06/01/2024
Yes—This!!!!!
Handlers often get so wrapped up in finding the hide that they forget that searching is a behavior chain that requires focus from the start line to the finish call. If you don't have engagement and your dog isn't "all in" when you ask them to search, you can't expect them to be "all in" for finding any hides in the search area or to ignore the distractions in their environment.
If you don't have a focused and engaged dog, don't search. Address the focus and engagement, otherwise you will just practice distractibility which will become a habit embedded in your search behaviors. Hint: Focus and Engagement start when you get your dog out of the car!
Clean behavior chains take intentional training and practice. You can set all the hides you would like but the pieces will never come together if the chain has flaws.
If you find this confusing think of the behavior chain as:
Start: Release dog into the search
Step 1: Dog seeks target odor dismissing unproductive areas and enlarging the area until the target odor is encountered
Step 2: Dog reacts to odor (the Change of Behavior)
Step 3: Dog uses air scenting skills to problem solve general location of source
Step 4: Dog gets as close as possible to source
Step 5: Dog communicates to handler
End: Handler reinforces and asks to find another hide
Repeats until Handler calls off the search with "Finish" ... don't forget the After Party on the way back to the car!
All of these steps need to be Focused, Engaged, Independent yet Cooperative, with 100% commitment to target odor over distraction. It's easier to get that than it seems if you pay attention to building good habits at every step.
Are YOU focused on finding the hide or are you focused on a clean behavior chain?
