# UD Scent articles



## Altairss (Sep 7, 2012)

We are starting training for scent articles my trainer wants us to start early so we can build a solid routine. Where do you get your scent articles? It seems there is a huge range of what is available and in quality? I want to invest in a good set we have been using my trainers old set or dowels but I think its a bit confusing for us both. So where did you get yours? What do you like or not like about them?


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## FosterGolden (Mar 10, 2014)

Got ours at Max 200. They are super helpful with fitting. I splurged and have the two color (blue and yellow) for my boy. Everyone I know loves Max 200 for quality. No issues here and he's not exactly easy on them!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Vote for Custom Canine from me... 

I think I spent about $120 on mine.

Betty is really nice and gets them out fast.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

J&J hard to go wrong
I have two single bar sets (Fisher's) and now four sets of double bars (hand me downs...they've already seen two OTCHs  !)


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

My first set of articles was from J&J - I just haven't ordered from them again since they took 6 months to fulfill a dumbbell order.


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## DevWind (Nov 7, 2016)

Mine are from J&J.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

I used J&J as well. Read the AKC rules, it doesn't matter what you use as long as they are all the same. Connie Cleveland had me start with biscuit cutters... the kind with an arched metal handle.


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## Altairss (Sep 7, 2012)

Thanks everyone! I just got my J&J catalog and a coupon I have ordered many things from them in the past but concerned on the time frame that Megora had. My trainer might goose me about that lol. One of my training partners uses canning jar rings but Blitz hates them and haven't found a good metal alternative. The biscuit cutters sounds interesting I will check them out. Do some dogs like the double bars better then the singles? I had been looking at the custom canine site good to know she is Ok to order from. Both dogs are good with picking up their dumbbells so thought staying with the standard style might be best. 

Its only been recently I have been able to get Tink retrieving again she stopped when Boots died I had just got her going again when we lost Sparkles and she quit again. It took the last 6 months of me doing fun filled treat games with Blitz before she finally started to show interest so I am trying to be careful introducing her to this and not throw her off with anything too different. I did not realize the AKC rules stated that about them just being all the same I have not reviewed that section in awhile so thanks that helps.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I bought mine used on ebay. Great price. Max 200. leather and metal. I didn't want wood. Came with a case, no tongs. Total cost including freight $90. I washed them and now I use them. Connie Cleveland said at her seminar up here, to use a different set each day of an obedience trial and a different set for each dog. She has a lot of sets!


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## Altairss (Sep 7, 2012)

Good idea I will check out Ebay. my trainer says the same thing on the sets. But she said if I had to reuse a set she also told me to make sure I bring my own soap and towel from home to wash any and to wash my hands as well during the whole weekend so that Mom's scent does not change lol. Also use the same treats she had a dog that she always trained with hotdogs but had forgotten them and only had cheese said her dog was confused about the articles and kept searching for what seemed forever. 






Alaska7133 said:


> I bought mine used on ebay. Great price. Max 200. leather and metal. I didn't want wood. Came with a case, no tongs. Total cost including freight $90. I washed them and now I use them. Connie Cleveland said at her seminar up here, to use a different set each day of an obedience trial and a different set for each dog. She has a lot of sets!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I've heard different things about how people approach scenting the articles. 

My feeling is that it probably depends on the dog? 

A lot of dogs who struggle with articles seem to have problems because they are rushing or distracted. Or they don't fully understand what their "job" is when sent to retrieve. 

The scenting part itself is pretty easy with a retriever...?

With Bertie he can hunt down a stick that I briefly handled with a winter glove on and threw into the bushes while he was in the house. He will search until he finds the EXACT stick (We have a wooded property so lots of sticks). And I literally see him sniffing up and down the stick and perking up when he smells my scent on it.

And that has me laughing a little when I sit back and realize how much we over-stress about trying to get our scent on articles. With me I have dry hands most of the time (I envy those sweaty hands people out there LOL) and don't feel like I can get enough scent on the articles because of that. The leathers are supposed to hold scent better, but the benefit with the metals is they hold warmth longer for those dogs (like mine) who are also tasting each article....


*** Meant to say, the benefit of having more than 1 set of articles is because while training you need to make sure you are not using the same pair all the time. Also if you are using some "lotion" (ie peanut butter or cheese) on your hands before scenting while training - you get staining (or roughness from you washing them). And you might have 1-3 pairs that are kinda ruined before you're done (or maybe that was just me). By the time the dog is trained and you are just doing articles with no stuff on your hands once a week, you can swap the articles each time (putting the prior used set aside to air out completely) to make sure your dog is going off your fresh scent vs just looking for the same article each time. You only need 1 set when starting out though. More just be prepared to pick up a 2nd set down the road.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

I have multiple sets 

Training sets come from Max200 or J&J. These are used for subsequent dogs if the bars fit properly. You want the articles to fit so they are not too tight, not too loose and easy for your dog to nor only scent but to pick up.

I have at least one show set per dog. These sets may be passed on from dog to dog so they have multiple sets but each dog also gets a set and bag just for them. Just something I do but certainly not neccessary. 2 of my vendors have since gone out of the article business (Pat Scribner hand painted sets for 2 of my dogs but her vendor went out of business) so I now use Scents-a-Bell and am very happy with them.

Training articles I keep separate so I can be free with using the same article multiple times, I can toss them ad a reward and not worry about them getting banged up, I can put cheese or other stuff on them and not worry about ruining tbem when i have to wash them, my dogs can mouth as they learn if needed and finally during the early stages of their training I may well reuse an article that another dog has used so they can pick up on 'different' a little quicker. Time enough to learn my scent after they learn different, seems to work for me 

But for training I would suggest Max200 or J&J or even leather items (baby shoes, leather strips etc) and metal items (canning jar lids, small tins etc) to start the training if you wish to save money.

Also consider wood as that is now allowed in AKC.


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