Scent detection training resources - Page 1

I'm interested in learning more about the methods/techniques used in teaching a dog to find and indicate odors (such as mold, bed bugs, and other organic substances). Looking for books, videos, a trainer any reliable resources or suggestions would be appreciated.  Feel free to PM or email me.

Thanks

I'll check with my friend. I believe she just started bedbug scent work with her Shepherd! I believe she is taking a 3 month course:-)

Cool   Thanks Judron55

dAWg¿you ask a loaded/detailed Q, but I¿ll try to chunk it down for you a bit. I train my K9 in live & cadaver scent detection, so I believe regardless of what source it is¿.the imprinting process is pretty much the same. A few things you¿ll need: #1. A K9 with a lot of drive. This a pre-requisite to the type of training you want to do with it. #2. Time, time, time¿and more time. And did I mention patience as well? Yes¿you will need that too! #3. Scent sources. Bed bugs, mold, and other organic substances¿.you need to decide what those ¿other organic substances¿ mean to you¿.since you will have to train multiple different alerts on EACH thing you want to profile your K9 on. #4. Log book Ok¿so to get to the guts of all this: #1. Drive in your K9 is the first thing you need to have to do any kind of work in this type of training. Prey drive, play drive¿whatever!....is your K9 motivated by something? Food? Toy? Establish this for yourself, since it becomes the ace in your pocket (a.k.a. REWARD) #2. Make time and patience your best friends. DO NOT rush anything, and train in progression (meaning, if the dog is not totally grasping STEP 1¿..do not move to STEP 2 until STEP 1 has been completely mastered). You need to initially decide what your command is going to be. Example¿you can command your dog to ¿seek¿, ¿work¿, ¿find ____ fill in the blank of ¿bed bugs, ¿mold¿ etc.). Make this a constant command, and don¿t deviate at all from this. Remember, dogs work on rote/frequency/consistency¿.BUT¿they don¿t work for nothing. REWARD!...REWARD!...REWARD! Initially, you want to place your scent source out (in a place where you know where it is), and give your command (whatever that may be). Timing is critical, so immediately reward when dog¿s nose comes over scent source. Reward with a ¿GOOD _____ ¿ command you give dog, and give dog reward. This imprinting can take up to b/w 4-6 weeks. Now¿.if it takes a little longer¿don¿t sweat it. Get it right, before you move to introducing a 2nd and 3rd scent source (of the same scent). As much as you want to introduce all kinds of different scent sources to the K9¿.every scent source (bed bugs, mold, ¿other organic substances¿ ) requires a different alert. So, in dealing with alerts, what exactly IS your trained alert on the dog? YOU need to decide that! Is it a sit/bark? Is it a down/bark? Is it a refind/bark?....Each and every new scent source you introduce to your K9, needs a new alert. #3. You need to come by or at least do some research on who in your area can assist you further in your goal. They might be able to help you (re: coming by scent sources). I train my K9 on authentic sources, but there are pseudo-scents out there. In your interest, there is no doubt authentic sources, but there may also be pseudo-scent sources as well. This you need to find out. #4. Log *everything*. The wins, losses, and observations. Log where you train, when you train, indoor/outdoor, wind, weather etc.. If it¿s predominantly indoor, you will need to be patient. Indoor airflow is a challenge for a K9. Log untrained alerts (a.ka. dog¿s body language¿.watch this demonically). Much of scent detection in dogs, is reading their responses. Pull your dog off of what you¿re actually training for, and introduce animal scat, human food¿all kinds of things¿.and see how K9 reacts. I will say this¿.as much as you train the K9 on what you want it to detect, YOU also need a plethora of training. Can you identify a bed bug (if someone blindly introduced it to you)? Can you identify these ¿other organic substances¿ you want your K9 to detect? Mold is somewhat of a silent killer, but still¿.can you decipher true, authentic mold? Trust me, when I say¿this becomes your full time, part time, unpaid job. Are you willing to take on this task?

sorry dawg for the upsidedown Q marks in my post above. I tried to send a reply, but this stupid site somehow would not let me post. So I went to a word doc just to give you a decent reply, and the copy/paste version turned out like what you see above. Just assume the upside down Q marks are quotation marks, apostrophies, or comas. Hope you get the gist anyways.

Bed bugs are easy! I trained mine on crabs. That way, if I ever convince a date to come inside, the dog will alert me.

Thanks , kacey - I'll be in touch if I have any questions

Don, dirty dirty don......

Good luck with that.

You can look at some of the certifying bodies such as SWGDOG, they have the list of things you would need to pass. That doesn't help with training but does help in the end result.

Are you looking to certify? I have experience in training detector dogs if you would like to PM me.

Melissa

Thinking about it, but want to learn more first - Thanks for the suggestion Melissa - I'll be in touch