Harv does scent work

UncleBob

UncleBob

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OK, some of you may recall that during his last lot of gundog training Harv had a habit of wandering off to do some self-initiated scent-work :) Well, we thought we may as well try to harness that and do some 'proper' scent-work.

We've only had one session so far but it was good fun. The session was indoors so that Harv could focus on the target scent rather than all the other scents that he might find outside. The scent of choice was ... truffle oil! The rationale for this choice was that although quite distinctive it wasn't a harsh smell and so would be a pleasant start to the training.

The session was mainly focused around establishing Harv's potential (he seemed pretty keen - who'd have guessed!) and a suitable method of encouragement. The trainer was quite keen to avoid treat-based rewards and so we decided on tennis balls (always a favourite :) ).

We started off with me and Harv leaving the room whilst the trainer and @Mrs UB hid a scent-pot. Then we came back in and let Harv off-lead to find it. When he found the pot it was 'click and reward' with the tennis ball. We had a couple of setbacks during this initial phase:

1. When the scent-pot was hidden among some empty pots. Harv initially seemed confused about what he was supposed to be doing and adopted an 'i'll knock each pot over until they click' approach rather than trying to find the scent-pot :)

2. When the scent-pot was concealed in a plastic container attached to a wooden board he was convinced that what he needed to do was to sit on the board! A result, no doubt, of our place-board training :)

We finished off with the trainer sat down with a scent-pot in one hand and the tennis ball in the other - every time that Harv touched the scent-pot with his nose he got a 'click and reward'. He absolutely loved this :dug: This is our current homework so that we continue with the scent imprinting.

A good start :happyfeet:
 
Stacia

Stacia

Location
Malvern Worcestershire
I had thought of doing this with Rourke now that he only can have lead walks, I looked on the internet in the Worcester area and couldn't find any scent work! However, on reading your first lesson, I guess it wouldn't be good for Rourke, too much running around and also he isn't allowed his tennis ball reward any more :'(
 
UncleBob

UncleBob

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Jelinga said:
I had thought of doing this with Rourke now that he only can have lead walks, I looked on the internet in the Worcester area and couldn't find any scent work! However, on reading your first lesson, I guess it wouldn't be good for Rourke, too much running around and also he isn't allowed his tennis ball reward any more :'(
Click to expand...
This is in the Worcester area - Kempsey to be precise. The trainer is very good and I'm sure she would help you pick an appropriate reward - it doesn't have to be a tennis ball. We are seeing her again soon, would you like me to ask? Or, if you are interested, I could give you her contact details and you could discuss with her how best to do it for Rourke.
 
Stacia

Stacia

Location
Malvern Worcestershire
Thank you @UncleBob, I did go on the Kemspey website, but maybe it was the wrong one as I think there might be two in Kempsey? I would be grateful if you could ask her if it would be suitable for a dog who has to be on the lead or could she suggest anything else if it isn't? He has to be on the lead for six months as he has tendonitis in right shoulder. I just need something to use his mind while he is so restricted.
 
UncleBob

UncleBob

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Yes, there are (at least) two trainers in Kempsey. It's Sandra that we see for the scent work. I'll have a word with her when we next see her.
 
UncleBob

UncleBob

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Well, we've had our second scent class with Harv and he was ... BRILLIANT! :happyfeet:

All of this session took place outdoors. In a field. A field with lots of smells. Smells of other dogs who train there; smells of rabbits, and foxes, and deer. On the day we didn't see any of these but the trainer uses the field regularly and assured us that all of those scents, and more, would be there to act as distractors! Hardly seemed fair but we moved on ...

We started with a chat about how things had gone with our homework (very well) and what we would be doing in the session.

First up, @Mrs UB and the trainer went to hide the scent container while Harv and I looked away (actually Harv was in a crate in the back of her car as he has a tendency to cheat and peek at what is going on!). For the first 4 hunts, the container was hidden in one of 6 breeze blocks that were laid out in the search area. When we got the 'all clear' signal it was down to me and Harv to find the hidden item.

The objective for me was to encourage Harv with a 'Show me' cue, not that he needs much encouragement!, and then leave him to work. He had his harness on and we were using a long line to prevent him from searching outside of the search area. Once he signalled to me that he had found the item I had to mark it with a clicker and then give him his tennis ball as a reward and make a big fuss of him. Care was needed here - obviously, it would be hugely counter-productive if I clicked when he hadn't found it as he would be confused about what was being rewarded.

This was made even more challenging by the fact that he found the first item in about 5 seconds flat!! Stupid @UncleBob didn't spot it the first time because it was so quick (a reminder was needed from Harv).

The next 3 followed in a similar fashion (not quite as fast as the first but not far off). The trainer told me to make sure that when Harv got his tennis ball reward it was given to him in the area where he found the scent rather than throwing it away from that area. Apparently, it has been shown that this helps to boost the positive association.

Next up, again with me and Harv hidden away, the trainer hid the container in some long grass. Again, a speedy find by Harv :)

Then the challenge got tougher still - this time the container was put in a hole in the ground and Harv and I had to search a quadrant in a methodical manner until we found it. It took us a minute to get the hang of this as Harv wanted to freestyle it initially but he soon caught on. Back and forth, to and fro, and ... found it! The look of pure joy on his face when he was clicked and rewarded for finding it was a picture.

Finally, the last one was again hidden in some long grass but this time under an A-frame used for agility (the field is obviously well used for all sorts of training!). Again we carried out a methodical search and at the end of one sweep Harv wanted to leave the sweep area and head towards the A-frame - in hindsight, he had obviously already caught the scent but I encouraged him to continue our sweep pattern. Sure enough, when we came back to that area again he was straight over to the A-frame. He actually went straight to it but because I couldn't see it at that stage I didn't click. Harv then decided he would go over the A-frame for bonus marks before coming back to the scent container again and actually looking at me as if to say 'It's here - you need to click now!'. Fortunately, I could see it this time so I obliged. Harv decided to celebrate his achievement with ... a massive :poo:. Each to their own I suppose.

We were really pleased with how well he did with this and, more importantly, just how much he seemed to enjoy it. The combination of physical and mental training combined also meant we had a sleepy dog all evening.
 
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UncleBob

UncleBob

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@Jelinga we asked about Rourke. The trainer thought that the scent work in a field would probably be too much for him but that, depending on his nature (preferably not a Hurricane Harv type!), he may be OK with scent work in a small hall or even at your home. Probably best to give her a call to discuss (it's Sandra - let me know if you need her number).
 
Selina27

Selina27

Location
Herefordshire, UK
That's a great read, well done Harvey and the UB's. It's such a good feeling when you know they have used the mental and physical capacity and are satisfied and fulfilled as a result.
 
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