The Scholarly ScentZ, LLC

12/27/2024

NEW LIVE WEBINARS SCHEDULED - ALL ABOUT NASDA

We are super excited to be hosting Donna Morgan Murray once again for THREE new live webinars focusing on NASDA. This organization is exploding in popularity and for good reason! Check out these webinars to learn more and get involved in all the sniffing fun

What is NASDA (North American Sport Dog Association)? A newer scent sports competition organization which offers a variety of classes to choose from. These include hunting for shed antlers, live rats inside quarry boxes or lost items/scented articles. In-person trialing and virtual titling options are both available. You may learn more about NASDA here: https://nasda.dog/

Also, be certain to check out all of Donna's prior NASDA-related webinars, you will be happy you did: https://www.scentworku.com/collections/nasda-program
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Getting Started in NASDA: Tips for New Exhibitors Webinar

Live Webinar: January 29th at 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET

You’ve heard a lot about NASDA and maybe you’ve even enrolled in a few webinars or practice sessions, but you’re not sure how you actually register your dog in NASDA or how you find out about NASDA trials. You know there is a website and several pages, but where is the rulebook and how do I get my questions answered? Maybe you already entered a trial but don’t know how to check your points - and what is this about annual rankings and lifetime rankings? What is the role of the regional ambassador and who are these people? All of these points and much more will be addressed in the webinar.

Who should attend: anyone just starting out in NASDA and looking for more details on how to enter trials, how to earn and track points and titles, and what is the Invitational and Showcase all about.

REGISTER FOR THE LIVE WEBINAR OR ORDER THE WEBINAR REPLAY HERE: https://www.scentworku.com/products/getting-started-in-nasda-webinar
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Becoming a NASDA Judge Webinar

Live Webinar: February 19th at 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET

What you will learn: how to apply to become a judge; the training process from apprentice to licensed judge; the role of the judge; tools of the trade; dos and don’ts and so much more.

Who should attend: anyone considering becoming a judge; new hosts who want to understand the difference between apprentice judges, provisional judges, and licensed judges.

REGISTER FOR THE LIVE WEBINAR OR ORDER THE WEBINAR REPLAY HERE: https://www.scentworku.com/products/becoming-a-nasda-judge-webinar
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Becoming a NASDA Club Webinar

Live Webinar: March 19th at 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET

What will you learn: how to form a NASDA club to host trials, plan your first trial, submit results for your first trial, correct results if you need to; what is a virtual trial and how to host one; what supplies are needed to host trials; what ribbons/rosettes are required for trials; how to find judges for trials; how to make/buy quarry boxes; basic care for quarry.

Who should attend: Anyone thinking about hosting trials or just starting out.

REGISTER FOR THE LIVE WEBINAR OR ORDER THE WEBINAR REPLAY HERE: https://www.scentworku.com/products/becoming-a-nasda-club-webinar

Happy Training!

12/27/2024

It's the last trial weekend of 2024! Good luck to everyone stepping to the line this weekend!

12/27/2024

In my opinion no matter how we train, there is a Desired Effect we're working towards. How we feel and our attitudes Affect those outcomes or results.

Whittled down to its bare essentials what we're doing in Scent Detection can been seen like the image. It's a play on Hattie's barometer of influence.

The big rocks of Desired Effects of Scent Detection training are: Reverse Effects, Developmental Effects, and Desired Effects.

REVERSE EFFECTS are teams that are unsure what to do. Training at this point has not taught the dog ODOR, what to do when they find it (INDICATION), and the Handler and Dog are not a TEAM that works together.
Dogs at this level may randomly walk around search areas sniffing at their leisure instead with a purpose. Dogs may not even show interest near source, or may show confusion. They may move along never to return to that location because there was no value in being there. Odor has little to no association with reinforcement at this point.
Handlers at this stage are unsure what to do from the start line and throughout the search. Walkthroughs and start line briefs have little to no actual impact on anything they'll do in the search. They feel they have little to no real impact or valuable input related to the search. They've been told that "The Dog does the Driving" and that any input at all can diminish their dogs desire to work. They don't know how to use their leash and how powerful that connection is to their dog. They second guess every sniffing behavior and are on a hair trigger to call alert at the first sniff. They are unsure about where they've been and what they've searched. They situationally unaware or so overwhelmed that they are really not present.
Teams at this phase are not working together. They are two separate entities walking through the search attached by a leash. Dogs may need help but handlers aren't able to provide it. They may be searching and looking for clues, but they're no working together to find the hides. They have little to no rapport and neither trusts the other. They have little to no confidence. Training has not taught developed competence or understanding of their roles. They need to deliberately develop competence to build confidence.

