NW475 Challenges to Enhance Problem Solving: Another 6 Weeks of Setups

Nosework isn't REALLY all about the nose... it's about the dog using all of their senses and problem solving the location of the hidden source material. When we train, it's so important to support the development of that decision making process. Every time you set a hide, you shape the dog's searching behaviors. By setting hides that help your dog to THINK, you create an engaged, efficient dog.

Course Details

This course will include setups that will enhance HOW your dog problem solves in order to tighten your dog's skill set. This will take your training to the next level in addition to helping you break out of your own hide setting patterns!

Each week, we will cover 4 to 5 different setup examples created to enhance your dog's problem solving. The setups will include options for both upper level and lower level application so that you can tailor the assignment for your dog.

Excerpt from Class Intro:

In this class, we will be using setup arrangements to help build your dog's problem solving skills. So often I get asked for an "advanced skills class". Interestingly, advanced skills are just build-outs of your basic skills with a bit of extra problem solving. If we can get the dog really problem solving odor early on, and continue with developing problem solving skills throughout the dog's career, those "advanced" skills that you might utilize in Elite, Summit, or AKC Detective basically build themselves! You see... HIDES train the dog, we don't. In this class, I will be sharing example setups with you in a way that you can use them to INSPIRE your own searches.

Each week, I will give you 4 to 5 different setups with a short explanation about how to make the search a little simpler. I will be using my own dogs as demo dogs for the bulk of the setups. Where possible, I will show you multiple dogs and talk about the differences in how they solve the puzzle. Your dog might be similar or different... you will need to modify your setup to suit your own dog. The description on how to make the setup more straightforward can help with that decision making process. If your dog is newer to searching, I encourage you to start easier and then go from there.

The class will open with exercises to BUILD MOTIVATION. That becomes the core of the whole class. You will find that if you build motivation for source, and you set hides that challenge the dog suitably, that your dog will start to dig deep and problem solve. You see, building motivation and interest in the search increases ENGAGEMENT which is critical for the dog to learn.

You may not want to do all of the setups each week... It's totally ok to pick and choose! In fact, I recommend that! Choose the setups that will benefit YOUR DOG the most. And if you are short on time, pick and choose and you won't feel "left behind".

You may need to get creative with some of the setups. This is done on purpose. I will show you example setups but you will want to practice looking around at your search area to see how you can adapt (or if you need to pick a new area). Most of these setups are NOT meant to be "duplicated"... they are meant to be "inspiration".... By setting something on your own, you will start to learn how to set hide to encourage problem solving, beyond this class... and it will make you a better trainer!

Teaching Approach

This course will include one lecture per setup. The instruction will be written with short videos of example searches. The student may need to adapt the example to their own situation. Lecture videos may run from 1 to 4 minutes long, with the average between 1-2 minutes. The lectures are designed to help a student understand the purpose of the topic and how its application might vary by dog. Care is taken so that learners who learn by both watching and reading will be successful.

This class will have a Teaching Assistant (TA) available in the Facebook discussion group to help the Bronze and Silver students! Directions for joining can be found in the classsroom after you register.

Syllabus

This class will include a variety of setups. The setups won't have particular themes and can be worked in any order. The student can "pick and choose" what to work on throughout the class. The first two weeks establish love of source and value for sourcing.

Week 1: Building Motivation for Source

Week 2: Single Hide Setups for Sourcing

Week 3 through 6: Various setups that emphasize problem solving... some examples include:

Pooling away from source
Hides that look elevated but really are not
Lofting odor away from source
Odor that travels through objects
Alcoves and converging odor
And more!

Prerequisites & Supplies

Students in Gold Spots should be working at the NW2 or AKC Excellent level and up in order to be able to get the most out of the setups. Some setups will involve converging odor and slight elevation... teaching HOW to introduce those skills is not in scope of the class. Hide setups will emphasize Accessible hides because we want the dog to believe "no hide is inaccessible".

More Novice teams will have suggestions for applying these concepts in a more straightforward setup. Novice teams will be encouraged to work the setups using the suggested modifications for challenge level. Teams working at NW1 or AKC Novice or Advanced should utilize the setup modications provided with each exercise.

