16/02/2024
Rereading some of the great work done by Tinbergen in the 40s and 50s on the functional peculiarities of innate releasing mechanisms, I realized a key point when working with the labs on field exercises. With the highly developed sensory organs of our dogs (sight,smell,hearing) there are multiple signals triggering input to the central nervous system. Only a fraction is used however of what they perceive in any situation. Part of that is known by other studies done since Tinbergen on the neural network; think of it as a selection made due to limitations of the capacity of the system. From the groundwork done, it appears the motivation is key in determining which inputs will influence perceptions hence performance.
This tracks well with my early memories with my father’s hounds. When they were hot on a scent you could not stop them. They heard nothing else. Decades of breeding that specific reaction to the smell of the target game honed the response to its purest and strongest pinnacle.
With my Labradors my interest has always been in the use of their scenting abilities for some highly specialized jobs. In addition to the acute sense of smell, I have chosen traits like “watching”, “second degree problem solving” and “curiosity” to produce dogs that can learn their task and do it quickly with little training. They also are able to perform under very complex situations with overwhelming stimulation present staying focused.
In reviewing my notes on this again I’m reminded that as a trainer I need to keep in mind that the dog’s behavior in the field during training is to help channel the input into the desired behavior. My exercises need to teach them how to filter that input into what helps them achieve success.