DEVELOPMENTAL EFFECTS are the building blocks of Competence that builds Confidence. Put another way, this is were Trust is built. This is were the foundation of Team Work is built and were the Bond is cemented. "TRUST YOUR TRAINING" and you'll trust what your dog shows you. "Trust your dog" is a great platitude but it puts the onus on the dog. Look back up the leash and know that Teaching Training and Proofing is on you. Don't trust your dog, then you've just identified a Training Scar or hole in your training.

This is where we build the idea that "ODOR PAYS" and we're going to find it in different places and ways. It's also where you craft and build Behavioral Mass for at minimum a reinforcement event. You may not like the concept a Trained Final Response (TFR), but what you repeatedly reinforce is what you'll continue to get. You are building a reinforcement event each time you step in to treat/reinforce your dog at source. The event may start with a combination of in odor behaviors (Like Mackenzie's scent work indicators) for instance a determined sniff with a look back. This behavior is then "Marked" when you call "Alert." This tells the dog that it's behaviors were right and that in a moment I'll receive reinforcement. Then you step in and treat them near where they were indicating. This behavior chain is now your dogs complex TFR. The dog knows odor, and what to do when it finds it.
The handler begins to understand how to manage the search. Walkthroughs have begun to be of value because they "See" productive search areas. Handlers start to recognize that having a strategy for how to cover the area matters. They start to learn, at the same time the dog does, the frequency of hides being in certain areas. They see their dogs interest behaviors but begin to understand and "Read" in odor behaviors, anticipating indications.
Ultimately they develop mutually supporting behaviors because each part of the team gets reinforced when they do this.

All of this leads to the DESIRED EFFECT. We MUST identify what our Desired Effects are. If the goal is a dog that knows odor pays, and how to tell us, then how can we work as a team to achieve that goal? There are layers and levels of work that must be achieved to reach these outcomes. If you find that What you're doing is reaching your Desired Effect ask why? When you Identify an undesired effect you move to problem solving. Identify the core task and any supporting tasks, Determine how you reached the result this time, Evaluate how you trained for the task and compare to past sessions, Analyze which strategy to use to solve it and Act on it, and Learn from this event by evaluating your solutions and its results for the next time.

Remember if a team is having a problem with step 10 in a process, don't just work on step 10. You may find that it's not step 10 but an earlier step along the way. Go back to the beginning and determine how the team prepared and trained. You may find the reason you didn't achieve your Desired Effects is because the Development was a mismatch to the end state.

All of this comes back to assessment of Desired training Effects on three levels; Dog, Handler, and overall Team. The only way to Reverse the Effects of Unintended outcomes, is deliberate Development along the way.

12/26/2024

A Valuable Lesson in Learning

Often, individuals will remark to me during dog training sessions, "You make it look effortless, I'm not skilled at this."

My response is invariably, "All it takes is practice."

I am a strong advocate for continuous learning and self-improvement. This mindset applies not only to animal behavior and dog training but also to various aspects of life. Recently, I embarked on the challenging task of learning to bake bread, despite having no prior experience. The rising cost of food motivated me to take on this new skill.

My initial attempt at baking a loaf was mediocre at best. The taste was acceptable, but I was a complete novice, unfamiliar with fundamental concepts such as yeast, warm water, and proofing. My second attempt yielded poorer results, as I rushed the process. However, by the time I baked my third loaf, I had gained a better understanding of what to avoid, and the outcome was significantly improved.

Today, I successfully baked two loaves, which turned out exceptionally well. While they were not perfect, they represented a substantial improvement over my initial attempts. I was able to slice the bread thinly enough to make a grilled cheese sandwich for Eve, and she not only ate it but also complimented me on its taste.

Am I a professional baker? Certainly not. Is it possible that my next attempt will end in failure? Yes, it is. Nevertheless, I will continue to practice and refine my skills.

Acquiring any new skill takes time and patience. It is unrealistic to expect immediate proficiency, and if achieved, the learning process would be less enjoyable. Mistakes are an inherent part of the learning process, and it is essential to have a supportive mentor or coach who encourages perseverance and celebrates progress, rather than focusing solely on success. This mindset fosters a healthy learning environment, where mistakes are viewed as opportunities for growth, rather than failures.

This principle applies equally to learning dog training skills and to the dog's learning process. It is essential to allow for errors, maintain a humble attitude, and cultivate patience. Mistakes will inevitably occur, but it is the manner in which they are addressed that determines the success of the learning process. A healthy learning environment encourages both the trainer and the dog to continue trying, even in the face of setbacks.

12/25/2024

Super fortunate to have an incredible group of students! Thank you to all of them who made the holidays extra special for my dogs and me.

No matter what you celebrate, here's wishing you and yours a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season!

12/23/2024

For anyone looking for variety in Nose Work training in central Ohio, here's a drop in games workshop to try out in Pataskala!

Schedule your appointment online Golden Acres

12/20/2024