K9 Scent Training and Proofing

10/08/2024

It is important to remember that there is no "off switch" in dog training. Dogs are constantly learning—good, bad, or indifferent. Many things we take for granted, like taking walks or using a leash, retractable leash, or harness, should flow through the stages of training: teach, train, and proof. What may not be new to us as trainers or handlers can be new to the dog. Will you risk causing permanent damage by failing to properly introduce a new task or piece of equipment, or will you take the time to break the task down? This will define you as a trainer.

10/08/2024

03/07/2024

An aggressive response is seen as biting, scratching, pawing, or digging at the source of an odor. As I mentioned in a previous post, every training drill or exercise should be done to preserve the dog’s detection potential. I often see trainers strip the dog's potential when trying to remediate aggressive responses. They spend all this time building a strong foundation and commitment to odor but then strip it all away when teaching something like door seams, luggage, or buried aids. The first time the dog sees these areas, it may display the aforementioned behaviors, and the trainer will make a strong “correction” (physical punishment of some sort) with a verbal “No.” So, what happens the next time the dog goes near that area? There will be hesitation and fear of facing the positive punishment.

I always try not to panic and tell myself that the aggressive response is good. Yes, the aggressive response is good. When I tell handlers and trainers this, I get a dumbfounded look, as if they are thinking, "How can that be good?" I reply that it at least shows odor commitment and that the dog didn’t miss the training aid. If the dog misses, I have to troubleshoot: is it that specific training aid the dog is weak on, or is it the area we are in, etc.? The aggressive response can be easily shaped and fixed, but the latter creates more things to troubleshoot.

This is also seen more from an explosive detection dog perspective, and I realize I may face severe criticism for my next thought. What happens in a deployed environment if the dog misses a bomb while on patrol? Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen’s lives can be at risk or killed. Now, what happens if the dog is on lead patrol and displays an aggressive response? Yes, the bomb may be triggered, causing it to explode, and the dog might get killed, but all our brothers and sisters in arms are saved because the dog didn’t miss. If we strip the potential away trying to fix the “aggressive response issue,” the dog may hesitate in a real-life scenario, putting lives at risk.

01/07/2024

In every aspect of teaching a dog, it's crucial to consider: will this approach diminish the dog's potential? There's a clear distinction between teaching a dog to perform a behavior willingly and forcing it to comply. While the behavior may appear the same, we must recognize that we're dealing with different dogs. My aim is to train dogs that actively participate in sessions, enabling them to reach their full potential. Conversely, a heavy-handed trainer relying on escape-avoidance techniques (positive punishment/compulsion) may overlook this distinction because the dog completes the desired task.

Similarly, there's a significant difference between teaching a dog to cap or regulate its drives and forcing control upon them. When a dog learns to cap or regulate its drives, we nurture and preserve its innate potential.

Imagine a cup filling with water: once it overflows, it spills. In dogs, this overflow can result in breaking position or chasing prey due to an uncontrollable drive. This behavior isn't defiance or disobedience but rather an inability to regulate their drive. A dog taught to manage its drive retains the potential to pursue prey or seek rewards, unlike one solely motivated by avoiding pain or punishment.

This is a short video of a dog caping his drive for the reward. This can be powerful in teaching obedience.

22/06/2024

I love the science and psychology behind dog training, so I’ll do my best to keep it concise.

In classical conditioning, a bridge marker (or simply a "bridge") is a signal or cue used to communicate to the subject (often an animal) that they have performed the correct behavior and that a reward is coming. This marker bridges the gap in time between the behavior occurring and the delivery of the reward. Common examples of bridge markers include a clicker sound or a verbal cue like "yes" or "good." The bridge marker itself does not provide the reward but serves as a precise signal that informs the subject about the exact moment they did the correct behavior. This technique is commonly used in animal training to shape behaviors effectively.

I will tell trainers and handlers to mark the desired behavior by saying 'good' or 'yes,' but when I look at the dog, there is no outward change in behavior.
indicating the marker has truly been conditioned.

In the video, you can see Rocky break position from the touch pad after the clicker, revealing he knows the reward is coming for the desired behavior (eye contact).

Well, if you made it this far, thanks for reading.

09/06/2024

Looking forward to starting scent detection training with Rocky soon. There have been some advances in K9 scent detection training aids that ease the training, transport, and storage of the aids. I am leaning towards using the SOKKS odors. I have done some research and am interested in trying the cocktail method (all odors together), where all odors are taught simultaneously during the foundational stages.

