NW425: Mastering Scent Puzzles

Slippery surface

Slippery surfaces do not allow the odor to adhere around the hide and can provide many different learning opportunities.  The odor can drop and pool on the ground requiring the dog to work odor up to source.  Depending on air movement, the odor can be picked up and carried through the air and catch on something in the distance which requires the dog to work the odor through the air, sometimes all the way across the room.  Hides can be placed vertical or horizontal to provide different puzzles.  Slippery surfaces are mostly slick metal or plastic, wood with a shiny surface, or round table legs as there is not much area around the hide for the odor to catch or higher hides placed horizontal so the odor is falling.

Here are a few different ideas with increases in challenge.  You do not have to use a banister or bleachers, any object that will set up similar challenge of a slippery item.  This just shows a progression that can be done with any object.

Easy banister:  Place a hide on a metal banister, set the start line so the dog is downwind of the hide and banister is the focus of the search.  This should be aged 30-45 minutes

Banister increase challenge:  Place the hide on a metal banister and set the start line so the dog is upwind of the hide.  The banister should be the focus of the search. This should be aged 30-45 minutes

Banister advanced:  Place a hide on a banister and set the start line a distance away so the banister is only an object in the search area.  This should be aged 30-45 minutes

(this search was not done on the same day as the above 2 searches)

Bleachers: place the hide horizontal on the back side of the bleachers so the odor is being dropped and moved onto the seats of the bleachers.  If you have a smaller dog, you can place the hide on the end of one of the benches at least high enough for the air to move the odor.   The difficulty can be slowly increased just like the banisters.  (1) start the dog downwind of the hide and close to the bleachers (2) start the dog upwind of the hide and close to the bleachers.  Then move to the bleachers just being in the search area.

Higher hide pooling on an object across the area:  Place a hide a little above nose height, horizontally, with objects around for the odor to pool.  The level of difficulty can be increased if there are lots of nooks and crannies for the odor to adhere OR the distance of objects from the hide.  Start with one challenge and only increase one criteria at a time.

Homework:  Find an object that will provide a slippery surface and work through the progression.

If you have not worked many (or any) of these, use something easy like a table leg or chair leg and do not put much above nose height to start.  Let it age and see how your dog handles it.   You can also use a flag pole or something similar outside.

Try a horizontal hide that your dog can lift their head and touch with their nose.

If your dog does well with these, find an object to work through the progression as outlined above.  They do not have to be done on the same day, in fact, depending on your dog’s experience level, you may not want to progress that quickly in one session.

Happy Searching!