Police Dog Odor Introduction Training

ODOR INTRODUCTION

ODOR INTRODUCTION

Before attempting to condition a detector police dog, establish what it is the police detection dog must do once it has located the target odor. The two excepted responses are passive/sitting or aggressive/scratching. The detector dogs that we train at Enforcement K9, Inc are conditioned to respond passively upon locating the odor. Trainers with Enforcement K9, Inc. use a successive approximation outline method of conditioning in successive steps to achieve the final response. Identify the criterion that the dog(s) must attain on each task prior to moving to the next task. Next select the odors in sequence that the dog will be conditioned to detect and determine the weight of each item to be used to reach each criterion. Prior to odor introduction allow the dog to become acclimated to the training area. Even adult mature police dogs for sale need to be acclimated to their training environments. Many different things could influence even a mature adult police dog to have problem acclimating i.e. airplane rides, large kennel environments, new handler. Place the item to be detected first between the floor level and the height of the dog's head when it is standing. The actual technique used to get the dog to identify the reward with the odor to be detected will vary with different conditioning techniques that are used by various trainers. It should be noted that it will take a minimum of 45 to 50 trials before the dog starts to associate the reward with the detected odor. This figure may vary depending on the learning capability of the dog. If after running a 100 trials and the dog does not give initial response to the odor, does not attempt to work the odor to source and/or he does not give a final response, the police dog trainer should take a close look at the following:

1.The trainer may have to adjust the conditioning techniques. 2.The reward value to the dog may not be sufficient to maintain the desired behavior. 3.The dog may have a learning or physical deficiency. 4.The trainer may be able to detect a rapport problem between the handler and the dog.

Once the police dog is ready to teach the final response, the following actions may beutilized. When the dog is sniffing the odor, the dog is cued to sit. Applying the verbal command "sit" and/or upward pressure on the choke chain can cue the dogs that have been already taught to sit. Police Dogs that have not been conditioned to sit should be given the verbal command to "sit", give gentle upward pressure on the choke chain and downward pressure on the dog's rump. Do not shout the "sit" command or give a jerk on the choke chain to get the dog to respond to the item to be detected. When the dog makes the sit response it is rewarded immediately while in the sit position. The ball reward will be given over the dog's head and behind him. This will reinforce the sit position for responding to the odor and it will condition the dog to remain in the sit position until rewarded. Remember the primary reward will be given first and the secondary reward can immediately follow which is physical or verbal praise. A delay between the response and the reward can be systematically increased.

Every effort should be made to reinforce the sit response and not the response made prior to or after that response. Eliminate the cues i.e. verbal cues and leash pressure and randomize the hand, foot, and body movements so the dog learns to respond to the odor and not the cues. Tapping the location of the item to be detected with your fingers may be used to bring out the physical response of sniffing and moving toward the item. Each time the dog is asked to find and to locate an item to be detected that constitutes a trial. Each trail should be recorded in sequential order. As additional trails are conducted the handler should gradually increase the period from the time the dog sniffs the odor and when the dog is cued to sit. This will allow the dog to make the decision to sit on its own without verbal and physical assistance from the police dog handler. If you allow the dog to stop sniffing the odor before you cue it to sit, the dog will not learn to pair the odor with the sit response and the reward. All items to be detected should be introduced in the same manner as the first training aid.

Police Dog Odor Introduction Training

By: Kevin

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