How to Get Started in AKC Scent Work for Beginners | #DingleDaysPodcast 001

How to Get Started in AKC Scent Work for Beginners | #DingleDaysPodcast 001

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Geryah interviewed Jeremy Mclaughlin of Family First K9 about how to get started in AKC Scent Work for beginners and discussed some of the biggest pitfalls new pet parents make when getting started with scent detection. Jeremy is owner of Family First K9. American Kennel Club (AKC),Canine Performance Events (CPE) and National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW™) judge. Drug beat evaluator. Training Director of Bluegrass Working Dogs, a club that trains and competes in Working Dogs of America (WDA), Protection Sports Association (PSA) and American Schutzhund. Lifelong dog sport competitor. 

GETTING STARTED WITH SCENT DETECTION (FAMILY FIRST K9):

In our discussion, Jeremy brought up some interesting points that relate to some of the major differences between AKC and CPE Scent Detection dog sports. Particularly, he highlighted the flexibility that CPE provides as it relates to junior handlers, toleration of minor errors, and youth participation.

With so much misinformation online, Jeremy honed in on what to look for as a beginner starting out in scent work and the importance of aligning yourself with a trainer to gain foundational knowledge before branching out to online courses.

In his work with his Family First K9 dog training business, which offers many services including puppy school class, basic and advanced obedience, protection sports, scent work and professional detection dogs as well as tracking, Jeremy frequently reiterates the basic stages of training scent wok and the importance of handlers not rushing thru the imprinting stage.

Pet parents must build value to the odor - First! Otherwise, the dog really has no reason to think that a particular scent is important. This association requires multiple reps in the early stages to proof obedience to odor and a pristine “alert” when the time comes.

During the show, Jeremy also discussed the use cases for building a quality odor imprinting tube; their durability is unmatched by a simple cardboard box.

Training with varying containers can help to build confidence in a dog and aid in increasing the difficulty of the search over time. Jeremy emphasizes the need to diversify your training experience with multiple rooms, multiple odors and multiple distractions.

Moreover, the all too common question of how long does it take to train scent work came up. Instead of focusing on a “magic number,” Jeremy provided some beneficial tips that largely aligned with the pillars of dog training - focusing on consistency.

The podcast is packed with a ton of knowledge for pet parents to start on the right path when training scent work as a beginner.

Focus on rewarding at source, pay attention to your timing when marking the behaviors, keep on-line training in context (build a foundation first), seek first-hand experience when possible, and look in to some of the trailblazers within the sport of scent detection, such as Randy Hare or Flavio Falkao and their training methods. AKC workshops and webinars are not a bad place to start either.

Some resources to consider when trying to get started in scent detection or general obedience…

• The National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW™) is the official sanctioning and organizing body for the sport of K9 Nose Work. Only through NACSW ™ sanctioned events can you earn Nose Work titles and awards https://www.nacsw.net/

• Bluegrass Working Dog Club specializes in Police K-9's, Protection, and Sport dogs. They focus on traditional Schutzhund (IPO) training and utilize a combination of modern and traditional training approaches.

• American Schutzhund is a dog sport that tests a dog's tracking, obedience, and protection skills, and evaluates if a dog has the appropriate traits and characteristics of a good working dog.

• Working Dogs of America is a Working Dog Registry and Titling program for protection, obedience & tracking (implied  police, military or personal protection service)

https://www.workingdogsofamerica.com/content/sdaweb/index.html

• The Protection Sports Association provides an outlet for civilian competition in canine obedience and controlled protection, and to recognize achievement with titles and prizes, and promote competition with club trials and championship tournaments. https://psak9-as.org/ 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MY FREE K9 SCENT WORK SCORESHEET!

HERE ARE THE KEY TAKEAWAYS OF THIS EPISODE:

[00:54] About Jeremy Mclaughlin

[06:30] American Schutzhund

• The space requirement for training

[08:30] AKC / CPE (What’s the difference?)

• What to choose?

• Flexibility on errors

• Junior handler appeal

[14:30] Taking on a digital apprenticeship

Misinformation online

The stages of training scent work

Rushing thru the imprinting stage

Build value to odor

Must train with multiple reps

The importance of the early stages

[16:30] Using the Family First K9 Odor Imprinting Tubes

• Progressing thru to the shell game

• Building confidence with the tubes

• Don’t rush the alert/final indication

• Understanding the dog’s body language

[18:30] Scent Work has to be fun

• Balance obedience with the need for intensity

• Novice vs. Advance and beyond

• Training Multiple rooms, multiple odors, multiple distractions

[23:15] How long does it take to train scent work?

• Discussing consistency and the pillars of dog training

• Shaping the indication

• 100% is not guaranteed

• Jackpot the behaviors you like

• Discouraging the aggressive alert/indication

• Let the dog problem solve

[27:40] Diversify your training experience

• Generalizing the behavior

• Boxes or odor imprinting tubes?

• The “Yard Sell Environment” of Scent Detection

• Avoiding the box crushers for multiple-sport dogs

• Proofing with the bases of the scent tubes

[33:15] Where to get Odor Imprinting Tubes

• How to make your own imprinting tubes

[36:47] Thoughts for the scent work beginner

• Rewarding at source method

• Timing

• Find a trainer

• Online training in-context

• Randy Hare method of detection

• KAS method with Flavio Falkao

• AKC Workshops

AND MUCH MORE!

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Connect with Jeremy Mclaughlin on Social Media

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWpbLJD16ScBadE_eyXVxXg - YouTube

@bluegrassworkingdogclub - Facebook

https://www.patreon.com/familyfirstk9 - Patreon

@familyfirstk9 https://www.instagram.com/familyfirstk9/ - instagram

https://familyfirstk9.net/ - website

If you would like a set of odor tubes, email Jeremy at Training@familyfirstk9.net for more information.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE

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Continue to Get After It!

– Dingle Days

Hi, I’m Geryah! I am a dog lover and enthusiast whose life is enriched every day by the company of my furry friend. I started training dogs in 2017, when I decided to make my passion a reality. I film, edit, and post training and pet photography videos with my GSD, Disney on my YouTube Channel: Dingle Days. My mission is to train dogs and teach people to enable pets to best share in our lives.