31/05/2024

Independence or search and destroy? A term I often hear in scent detection training is “independence.” However, when I observe some training sessions, what I see isn't true independence. Instead, the dog is on a search and destroy mission, behaving like a bull in a china shop—rushing through areas, leaving sections unchecked, and repeating searches in the same spots. This is mistakenly labeled as independence.

True independence requires training. We wouldn't expect a novice in any profession, whether law enforcement, culinary arts, plumbing, or electrical work, to operate independently right away. Why not? Because they need training, certification, and experience to meet specific standards before they can work without supervision. Similarly, our dogs need to be taught, trained, and proofed in all aspects of their work. We must guide them to be independent in various search scenarios, including outdoor environments, vehicles, interiors, and specific areas like bedrooms.

I believe in free shaping during the foundation stages or when doing remedial training. However, this perspective is aimed at dogs conducting real-world searches.

31/05/2024

Handler Interference? This video won’t win me any awards, but I hope it paints a powerful illustration. This video is not meant to be definitive and say this is exactly what happens, but to help the handler recognize and understand how they can disrupt the searching environment for their dog.

30/05/2024

Some of my favorite lines when I witness stuff like this are, “My dog has never done that before,” or, “He knows the release commands; he’s just not doing it,” and, “Oh, he does it for me.” If the dog has truly been proofed on the behavior, another handler should be able to give the command with no issues. If there are issues, there is more than likely an inadvertent cue the dog is relying on.

29/05/2024

Building Odor Commitment Using Opposition Reflex

We can often get tunnel vision in scent detection by only focusing on the next productive areas to search and not realizing when the dog is in the scent cone or bracketing to the odor source. My ultimate goal is to build the dog's commitment so strong that the dog will be fighting to stay at or bracket to the source, even pulling the handler back.

Opposition reflex utilizes leash tension by applying slight back tension on the leash, then rewarding the dog. Markers allow you to mark the exact moment you apply tension or when the dog drives/pushes forward. At the beginning of this exercise/drill, it could be the most subtle tension, which is then released. After a few successful trials, you will notice that it takes stronger tension on the leash to achieve the same result. Notice the tension in the leash and when the tension is released.

28/05/2024

In a different post, I mentioned the significance and importance of clear communication when training any task. In scent detection, I often see so much reward conflict with the dog after he has been rewarded for locating an odor. The handler does not offer much play and excitement and gives the “out” or “release” command. The dog will either release the reward and go back to work, or if he doesn’t, he gets a correction or positive punishment of some sort. In both scenarios, the dog does not realize he has the ability to earn it back, which is not favorable for the dog. I often say it is an elaborate game of keep away.

The aim of this exercise is to teach the dog he has the ability to get the reward back, but it will be under my terms as the handler. I will merely possess the reward, not pull or pry it, allowing the dog to loosen his bite and release the reward. It can be a waiting game, but once he releases it, I have to give the “Yes” marker to teach him he can earn it back by offering some play and interaction.

It’s important to alleviate any reward conflict when working on detection issues. Conflict can affect remedial training because you cannot get many trials or repetitions, and the dog's energy can be misdirected as it becomes a struggle to get the reward back.

14/05/2024

Clear and effective communication is paramount in dog training. Marker training achieves this by precisely capturing moments in time, providing a clear picture of the desired behavior for the dog. While verbal markers can be effective, I've found that integrating a clicker during the foundational stages and introducing verbal markers later is beneficial. Novice trainers sometimes struggle with consistency in their use of verbal markers. For instance, they may yell 'Yes' after one successful repetition and say it softly after another, which can confuse the dog, leaving them to wonder which repetition was more important. Additionally, elongating the verbal marker, like 'Yesssssssss,' can further muddle communication. When I hear it drawn out, I often joke and look around, asking if there's a snake nearby. In contrast, the clicker consistently emits the same tone and frequency every time, providing a clear message to the dog and often accelerating training progress.

The video below illustrates the consistent tone of the clicker and the contrasting differences with the verbal marker.

07/05/2024

In another old non-scent detection video, I aim to emphasize the power of markers. Any training technique can hinder progress if relied upon for too long. I often observe this with the 'heel,' where trainers excessively lure with rewards and fail to properly phase them out. This creates a reliance on rewards to accomplish the heel.

To be effective, clear communication with the dog is essential. A 'marker' is needed to pinpoint the exact moment the dog performs a desired task. Without a marker, training in any task can be challenging as actions become muddled for the dog. While clear to humans, it's confusing for the dog. Ideally, even a non-dog training person should be able to understand the intent of a session.

