Illustrated), stuffed with Feta and spinach and onions. Messing with phyllo “dough” is an adventure unto itself, (how could they call it “dough” when it’s the thickness of a human hair?), but I just relaxed and got into it and it worked out great:
The garden and the dogs are calling me and I’m running out of gas, so that’s it for this week. I’m still delighting in the hundreds of daffodils still waving to us in the yard. Let us know what you’re delighting in too.
Sheila Sim says
Always love reading your blogs!
AmyF. says
My one experience thus far observing a sniffer dog at work was a bed bug search at a hotel. I have no idea of the training that dog had. All of us were staying at the hotel and all of our luggage was in a huge empty conference room, lined up to be sniffed. I remember more the hope of not being alerted and less of how the dog worked or received R+. It was a real concern as bed bugs had been found in a room across from ours. (Gives me creepies just recalling it.) My luggage was not flagged… though arriving back home, I kept everything in the below freezing garage for a week because you just cannot be too sure.
I am curious your thoughts about the 90% women in dog training! Same for my career field.
Delights these days: Tulips, tulips, tulips! And redbuds 🙂 Pink and purple trees give me a happy.
Barb Stanek says
What a wonderful seminar! How lucky you are to have watched all that!
I fell down the rabbit hole of scent work when I tried an National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) with my 11 year old Portuguese Water Dog (PWD) who was looking for a new sport that wasn’t agility or jumping of any kind! I thought that I knew a fair amount about dogs and training, and I did. But I knew nothing about dogs and training in this arena!
I’ve never looked back. Twelve years later, my fifth PWD is just starting his scent work journey. I have learned TONS! My dogs and I have had the BEST times together! Ever want to take a peak into this sport? Let me know! I would be delighted to introduce you! (Spoiler alert, it’s similar to the professional sniffing, but no pressure to find a body or person or bomb or drugs!)
I remember years ago your talking about the thrill of watching bordor collies do what they were bred to do — herd livestock. That’s how I feel about scent work. It is amazing to enter the dog’s world where they live and literally breathe. Mind blowing.
Tails Around the Ranch says
Who can resist a field of daffodils? Certainly not me. I’m always impressed with scent dogs but can’t help wondering if it’s part of the dog’s DNA or just exceptional training. Glad you had a great time meeting your online friend in person. That Turkish appetizer looks and sounds divine-I can never pass up anything made from phyllo dough and applaud anyone who can make something tasty with it.
Charlotte Kasner says
I would be delighted to buy you cocktails – if only it were possible!
I have just returned from the APBC conference in the UK and was also musing on the demographic. One speaker joked that he thought he had come to a Barry Manilow convention!
Do you think that the work is taken less seriously because of it?
Judy Nelson says
Greg and Craig hehe
I loved this post. I started scent work with my English springer spaniel but got lazy and stopped far too soon. I wonder how I could make tug as rewarding as food is for him.
I’m not sure if this is better answered in the future blog post you mentioned but could you please explain what you mean by this:
“ R+ applies to the behavior, not the dog.”
Trisha says
Charlotte: Yes, I do. I also think, just guessing here of course, that women are more likely to be comfortable learning from others, while men are more likely to feel they need to have all the answers themselves. Maybe I should make this a blog topic!!
Jacci Mollard says
Good morning, Patricia. Thanks for this blog on scent work. My lab/rottie was involved in Nose Work for 7 years and loved every single second of it. The day before she died (peacefully in the back garden at the age of 13) she went to her last class and found each odour within seconds. My friend says that she chose to leave us the next day because she realized that she couldn’t get anything better for a final send-off. What a love. Now I have two littles – a cavalier King Charles and a rescued shih tzu mix who are continuing the tradition of loving Nose Work. Both have completely different ways of searching for source. Without a doubt, the best part of my and their week.
LisaW says
I’d love to jump into that demographic puzzle. And you thought a blog about dog food and feeding was fraught 😉 However, if it means a cosmos or two, well then, that’s the price we’ll have to pay.
I am absolutely smitten with Wick (don’t tell Olive), his terrierness jumps right out of the photo. Love him. I guess I am now an official terrier adulater or OTA in the scent-work paradigm.
Kathryn Gilman says
I love your blogs! Thank you for your clear writing and wonderful topics. I do nose work with both dogs and have recently started tracking with my almost 3 year old Border/Aussie cross. They both love the work (or fun).
I also wanted to tell you that I love The Puppy Primer so much that I buy it in bulk and give all my new puppy students a copy. I also send it to friends and everyone who gets a new puppy. I volunteer at a local nonprofit shelter and offer free training to all adopters and give them a copy too. Love it!
Cathy Balliu says
Check out this book by Sue Sternberg and Dana Zinn called “The Dog-Driven Search”. The authors do a great seminar too. Their philosophy is that since the dog has the nose, they should lead the search and we should support them. Hard to do when so many of us are control-freaks and think we know where the hides will be.
