Part 4-Training sit and freeze as indication for scent detection dogs. скачать в хорошем качестве

Part 4-Training sit and freeze as indication for scent detection dogs.

Day four of the "sit and stare" training we prolong the time of the indication and start adding distraction from the handler (who often is the biggest distraction for a searching or indicating dog). When the dog is indicating the hide the handler moves behind the dog, waving arms to produce the sound of textile against textile, scraping the shoes, etc. If the dog looks at the handler it is called back and reset. The goal is for the handler to be able to walk in a circle around the indicating dog without the dog looking at the handler. We increase the distraction in small steps but try to go a little bit further after every successful attempt. In the same manner we also add the distraction of the handler talking, starting weak and gradually increasing loudness. Some people are lucky enough to have words just pouring out of their mouth, the rest of us can cheer for their favorite hockey team (Färjestad, who by the way will win SHL this year) and sing (the national anthem of Sweden in the last sequence). Our experience is that how well you perform the songs does not affect the progression of the dog, so do not hesitate. It may seem as if you are preparing the dog for circus or just showing off. But please be aware that altgough this is a really fun part of the training, it is also very important and should be done carefully. As a detection dog handler you must be able to rely on the indication and if the dog is distracted by you and what you do or say to others the dog will have a higher likelihood of leaving hides and continue searching, or making false indications triggered by your behavior and not scent. In real-life situations both handler and others are often stressed, tired, nervous or afraid, which means you will do and say things in peculiar ways that the dog is not used to. Managing to complete a full circle around the dog and singing the national hymn (of Sweden) is the first step to accomplish and that you will need to build on later in the training. After some sessions you will see that when you start singing/walking or petting, the dog focuses even more intensely on the hide. What you have actually been doing is that you have established a bridge/bridgning signal, where the distraction becomes a sign for the dog that there will soon be a reward. That is good news. Your job then is to expand that expectation to all kinds of distractions.