In this heel demonstration, which isn't perfect, I relied solely on free shaping without luring. When the dog approached me, I marked the moment and continued to mark as she moved closer or pivoted toward me. It's all about striking the right balance between guidance and independence.

Think of training like a flip book. Each time you use a marker, it captures a page to reach the desired task. The steps should progress methodically, making the page/task trained fluidly."

05/05/2024

Every proficient trainer has a distinct style they employ with both their own dogs and those they train. I place significant emphasis on utilizing markers in detection training. Training in open areas constitutes the latter part of the foundational training process. The distinct imprint of my training can be observed in two different dogs

02/05/2024

Detection training videos coming soon.

28/04/2024

An older training video but was shaping the final response. Markers capture the exact moment in time for the dog. The dog is not left to guess why/how he got rewarded. A lot of times I hear handlers say oh I was using markers, saying good and yes. The “Yes” or clicker is a terminal marker. You can see how quick the dog broke to receive his reward. Many trainers don’t truly condition markers for their dog as it’s evident when you say the marker and the dog shows no change/or breaks position to come to the handler for the reward. If you were to throw/lob the reward at source your timing will always be off. Even if it’s only 0.5 -1 second the timing is off. With precision you can paint a clear picture to the dog which can accelerate the training process. To a degree the dog is left to wonder what he was being rewarded for. Aldo anticipation behaviors can develop from throwing/lob the reward. Every style has its pitfalls and markers often are misunderstood. Often handlers/trainers do not proof time, distance and duration when using markers and will blame marker training for the reason their dog is “leaving odor”.

27/04/2024

I do plan on making mostly scent detection videos. I thought of one of my mentors when I first started to understand the power of using markers in training. He said your heel is your signature move. You can tell who takes pride in their obedience if you look at a trainer’s heel work with their dog. At the beginning of the video was working on teaching hindquarters awareness. Benji would get rewarded for moving his hindquarters with the slightest movement. The video breaks to the progression. The final progression was a significant amount of time later as I was just messing around when I was taking a break from graduate school.

25/04/2024

The case for marker training in detection. The first dog was trained using the traditional reward at source. (Throwing the reward to the source of odor). You can see the anticipation behaviors in the dog. Great dogs can be trained this way but one throw of the reward too hard or too soft will cause anticipation behaviors like in the video. The following dogs after the first clip were taught markers later and incorporated in training. The markers allow you to mark the exact moment in time and not have to worry about making a bad throw with the reward. When you throw the reward your timing will always be off. With this style of training it is important to proof time, distance and duration with the markers.

19/04/2024

"There is a significant distinction between teaching a dog to do something and forcing a dog to do something. While you may achieve the same result, it comes at what cost? The goal of dog training should be to instruct a dog in a task without diminishing any of the dog’s potential. We should aim to have the dog actively participate in the training session. I employ a training method that communicates to the dog that he is about to engage in a session where it has the potential to receive a reward, thereby making it an active participant. In this older video featuring Benji, you can observe his increased drive and energy, indicating his readiness to engage in the session.

17/04/2024

Just a retired Air Force handler who loves detection. This video shows me assisting a military dog before my retirement. I hope it may be helpful to some. You can check out my page; I'll be posting other detection videos soon, where I'll use odors like ScentLogix, True Scent, or Sokks.

17/04/2024

In the post you can see one of the first pictures of Benji when I adopted him and sadly one of the last pictures before he passed away. I adopted him in 2014 before my brother passed away. I was a military working dog trainer/instructor at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas during that timeframe. I was training Benji to detect narcotics for the Navy. Unfortunately he did not make it through the program and I was able to adopt him. He adjusted to the house dog life rather quickly. I turned my garage into a small training facility and learned so much training him. He became a good friend as I struggled to cope with the loss of my brother. He would be with me as I finished my military career in New Jersey and make it to my retirement in Kentucky. He beat cancer two separate times but it came back the third but fatal time. After he beat cancer and age started to catch up to him I stopped doing training exercises with him and let him enjoy his retirement with me. To carry on my love and legacy for Benji I adopted another Wheaton Terrier and plan to train him to be the best of my ability. New videos to show the foundational stages of training and how I trouble shoot certain training issues will be done as well. The page name will stay the same but will transition to a new one soon. Lastly, old training videos of Benji with commentary will be posted to.