Cat Warren says
It’s so much fun to read this, after having experienced it with you! I love watching dogs work. I could literally spend the rest of my life watching dogs and handlers, and never have enough of it. And it was so much fun to have you there, too! And of course, the seminar gave me lots of ideas about how to work with Brio, now that he’s actively training in Nose Work! And yes about the noise and confusion — and how it takes an environmentally tough dog to work in those conditions. It’s funny how you note what your Border collies might have reacted, and how they have to be just as tough, but in a different way! Brio is environmentally tough, but NO way would that silly little Boykin be able to stare down a stubborn sheep. In many ways, Rev is more like that — very attuned to the environment and to the creatures in it in ways that are less than ideal for scent detection….
Gayla says
No correction necessary, TFR’s were just referred to as ‘alerts.’
What a fun weekend!
Chris from Boise says
Tails Around The Ranch “I’m always impressed with scent dogs but can’t help wondering if it’s part of the dog’s DNA or just exceptional training. ” Our dogs absolutely love scent work, and I am far from an exceptional trainer. I couldn’t agree more with Barb – it is amazing to enter their world of expertise.
Trisha – what a wonderful opportunity for you to meet up with a bunch of experts in sniffer work. Hmmm… “next novel” – this sounds promising…:-)
Now I am pretty much in love with Wick – especially in that photo of his tug ferocity. A true terrier heart!
Trisha says
Jacci: What a story, what a send off. Lucky dogs who live with you, no doubt!
Trisha says
LisaW: Olive, don’t read this! (But Wick might want to meet you, who knows?)
Trisha says
Kathryn G: Thanks for the loyalty to the Puppy Primer! Much appreciated!
Trisha says
Cathy B: Thx for the referral, I’m guessing I’d love it. All in on letting the dog lead the search!
Trisha says
Cat: Love that you are chiming in! Love the comparison of what each dog is “tough” about, so true, both for breeds, but also for individuals. Skip ADORES face offs–“Mr. Make My Day,” Maggie hates the”
Trisha says
Thanks Gayla!
Trisha says
Chris from B: I’m going to have to warn Jennifer that there’s a line up in love with Wick! He had me at hello.
Anne says
Ohhhh filo and spinach and onions is the best! And your creation looks wonderful.
My experience in training dogs with scent was formal tracking, which I understand is very different from the rescue and recovery types of training, although I started out with the same motivation. I live on a farm and when my kid was 3-4 he loved to play hide and seek without telling me that he was starting and then I’d have a panic trying to find him. Or he’d just go over to the neighbor’s to play without telling me when he was going. So I trained my dog Hank to track so I could find the kid if necessary. Of course, by the time we found a group to train with and got all trained, the kid had out grown his wandering and the second kid didn’t do the same thing. But Hank was GREAT at tracking. He loved tennis balls, so that was always his reward. I learned a lot about dogs’ noses and the way the scent moves or stays in the process of training, so that was super interesting. I tried training some of my other dogs (all Aussies) but they weren’t as intensely focused (and fun) as Hank. Sprite in particular would do one track successfully (a short one) and then when asked to start a second one she lay down and looked at me like “When are we doing the sheep herding anyway?” I bet if I could have come up with a way to train sheep tracking she would have been great.
LisaW says
Oh, be still my heart if Wick and I were perchance to meet.
What’s a McNab?
Trisha says
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McNab_dog
Jennifer Jordan Hall says
Trisha – Want a wonderful post. Thanks for watching Wick work and sharing with your readers. Yes, he really loves to work that much! Wick’s enthusiasm and joyous embrace of life is contagious. Thank goodness, because that helps me through his terrier moments. Lots of terrier moments. But Wick is very patient with me as I try to keep up with him
Jann Becker says
Re: Tennis ball reinforcement–I wonder if, out of the world’s total production of tennis balls, more are now being used to play with dogs than to play actual tennis between humans?
Chris from Boise says
Jennifer Jordan Hall – Thank you for reminding us that even Wick has his terrier moments. That may help some of us with low impulse control (looking in the mirror here) from rushing out to buy a Parson Russell Terrier. As a side note – what a wonderful service you and your team perform. The video on your website really stirred my heart. Well done, Wick and Pocket!
Sileah says
I attended a seminar by Anne Lill Kvam a few years ago. She was in Angola on behalf of the aid organization “Norwegian Peoples Aid” and told very interesting things about the training, the suitable dogs – and what these mine detection dogs achieved. The rest of the seminar was also very exciting. Tracking, nosework, scent discrimination and so on. It was five very interesting days, also for our dogs. By the way, she is not only competent, but also very friendly to people and dogs.
In another seminar the “homework” was clickertrain another animal. one participant trained her horse with the clicker, another trained fish with a laser. my cat had to walk (not jump) over a few obstacles.
Wick and Meryl Peeps are particularly impressive.
I really like your blog and look forward to a new entry every time.