NW180: Developing Scent-sational Skills for Competition

From week 2 Crazy Containers!

Containers can really be CRAZY! So many configurations and strategies to decide. Of course containers have that added complexity of housing distractors, but we won’t focus on that right now. Let’s toss that aside and focus on just the sheer complexity that there can be with containers.

Some organizations are not specific on the kind of setups, layout or number. AKC does a nice job clearly defining what you may have!

Now that you have practiced running 2 rows of containers for your ORT or novice runs, we need to set up other configurations and might as well start with the chart below! Circles, Us, and X rows of 5!

Circles are fun! You can develop some nice methodical flow and the visual picture is not overwhelming and it’s easier for the dogs to move on to the next container and not ping pong around. Using any kind of containers - make as big of a circle as you can up to about 15 or so containers. Place 1 or 2 hides spread out - different odors if you can (Birch and Anise). If your dog misses one, you can turn back and go the other way. IF they come across a found one, go ahead and let them indicate again and reward.

When you start to get to higher levels, the setup can be more overwhelming to your dog - a sea of containers and odor in the air!

Let’s take a look at 3 rows of 5.

First, let’s run a blank container search! Yep, a blank. It’s not scary at all. It’s quick and allows us to rehearse methodical searching without odor in the picture. It won't demotivate your dog to not find odor in 15s. After you leave the search area, ask your dog for a quick trick and reward.

One strategy for running this setup is to take your dog around the outside boxes first (ideally with you working on the inside for a smooth transition to the next line). Once your dog has searched the outside, you only have 3 left in the middle to check! You can walk around the outside, but for larger dogs, distracted dogs or handler focused dogs they tend to turn INTO the handler and not drive away around the corner done the next line of containers. The handling is not as smooth and the flow is interrupted creating more distraction to the dog. We want smooth and continuous searching!

If I got to the end and didn't find odor, I'd reverse my directon. Turn into my dog to get them on my right, go down the center and then go counter clockwise around the outside boxes and end at the start line. If your dog still doesn't pick up odor - take a break, replace the hot box with a more vented container and/or with more odor.

At first it may not make sense on known number of hides to run with this strategy - a dog could go right to source - cross over all the containers and wham bam, you are done! Thinking ahead when you will have unknown number and many many more containers, it can be challenging remembering where you have been and can lead to over searching and increase chances of a false.

Now we will add odor! 

You'll noticed on this last search here, the dog did not check the last 2 containers on that first row. The handler in this case knew there was only one hide, but finished out searching the rest to practicing clearing the area. In NW3/Elite with unknown number of hides, you rarely end your search at a found hide.