imprinting puppies for scent work - human remains/ narcotics - Page 1

Any breeders here imprint pups on a target scent? If so, would you mind briefly sharing your methods. I have seen a lot of success with a couple of different methods I am familiar with, but always interested in learning more.

When do you begin imprinting? Do you use  clicker or other marker? Do you offer constant exposure? Why do you do it the way you do it?

How does the target scent work then impact your pick selections and at what point do you make that call (5 weeks, 7, etc)?

Shannon

Hi Sharon,

 I work an human remains detrction  dog,  though no expert I have imprinted in the following way. I place a tennie ball or two in my box of training aids (cadaver material) and let them soak in the odor. I then began playing ball/retrieve with those cadaver balls. this lets the puppy have fun while identifying the odor.

I got my pup at 3 months. She had imprinting on searching boxes as a pup, not cadaver odor. She was taught/allowed to check out boxes with an item in one/toy. As soon as she found it she was encouraged to get the thing out. of course she could not and the reward (toy) came from the owner.

I trained/train with Jonni Joyce a certified master LE trainer and she introduced me to the cadaver ball method. It is lots of fun for the dog and they imprint VERY quickly,  please PM me if you have any other questions

sarah & K-9 Kaylee

Do the same thing. Impregnate the odor into a toy. Play with the dog with that toy. Dog associates odor with the toy. While playing fetch begin throwing the ball into high grass or a shed so they start using their nose to find it.

Next would be if you want passive or aggressive alert. I like aggressive (it's easy and I have never done passive) I work the dog up for the toy and put it in a milk basket so they can see it but not get it. After a bit they will scratch or bite it (I tryt o promote only the scratch). Then I will bury the ball in sand and let them dig it out. From there I go to cardboard boxes snd begin to proof them for false alerts.

From there I just keep going from inside a garage ( I teach the dog to search in a pattern first (clockwise or counter clock-wise) once they are getting that I will switch to vehicles, cinder blocks, pile of laundry, whatever.

Now this is for dope so I don't know what kind of differences you would need for cadaver.

For Narcotics we use the ball  or and wash rag rolled up that we can play tug with. We put it in the scent box and then bring it out while they are 6 to 8 weeks just to play with it. Then i show them where i hide it and let them go and get it.. After that i  hide it and take them there and ask them to find it they are puppies so they just stick there heads were ever i point. then about 12 weeks the toys comes from me as long as they try to get at it.. Building drive for the toy makes the reward so good for them they learn fast..

 I have a female that we started at 6 months and she picked it up realy fast. it took her abour 4 months to find it every time. High hunt drive on her.

Best of luck

Malinda

I have a four month old GSD and I want to teach her to search for money.  Do I stuff a few bills in a tennis ball and then do as above.  My husband hides it you see and I really want to know where, LOL!  Seriously.

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                                                                                       money!

wanderer you might have used this as a joke  but they are dogs out there specificly trained on money ( bills )  .

I like the washcloths over the tennis balls.  I think they hold scent better, don't have the tennis ball scent,  and are easier to clean (Oh I was our normal tennis balls in the washer!) 

For throws I can put them into a scent tube -- for an adult you need it to get distance, for a puppy you would not.

Have not imprinted a young pupy though which was the original question.

I did it differently than the others above. I used material placed in a tupperware salt shaker....punctures a few more holes in the side and would do a runaway type play. Tie back pup, let pup see where shaker was put, release pup, pup finds, I reward with the toy. I then increase like you do with human runaway. I then move to hiding, material in different containers, or on articles or placed materiaI. Personally, don't like the idea of the material scent being on the reward item. Although I know it has worked well for many dogs, I fear that the early imprinting of having the material in the mouth will lead to others things. With a dog working off leash at great distances as they are older, the last thing I want is the dog one day, for no reason, bringing me the remains.

The person who we did our basic cadaver training with was LE,originally trained at Lackland and he started all his bomb dogs with throws and and agressive scratching, then took them to passive alerts.

He literally staked his life on being able to make that transition work.