09/07/2025
“Coffee Thoughts: Odor Detection Edition” quick, hopefully insightful 😜, and caffeine-fueled ☕ reflections on the art and science of odor detection.
Today’s Brewed Thought: "If you can’t see the change in behavior, you’ll never find the hide." -Integrity Nose Worx
Odor doesn’t wave a flag.
It whispers to your dog.
When it whispers to the dog you'll see Micro Expressions of behavior or Just Noticeable Differences (JNDs).
It's not always going to be one of Mackenzie’s 8 scent work indicators. Sometimes it will be something smaller.
A micro-expression of behavior is a subtle, fleeting change in how the dog moves, holds posture, or breathes. It’s not dramatic, sometimes only a fraction of a second, but it’s meaningful if the handler is tuned in.
A JND is the smallest detectable change in stimulus that an observer can perceive. In scent detection, the stimulus is odor concentration/odor plume contact. The dog reacts to that tiny shift, and the handler must catch it.
Examples in a search context:
- Dog’s nostrils flare slightly wider (micro expression / JND in odor intensity).
- Dog’s tail stops wagging mid-swing for a beat (micro expression).
- Dog makes a half-step pause before redirecting (JND response to new odor molecules).
- Breathing pattern shifts from shallow to deep puffs (micro expression tied to JND).
Handler takeaway:
- If you only look for the trained final response, you’re blind to the dog’s “conversation” along the way.
- Success in detection (especially in sport trials or operational work) depends on learning to recognize and trust these micro/JND shifts, then adjusting your handling to support sourcing.
It's not just the BIG behaviors we need to be ready to observe. The small ones matter too.
- A pause.
- A breath shift.
- A tail beat.
- A tiny head movement.
Those are the clues.
Miss them, and you miss the hide.
Detection isn’t about controlling the search. It's also not about blindly following your dog. It's like a dance. Sometimes you lead sometimes you follow. Follow the behaviors, and you'll find the hide.
