ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE DOGS

When working in a novel environment with our environmentally sensitive dogs, it is of the utmost importance to build a positive CER (conditioned emotional response) to working in new areas.  If they are too worried and scanning the environment and not focused on searching, go do something else!  You do not want to build the scanning and worriedness into the searching behavior chain.  Always get your dog’s opinion on how they feel at that moment, in that environment.  Are they avoidance sniffing?  Worriedly scanning the environment?  Taking cookies hard or not taking cookies at all?  Or are they ready to search?  Observe your learner and respect their opinion.

Learn your dog’s tell…  just like we learn their COB in odor, we can do the same in new environments.  What do they look like going into a search at home or in a comfortable environment?  What do they look like before they are able to successfully search?  And then what do they look like after their acclimation walk and getting ready to search?  How does this compare to what they look like when they are just not able to focus on searching.  Look at their body language for any telltale signs of when they are comfortable to search and when they just are too worried.  Use that information for all future training sessions. 

Denise had a recent post that really hit home with this topic, here are some highlights:

So...your dog doesn't do what you want! What are your choices as you make your next training plan?

Identify the weak point and focus on it. Do whatever needs to happen to improve it. I don't think it matters very much how you do this, as long as you remember that you are responsible for teaching expectations, and therefore the dog should like what you are doing and want it to happen. Help the dog. Lure the dog. Go back to an easier step and strengthen it. Focus on it. Simplify the environment, etc. All is just fine.

Emotion trumps behavior every time. Keep your dog a happy learner. Become a better trainer. Take responsibility.

Over the long run, this is a winning strategy that will strengthen your relationship and maintain your dog's faith in you as a valuable partner.

This reminds me of one of my most favorite quotes for our environmentally sensitive dogs:

"When a flower doesn't bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower." Alexander Den Heijer.    

It is very important to have odor obedience (high value for odor) and very clear criteria (clarity) for our environmentally sensitive dogs.  It is already difficult in new environments and if they really do not have the confidence and motivation for the game, then we are not setting them up to succeed.  It can be difficult for them to work in new areas and if they do not really care about odor or do not fully understand what is expected, that just adds more unnecessary pressure.  This is why we start with motivation and confidence games and rapid fire treats.  And then when we move to a new environment we start with very easy and very “safe” searches for them.  You can also reward early the first few times to for confidence building.

Leash handling, yes, leash handling can impact your environmentally sensitive dog.  If you follow too closely, put pressure on them, or block them in a tight space without an easy way out, this all can have a negative impact on the search.  Step back, give them freedom to move around as needed, remove the pressure.  If you have videos of some recent searches where the environment was an issue, go back and see if you were putting pressure on your dog.  If not, that is great, keep up the great work.  If you were, keep that in mind the next time you go out to search.  If it is hard for you to remember, tie a ribbon or flagging tape at about 6-7’ on your leash to remind you to give your dog space.

When first starting, find a parking lot with very little activity and just work close to your van.  I have found that either stores that have been shut down or mall parking lots before they open are great for this type of work.  Sometimes parks at off hours or campgrounds after they are shut down for the season can work.  Just some ideas to get your creative juices flowing for locations in your area.  If you think your dog is up to working next to a building for comfort versus your vehicle, you can start there too.

Take a 5-10 minute acclimation/decompression walk and then when your dog is ready, play some motivation and focus games.  Leslie McDevitt’s LAT (look at that) can also be great as it allows your dog to point out scary things to you.  I would teach it outside of nose work training and then once your dog understands it, it can be incorporated in.  You can even start with a little IYC with odor in a tin before an actual search.  Support your dog!!

Here is an example of using your vehicle as support for IYC.  Chance is still checking the environment; however he can focus on his odor.  Just imagine what would happen to his focus if his vehicle was not there.

We have been working on some different motivation games, you can play any of those or just a simple container search.  Put the containers right next to the vehicle to provide the “safety net” for your dog.  Play a modified shell game and move around the hot box and repeat the search a couple times.

If all goes well, you can then do a simple search on the vehicle. 

Then move 50’ in the parking lot and repeat, and then do it again.  This way you are in a “new” environment, but really not.  And your safety net (vehicle) is going with you.

Do this as many times / days needed for your dog to feel comfortable and confident getting out and searching.  You can go back to the same area if it will help your dog or move to a new parking lot. 

When your dog is comfortable with this, move into a safe environment.  Set up your search so that you have the safety of a building on one or two sides.  This allows our dog to focus more on the task at hand instead of scanning all around them for scary things.  It is amazing how just one side blocked brings more confidence into the search.  Again, try to find very low activity areas to start.  Schools can be great on weekend mornings.

Here is a great example of a student’s very environmentally sensitive dog.  Her prior search was on a corner, so there was no safe side and her dog was scanning all over the environment and distraction sniffing.  He just could not focus on his job as he was too concerned with the environment.  She then moved the search by a wall and look at him go!

You can also set up “safe” exterior searches with one or two sides of the search area blocked by a building or wall of some sort. 

Homework:  If your dog is environmentally sensitive, work through each step and submit for review.  If you want to take pictures of the area and submit for discussion before searching there, please do so.   You do not need to start with boxes when you move to the exterior area, you can do an exterior search (reference above Bam! video) versus the boxes search.  The objective is the setup of the area to provide a comfortable area that your dog can quickly and successfully find odor.

This really hits home:  "What you know logically doesn't help if you're feeling different emotionally"

Remember to start with focus games, a sniffing walk, your practiced start line routine including forward focus before release.  You can reset at the start line if needed.  (If they still are not ready, release, give an effort cookie and provide the needed emotional support.)  Reward good decisions, abort the search if needed, be patient with the process… and always support your dog.    

Then party to the car!!