NW345: Container Wizardry: Fixes, Proofs, and Results
Course Details
This class is about creating the AMAZING Container Dog...
Containers are tough in that they really are NOT a searching exericse... they are a Selection exercise. That means that we can get all sorts of "other stuff" pop up containers that we don't necessarily get in other elements. We can get destructive behavior, false alerts, missed hides... and on top of that, we can have distractions in containers. This class addresses these topics in a way that you can work on what YOU need to work on... this class is NOT about practicing cmotainers... it's about TRAINING containers. We slice and dice what drive problems in containers in order to achieve TRUE FLUENCY.
The class will start with an assessment to detemine where you should focus. Then based on the assessment, you will work modules that apply to your team... if you make great progress in the Alerts Module and you want to work the Distraction Module later in the class, you can!
The emphasis of this class will be (you can pick and choose what you work on):
Developing a focused and passive alert response (teaching an Alert)
Correct arousal / methodical search pattern
Distractions
Fixing False Alerts with Clarity
Building Focus on Containers
Handling
This class is appropriate for both Food and Toy Reward dogs.
Here's a video of Prize working mega distractions:
Teaching Approach
This class will be guided primarily through assessment of container performance by the learner and the instructor. There will be short lectures published each week with both written description of the exercises as well as video examples. This class will focus on the learner working on the root of container problems rather than focusing on running full practice searches. The learner will need to apply concepts related to increasing criteria when setting up container searches.
This class will have a Teacher's Assistant (TA) available in the Facebook study group to help the Bronze and Silver students! Directions for joining will be in the classroom after you register.
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 SMTx3). 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)
The handler will pick and choose skills to focus on to developing one or several areas. Skills to work on include:
Developing Focused Alerts
Core Concept: Arousal
Start lines
Developing methodical container searches
Core Concept: Clarity
Making odor more available
Making odor less available
Distractions
Core Concept: Independence
Working off leash
Leveraging hunting skills
Weeks 5 and 6:
The handler can choose to (1) continue material from previous weeks, (2) work on perfecting handling for different container situations and according to their dog's needs, or (3) work on setup challenges "when air flow runs amok".
Perfecting Handling: Perfect for newer handlers of handlers coping with a history of false alerts in competitions that occur when hot containers are not nearby
When Air Flow Runs Amok: Perfect for handlers with dogs who have a history of alerting on cold containers that are located in the proximity of hot containers
Supplies necessary will depend on what the student works on in class.
For all students, a variety of containers will be required. It can be helpful to have a selection of cardboard boxes, competition type containers (e.g, toolboxes, plastic shoe boxes, paint cans, etc), and potentially flat bags. If the student is in the US, the Dollar Tree will ship directly and is a great option for procuring containers.
ONLY If the team decides to work on developing a passive alert, the supplies needed include:
Switch Box Example materials (you can use this or like materials). You will only need ONE. If you can't find these materials, anything unbreakable with a "nose hole" will work:
Rubbermaid Example materials (you can use these or like containers)... you will need a total of SIX. I use these because the plastic is soft enough to cut a hole in the top that is nose sized but at the same time they are indestructible. If you have a more gentle dog who doesn't do a lot of damage, you could get away with using cardboard boxes. Plastic shoeboxes won't work because they have brittle tops (you can't cut holes in them). I HIGHLY recommend these for more destructive dogs. This particular container is 7" tall and is the smallest available at 3 gallons. If you have a shorter dog, you can use something smaller.... just make sure that you can cut a nose sized hole in the top.
If you are in this class, then you are probably familiar with that dread... that sinking feeling that comes with Container searches. You've probably also told yourself that "containers should be easy". And that usually will make a handler feel worse! Containers though are NOT easy. In fact, they are probably one of the most challenging elements that there are to search.
Why are Containers so difficult?
The primary reason why containers are so difficult is that a container "search" isn't actually a search at all... A container search is actually a series of decisions where the dog has to discriminate between their catalog of target odors and whatever else the dog is searching. Not only does the dog have to make a decision with each container, the dog also needs to work variable odor availability and strength of odor. AND the dog has to ignore distractions even if there is no target odor available. Oh and of course, destruction of the search area is heavily frowned upon!
Then you layer the pattern of the containers, the parameters of the search (known vs unknown number), and the scenting conditions, and you have a recipe for a VERY challenging "search".
Let's explore these issues a little...
Containers, because they are a series of decisions, is actually a selection exercise versus a hunting exercise. The question becomes "which one" as opposed to "where is it". This means that there is performance pressure (dog AND handler) with containers... performance pressure that isn't quite as felt in normal hunting type searches. Also, all of those wonderful benefits that you get from Nosework... triggering the Seeking System and all of those incredible hormones?? Well they apply to hunting... NOT selecting! As a result of this, the dog (and often the handler), starts to feel like they have to pick SOMETHING... this is a huge driver of false alerts!
