~JOYRIDE K9 *REMOTE* K9NW EDUCATION~

NW560M.2: Getting Your Ducks In a Row

NW560M.2: Getting Your Ducks In a Row

“Getting Your Ducks In a Row”

In the first exercise we looked at how a fan affects a single hide at different heights. In this exercise we’re going to take a look at how air movement affects the merging and mixing of multiple odors and how your dog navigates the search with hides at the same level and then later on, at different levels but all in a row.

This will be a 3-part INTERIOR exercise with THREE hides, ideally Anise, Birch and Clove, provided your dog knows all 3 odors. If your dog is more novice, only use TWO hides. At the back of the search area you will place a stationary fan. You can decide what height and speed for your fan but do not use the oscillating setting. This should be a moderate, steady flow from the back of the search area to the front start line.

Feel free to use an assortment of objects, they do not need to all be the same but do NOT use containers and do NOT use anything that would be considered inaccessible. You should use a moderate amount of items in the space for visual interest and each hide should be spaced several feet apart if possible. Odor strength should be consistent with all 3 hides. This should be an off-leash search and let your dog choose where to go from the start line.

Ducks in a Row

Part A) In this part, all the hides should be about ground height.

Part B) In the second part, the first hide will be low (approximately ground-height), the second hide medium height (12-24″h) and the 3rd hide will be high (24-48″h). Use your best judgement based on the items you have available.

Part C) In the last part of the exercise your heights will be reversed: High, Medium, Low.

If your dog is the type to run to an object that they know just had odor, change your objects and/or the orientation in your space between searches. Be sure to begin all searches with your dog aligned with the hides and fan so your dog is able to catch odor from the start. Also, be conscious of lingering odor so your dog isn’t confused and doesn’t have to work thru an added challenge.

If your dog solves the challenges easily, feel free to combine the videos in one posting. Please do your best to keep the overall length around 3 minutes or less. (You can always post two, then leave the third after I’ve reviewed those.)

OPTIONAL: For those who have done this exercise in a previous round of this class or whose dogs are more advanced, you may want to experiment with the FAN at different heights, as well.

*REMEMBER* Only post videos that total 3 minutes or under for me to review. If your dog surfs thru the exercises quickly you may combine the videos or post more than one at a time. But please WAIT for me to take a look and respond with feedback before posting additional searches. I may have you revisit something and it’s best not to jump ahead too quickly. 🙂

Have fun! 🙂

By Kimberly Buchanan

Kimberly Buchanan CNWI