Sample Lecture

In our previous lecture, we talked about the importance of A+ reinforcers and how you are more important to your dog than you might think. In this lecture, we will apply our reinforcement approach in a way that builds drive for source. This is going to lay the foundation for all of our work this term. This term, we are going to ask our dogs to work hard and to problem solve. That requires A LOT of brain power! To fuel that brain power, we need maximum motivation. That is where our A+ reinforcers come in and that is where heavily reinforcing drive to source comes in! Using these two concepts we build a dog that WANTS to problem solve.

We are essentially giving the dog a challenge that is doable for their skill level and we are really making it worth their while! Effort versus Payout will be a strong thread for all of our searches this term.

Exercise: Sourcing with Motivation in Tight Hallway

In this exercise, we are going to use environmental pressure to increase the challenge level of a search. Your dog will encounter tight spaces and other forms of environmental pressure throughout their career. Exercises like this make those searches easy. We can increase the dog's confidence in this type of search by setting something doable within their skillset and then rewarding HEAVILY.

Environmental pressure is the "tightness" that a dog might experience while searching. Some dogs are more sensitive to this pressure and may show more trepidation while working and sourcing. This can decrease their desire to problem solve unless they are accustomed to great payout for their efforts.

Setup:

You can do this in any standard hallway that you might have in your house. Line both walls with objects. The more advanced the dog's training or the more comfortable the dog is in tight spaces, the more clutter you want to add. You will want to leave a narrow path for the dog to search. Ideally, the dog will be able to come out into an open area at the opposite side of the hallway. You might need to leave a door open in order to do this. The reason why we want an open area on the other end of the search area is to allow the dog to chase the odor out and catch an edge of the scent cone. It also provides a little "relief" for more sensitive dogs.

Set a single hide within the clutter. In this example, I have a straw under a lip of a small bin about halfway through the clutter. I have videoed viewpoints from both ends of the search. It's super interesting to show however you are not required to do so in your homework (one view is fine!)

Execution:

Stay back at the start line and let your dog work completely independently. Our dogs learn more when we let them work without interference. If your dog hesitates and you feel the need to "help", stop the search and remove some of the clutter. Dogs learn ok with direction but they learn incredibly well through experiencing self discovery and working independently.

When your dog has indicated at the hide, mark the dog (with a "Yes" or an "Alert".. or whatever you use) and then move in to reward. Reward with your A+ reinforcer and praise HEAVILY. Make sure that your reward event lasts LONGER than your dog's actual search!

Examples:

This is Prize (NW3 Level). Prize is pressure sensitive. Watch how she decides to drive into the hallway and then comes out the other side. This provides her "relief" and helps her to build her confidence to push in. She is rewarded by being successful. Exercises like this will help her to become less pressure sensitive when searching.

This is Brava (Summit Level). Brava has no environmental pressure or sensitivities. You will note that although all 3 Labradors used in my example are all "high drive", they also get effusive praise and rewards, just like my lower drive Mini Aussie who is featured in the last video. Watch how Brava moves through to the other side of the hallway and then works the odor back to the hide.

This is Powder (Elite Level). Powder is more direct to odor than Brava in many ways. She is also the least environmentally sensitive dog that I have. Powder does not need to work the puzzle from the back of the hallway and instead just drives to source! Even with her drive and energy levels, I am rewarding and praising HEAVILY!

This is Why (NW3 Level). Why is very environmentally sensitive as is much lower drive than the Labradors. However, work like this has really increased his confidence! He does a beautiful job with this search! He also works the hides from the opposite end of the hallway.

Ways to Reduce Challenge Level:

Of course this class is suitable for both very advanced dogs and very novice dogs. In order to set this up for a more novice dog, aim for HALF this clutter and adjust up or down as necessary. Make sure to keep that hide accessible!

Instructors

Stacy Barnett

Stacy Barnett is a top nosework competitor and trainer, with many Summit Level titles in the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW), (Judd SMTx3, Brava SMTx5, Powder SMTx5). She is also a Wilderness SAR K9 handler with her certified dog, K9 Prize. Stacy has been a faculty member at FDSA since 2015 (Click here for full bio and to view Stacy's upcoming courses)...

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