# Scent Game - What next? HELP!



## MaddieMagoo (Aug 14, 2007)

Hmmm...I honestly can't think of anything!!! Sorry...but might I suggest Janice DeMello's "Around the Clock" method...here is her website:

http://www.jandemellobordercollie.com/AroundTheClockrev.htm

When I went to Linda's seminar a few people wanted to work on the articles, one person came out there and they used the tie down method...that is a good method, but problems can arise in it.

I know you're not doing Obedience with Lexi, but I'm sure you'll want to do this with Liberty, and do the same thing.

I hope this helps a tad bit...I know, not much...but the video also costs $54, and is worth every penny, so I've been told.


----------



## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

That sounds like a great activity to do with Lexi. I'm impressed that she got it so quickly. I have no suggestions on where to go next but I think the possibilities are almost endless.


----------



## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

When I did a working trial search square with Quiz, 3 small items, e.g., a matchbook cover, key chain and finger off a glove, were scented by the judge (merely handled) and hidden in a marked off area. I didn't know what the items were, nor did Quiz, and he wasn't given the chance to "know" the judges scent in advance. I just had to send him out there to find the objects. I was told that the dog was looking for the strongest concentratin of scent, which was coming from the little, unknown items.

I would think for what you're doing, you can do something similar. I think the trick is that in the beginning, you need to keep your "other" items pure and make sure you scent the crap outta the one you're putting your scent on. That's an advantage, IMO, to the tie down method for articles... the ones the dog isn't supposed to bring back are tied down, so I don't have to handle them. Then, I rub and rub on my article that gets placed on the board and the dog brings back.

I'd get a lot of reps rewarding for bringing back YOUR strong scent. Then start having somebody else every-so-lightly handle a couple of the other ones and make sure she's still associating the reward with YOUR strong scent.

I'm not sure with articles if the dogs are going for the familiar scent, or the strongest scent -- both of which happen to belong to the owner. I've not fully taught articles yet. Having done the search square, I tend to think it should be pretty easy to teach a dog to target to the strongest concentration of scent --- i.e. that your article search cue simply means investigate the pile and bring back that which is strongest.


----------



## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Oh, and as a game, once you get her hot on a certain scent (meaning she's been heavily rewarded for a certain scent) start hiding THAT scent stick in different places around the house and asking her to search for it, like a narc dog! You can also teach a search * locate * report behavior where she chains together finding it, and indicating via a bark or a sit. Steve White has a neat training video for this on his website, www.i2ik9.com. I'm bringing him to Los Angeles this fall for a scent games workshop, so I'll have lots to share later this year!


----------



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Thanks Stephanie...
I read some of Steve Whites 'Scent in a Bottle' article on Shirly Chongs pages...about a year ago...Very interesting stuff.... What a treat to be able to offer him as a speaker!

I had not seen the clips before...fun to watch him work a dog...

Yes, thank you, I have been keeping my 'other' articles pure...they are stored separately and I handle them with tongs....until I am able to really cement what I am asking her to do (find the highest concentration of scent) - they will be kept 'pure'....

Thanks for your ideas....


----------



## MaddieMagoo (Aug 14, 2007)

Hey Mary..I'm curious...I don't think you mentioned this: Why are you teaching Lexi this? Just to have some fun? I'm curious why...I know she won't be shown...but having fun...there's nothing wrong with that. Like they say "Girls...just wanna have fun!"


----------



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

CreekviewGoldens said:


> Hey Mary..I'm curious...I don't think you mentioned this: Why are you teaching Lexi this? Just to have some fun? I'm curious why...I know she won't be shown...but having fun...there's nothing wrong with that. Like they say "Girls...just wanna have fun!"



Why Lexi? Why all this work for a dog that I have no intention to title?
Because I know she loves to use her nose - it makes her happy. She is just as deserving of my time and attention as Liberty........I owe it to her - simple as that....


----------



## MaddieMagoo (Aug 14, 2007)

LibertyME said:


> Why Lexi? Why all this work for a dog that I have no intention to title?
> Because I know she loves to use her nose - it makes her happy. She is just as deserving of my time and attention as Liberty........I owe it to her - simple as that....


What dog wouldn't want to use their nose...I hope she's having fun!!  How old is Lexi...and Liberty?


----------



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

CreekviewGoldens said:


> What dog wouldn't want to use their nose...I hope she's having fun!!  How old is Lexi...and Liberty?


Lexi is 9 and Liberty is 4.5....


----------



## MaddieMagoo (Aug 14, 2007)

OH Libby is about the same age as Maddie..cool!


----------



## Bogart'sMom (Sep 16, 2005)

Earlier you were talking about keeping the other scent articles pure how do you do that? I was always wondering about that when the dog has to discriminate between several dumbells now and he has to find the one that you touched how do you teach that and how do you keep the other dumbells clean so to speak to be used later I mean they lay around you drive in your car or such to the training or competions and how not to get scent on those items?
Thank you,


----------



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Bogart'sMom said:


> Earlier you were talking about keeping the other scent articles pure how do you do that? I was always wondering about that when the dog has to discriminate between several dumbells now and he has to find the one that you touched how do you teach that and how do you keep the other dumbells clean so to speak to be used later I mean they lay around you drive in your car or such to the training or competions and how not to get scent on those items?
> Thank you,


Pure is probably not a good word choice...apologies if I led you astray...
You are correct...it is silly to think they will never be scented with your scent...all of the hub-bub involved in keeping them separate and handling as little as possible is in an effort to help the dog find the highest concentration of scent....especially when they are learning what you are asking them to do - to help make it more obvious...


----------



## savannah (Feb 25, 2008)

Another neat game you might want to try but you'll need a another person to help is to have a scent article of the other person which needs to a piece of clothing that has been wore close to the body then have the other person hide. Have the other person drop the item on the ground or in a plastic ziplock so you don't touch it and have Lexi smell it. Then have Lexi find the other person. But at first doing this have Lexi watch were the person goes until she catches on. When you & Lexi are ready to find the person just tell Lexi the command Find him or her. That's how we practice our search & rescue dogs, we start with short puppy finds then work them up to advance finds. If Lexi loves to use her nose she will probably love to do this.


----------



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Thanks Savannah....
If I try this...for instance with my husband.....should we go to a location other then home...to make his scent 'stand out' more clearly?


----------



## savannah (Feb 25, 2008)

No, you can try it around your backyard. You can also try it in the house like a hide & seek type of game. She should be able to pick up his scent on him because it will be the strongest than scents around the house or backyard. When they are tracking the scent is like a cone shape when they are far away the scent is wide (the base of the cone) but when they are getting closer to the person the scent becames more concentrated in an area (the point of the cone). I hope I didn't confuse you on that. There are several books out about scenting but I a recommend when you are just doing it for fun is "Scent and the Scenting Dog" by William G. Sytrotuck. It isn't a very big book about 108 pages but it is written by one of the founders of the American Rescue Dog Association. It explains out how the dog tracks scents. You can also use other people like neighborhood kids or family members so Lexi doesn't it stuck on your hubby's scent. When we have practice every week we try to get a new person to hide for each dog so they know to track down that scent because if you have the same person hide each time they think of I am only suppose to track down this person no one elses. Hope I help a little, have fun. Lexi will probably be a natural if she likes to sniff, my puppy Savannah just loves it. Tracking is her calling in life.


----------

