Author Topic: Activities for NOses  (Read 9064 times)

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Offline Finvarra

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Activities for NOses
« on: December 28, 2016, 04:54:08 PM »
Following on from Alan's post in the Toys thread about the sniffer dog. Dylan is not a great one for toys, he likes his little,squeaky and his tea towel, but he doesn't really play much with cuddlies. If you throw a ball or kong he will chase it but not bring it back, once he has got it he loses interest. He likes to chase things, like seagull or crows. But he loves loves loves to find things, we hide things around the house and he turns from a fairly laid back lad to a waggy busy hoover until he finds the prize. I was wondering if there was any activity we could get him into that would utilise this. Obedience doesn't appeal, and I don't have the energy for agility  :005:, and we don't shoot. But I would love to get him involved in something bigger than just finding treats at home, that would utilise,his brain and his nose and his desire to find things. Any ideas, anyone?

Lesley and Dylan
Remembering All the dogs of my life, especially Milo

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Activities for NOses
« Reply #1 on: December 28, 2016, 06:44:00 PM »
Humphrey's exactly like that and we've been looking at some dog clubs here that do Man Trailing or scent trail rallies, which I might have a go at in the spring. OH gave me a book on scent trailing for dogs for xmas - only haven't had a chance to look at it yet but will let you know if I find any good ideas in there.....!

Offline lescef

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Re: Activities for NOses
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2016, 07:04:21 PM »
This is very much Maddie too, prefering to sniff.
There are scentwork groups around but they seem to be predominantly in the South of the UK but appear to be spreading a little.
 I'm on the Wirral and have just signed up to do a scentwork weekend in April.  However, it is expensive and at the moment there isn't enough uptake but I'm hoping it will take place.
It's with Talking Dogs Scentwork.
Lesley, Maddie and Bramble

Offline AlanT

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Re: Activities for NOses
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2016, 10:11:46 AM »
I looked at this:
http://scentworkuk.com/

Also this is a nice friendly person who does scent training:
http://helengreenley.co.uk/

But I'm a loner and quite happy to do blind retrieves and underwater retrieves with my dog, for half an hour or so most days.

On our 10pm bedtime walk, I leave the dog in the house and hide a ball up the street, in the bushes.

Ten minutes later we come out ON LEAD and run full pelt until we find it. Make no mistake this is exciting.
By this stage I really don't know for sure where it is.

Rarely do we make a U-turn and go back to find it. Suddenly it's just in the mouth.

I will have made right-angle turns, gone round corners, behind bushes etc.
I am in awe how the dog can do this.

It's eerie. Like he can read your mind or see though walls.

I can see that in the forest I turn up leaves, disturb fungus and mark a nice route, but on a wet pavement, streets with the odd car passing. How much track can a rubber street shoe leave behind?

I know from experiments that he must be within 10 feet to actually scent the ball. But he does finally home in by doing this.

A great sight is to hide the ball 5-6 feet up in a tree. He will do his best to climb that tree.

When I come and knock the ball out for him to catch it, you can see the sense of satisfaction and achievement he gets.

I'd encourage everyone to try these games. It has helped with guarding problems, recall, leave, stay and all the usual training stuff. To hide and find you need to also do these other things.

Offline Finvarra

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Re: Activities for NOses
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2016, 01:45:19 PM »
This all looks very interesting and a lot of fun. Been googling it and there are a few different 'clubs'. The nearest Talking dogs one to me is the Isle of Mull, which is a bit far!! A good site I found is called Tracklines, some good info there. I'll see if I can find anything more local. We live Ina quite an isolated spot, so I do enjoy meeting with other dogs and doggy people. We have finished our puppy classes now, Dylan is fine with all the basics, and some tricks, but I miss the classes, and I think this would really stimulate him and be good for both of us. I've hidden things round the house and garden, but never out on a walk.

What was the book you got, Jayne?

Your dog sounds amazing Alan and must have a lot of fun.

Lesley and Dylan

Remembering All the dogs of my life, especially Milo

Offline lescef

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Re: Activities for NOses
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2016, 04:09:28 PM »
I was doing this with Maddie today (can only do it when we're out on our own or Bramble interfers!)
Take a favourite toy, ball, sock, glove, make sure the dog knows you have it, as you walk across a field, drop it, make a big fuss and send them looking for it. Reward for bringing it to you. Maddie loves it yet she won't retrieve a thrown ball.
 I know someone who lost her car keys and her dog traced them back  on the beach!
Lesley, Maddie and Bramble

Offline Finvarra

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Re: Activities for NOses
« Reply #6 on: December 29, 2016, 04:26:46 PM »
Thanks Lesley, will give this a try. It'll have to be the tea towel!  :005:

Lesley and Dylan
Remembering All the dogs of my life, especially Milo

Offline AlanT

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Re: Activities for NOses
« Reply #7 on: December 29, 2016, 11:19:23 PM »
It took very little effort to get mine tracking. Only a week or so.

Just as a joke really, I marked the patio slabs with a treat, so as to make a trail and left the treat at the end.
Then I marked only a few slabs. One day for fun I marked no slabs at all. This made no difference.

Then I used a ball and hid it all over the garden. There is a video on here of Archie at about 18 months old finding in the garden.

I went on to training in a Maze and then we started underwater retrieving. It just came naturally.