You can see this sort of behavior in this NW3 Container search that I ran with Joey. In NW3, searches can be 0 to 3 hides. It turns out that this search was blank. Once Joey starts to search, you can see him start to default to alert behavior on nearly every box. I wisely called Finish in this case, signaling to the judge that I was stating that the search was blank. In the presence of no odor, Joey defaulted to guessing.
Another possibility that you might get in this situation is the dog completely checking out and getting distracted or wanting to leave. When this happens, many handlers panic and bring the dog back to the boxes... often until a false alert occurs. Here's another NW3 (blank) container search. This time you can see Powder trying to peel off from the search. If I had stayed in there longer, we would have risked a false alert.
The odor availability can be variable!
Not all containers are created equal! Each type of container will emit variable amounts of odor. This translates to a different size scent cone. Some containers will generate a scent cone almost the same as a standard hide while some containers allow a scent cone to form that is scarcely detectable. This means that the dog may need to work harder to find the hides contained in some containers while with other containers, the dog may not even need to actually sniff any of the containers.
For example, cardboard boxes act like odor sponges. When you "cook" a hide in a cardboard box, the entire container becomes saturated with odor and the container itself becomes something of an "odor blob" with a huge scent cone.
In this example, Prize is running her Odor Recognition Test (ORT) on Clove. There is an air vent in the ceiling that is pointed directly down on the set of containers. This is blowing odor out to the sides and away from the boxes. Prize is naturally an air center. Watch how she works air currents to find the hot box rather than checking the boxes. Although effective for an ORT, this sort of searching strategy would pose challenging at levels where there were an unknown number of hides. I have since changed Prize's searching behavior so that she checks containers (this course will include how to do this).
Other containers emit much less odor. Certain types of luggage (such as flat bags) can be particularly challenging in this respect. Although in NACSW you won't have luggage (except perhaps on occasion in Elite), in AKC, luggage and hand bags are fairly common. If you trial in SDDA in Canada, you absolutely will experience luggage! I've also seen searches run in Sweden where you might have flat bags in tall grass... WOW!
In this example from the "old days" in NACSW when luggage and flat bags were common, I was doing an NW3 search with Judd. Based on 2015 rules, Containers could not be blank. In this case I search back and forth several times before he finally caught odor from the last and container (flat bag) which was thankfully the only hide!
Because of these reasons... and many more... containers are actually VERY difficult! In this course, we will tease apart the components of a successful container search. Based on your current challenges, you will focus on the pieces that will help your team the most. Containers is definitely something that takes more than 6 weeks to master so my advice is to really laser target and work on what will make YOUR containers better! In later lectures in this first week, we will determine exactly what you need to work on!
A sampling of what prior students have said about this course ...
Stacy's approach to this class was genius. Through carefully thought-out setups that systematically vary container configuration patterns, container material, container height, actual odor concentration on Q-tips and presence and type of distractors, she helped teams use odor itself as the agent that shaped dogs' search behaviors on containers. I also really appreciated the focus at the start of class on attempting to root cause the container issues and working on those root causes rather than surface level fixes to the manifesting behaviors.
I loved this course! I learned so much from watching the variety of dogs and challenges. Stacey's feedback was so valuable in helping us to become a stronger team, and knowing how to address our weaknesses with containers and build on our strengths !
Stacy this one was too good for words!! The pace the progression the attention to detail!! Ana relays your ideas perfectly! Rock on! As much as I always have thumbs up and hearts for you I come from dressage so not easy to please but you are my sensei!
Another awesome Stacy course and with Ana as Training Assistant it's a win/win in my opinion.
Really liked using the map to diagnose problem areas and training solutions. I found Stacy’s training videos very useful and effective in helping me set up situations for my dog. I wish more in person classes provided written and/or video material to help with training. This class was perfect for zeroing in on a specific problem area.
This is absolutely my favorite class I have ever taken thru Fenzi. Wonderful feedback and problem solving by Stacy. And RESULTS!!! Everyone who does NW should take this course.
The cursed containers have met their match! Stacy breaks down every possible way a team can be spooked by containers and offers thinly sliced solutions to rebuild a solid foundation. You'll be using these exercises way past the end of this course and for as long as you are competing in this devilishly difficult element.
Even though due to time and life I was working behind(week) others It was so easy to keep motivated and on track because the schedule of progression was perfect. I have done many great courses with FDSA but this one!?? My absolute fave. TA Ana was so kind and helpful to those of us unable to do Silver or Gold level.
Registration
Next session starts: June 1, 2025Registration starts: May 22, 2025Registration ends: June 15, 2025
Registration opens at 12:00noon Pacific Standard Time.