Although he cannot see when I hide, it actually makes no difference if he does. Even if I put the ball in plain sight in the middle of the lawn he won't see it. He will just track my steps until he can smell it.

I have even seen him follow the scent of a cat around the garden while the cat sat looking at him.
But if you throw the ball, he follows it perfectly by sight. So this is just how he focuses his mind.

This is one of the few ways that you can actually know what they are thinking. You can watch as he solves a problem, like the trail has stopped and there is no ball. 

This happens if I stop and then throw the ball into the bushes. This requires a change of tactic.
Usually he searches out in ever increasing circles. But often will pick a best guess by heading for a tree or other likely hiding place.

I do a few "impossible finds" like keeping the ball in my pocket. I've worked out a few things that beat him.
A really long backwards throw. Walking out a long way and then hiding almost at the starting point make it harder.

Then I use pointing, or vectoring with left/right - away/come.  We have been working hard at this. It's quite difficult. He's over confident and "knows best".

See how I am combining obedience, swapping, sit/stay, recall into all of this. It's just painless "learning on the job".

Offline Finvarra

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Re: Activities for NOses
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2016, 01:44:28 PM »
Well I took a bit of his tea towel,for,our,walk in the woods this morning. Started by dropping it on the,path, then at the side of the path,so he got the idea, then hid it in the bracken and undergrowth. Then I hooked it on low branches, and chucking it further into the trees, on top of a drystone wall and then three feet off the ground. He found it every time! I don't think he was tracking me, as he seemed to sniff the air mostly, sometimes he used his eyes, but it was definitely his nose when it was out of sight. Lots of distracting smells, other dogs, wildlife.  He loved it too, joy to watch. He doesn't, retrieve much though, once he's found it, it's job done, and he either races around with it in his mouth and drops it, or just leaves it where he found it. Milo retrieved the first ball,that was ever thrown for him and never looked back, but Dylan just hasn't grasped this  :lol2:

I've watched your video Alan, great stuff, what a clever wee dog.

Lesley and Dylan
Remembering All the dogs of my life, especially Milo

Offline BonnieScot

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Re: Activities for NOses
« Reply #9 on: December 30, 2016, 05:19:13 PM »
Bonnie and I have done the Scentworks one- the lady in Mull did it in Edinburgh, so you might find one near you if you check the website. It was a great two days and amazing how every single dog 'got it'. Bonnie and I will do simple finds round the house, and when we're out walking too. She gets so excited she offers me a gratuitous down while I throw a treat over her head and then she switches on the hoover nose to find whatever landed in the long grass.

Her latest trick is putting her toys away in a box. Except her toys now include the grubby dog walking shoes....

Offline AlanT

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Re: Activities for NOses
« Reply #10 on: December 30, 2016, 05:52:36 PM »
How nice to hear someone has done some scent-work.
Gradually you make it more tricky. You will be amazed what they can do.

If you think about it, on every walk off-lead the dog has to find you when you call. I often used to pop behind a tree to try to make sure he "checked-in" when off-lead. So they probably all get used to finding you by scent.

Having said that it won't matter if a complete stranger hides the ball. He will still find it just the same.

Actually getting the ball back is the hardest part sometimes.

Maybe I'll post the out-take where I reward the find and get the ball. But then I fumble and drop it.
He grabs it. Now I just holds on. I give up. Had his cake and ate it!

That video was 18-months ago. He has done thousands of "finds" since then. I don't need to shut him in now.
I can send him away to hide around a corner by the back gate and then call him out.

Has been known to "peek" though.




Offline Londongirl

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Re: Activities for NOses
« Reply #11 on: December 30, 2016, 06:53:45 PM »
In the house, I get Henry to sit in a corner, tell him to stay, show him the toy then I go to hide it. But about half way out the room I have to turn around and tell him to stop peeking as he will have inched forwards and have his head around the corner.
Rachael (me) and Henry (him)


Offline AlanT

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Re: Activities for NOses
« Reply #12 on: December 30, 2016, 11:33:11 PM »
At first I always shut the door to stop cheating. It's only this last half-year that I got first-class sit/stay.

Today I made him sit on the veranda of the Cricket club while I popped behind it and hid the ball.

Quite a few couples and dogs passed while he sat there. Then suddenly I called and a passing couple were greeted by Spaniel-on-a-mission. Full pelt, appearing from apparently nowhere, and plunging into the undergrowth.

Most amusing.


Offline MIN

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Re: Activities for NOses
« Reply #13 on: December 31, 2016, 03:10:39 PM »
In the house, I get Henry to sit in a corner, tell him to stay, show him the toy then I go to hide it. But about half way out the room I have to turn around and tell him to stop peeking as he will have inched forwards and have his head around the corner.


Gemma always like to play " whats the time Mr Wolf".. we physically take her back and re-spot her
Run free and fly high my beautiful Gemma
2011 - 2023 

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Offline Londongirl

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Re: Activities for NOses
« Reply #14 on: December 31, 2016, 03:58:09 PM »
In the house, I get Henry to sit in a corner, tell him to stay, show him the toy then I go to hide it. But about half way out the room I have to turn around and tell him to stop peeking as he will have inched forwards and have his head around the corner.


Gemma always like to play " whats the time Mr Wolf".. we physically take her back and re-spot her

Such cheeky little so-and-sos.
Rachael (me) and Henry (him)