Abi-K9

When we say that a dog has developed odour recognition, we're saying that odour has been classically conditioned; it has gone from being a neutral smell, to a magic smell that predicts the production of all the dog's favourite rewards. I see a lot of questions about the pros and cons of various different methods of creating odour recognition, so decided to give it a shot to summarize the issue. Paired OdourThe target odour is paired with the dog’s reward. When the dog finds h

The Height of hides is a tricky variable to address in a class or group setting due to the huge size variations in dog breeds. Anything under 2ft is generally no problem for any dog. Hides on the ground can be a great challenge for most dogs because many have such a strong tendency to scratch or bite. Nose-height hides are the least challenging for all dogs, but what constitutes ‘nose-height’ will (obviously) differ. The greatest challenge comes from higher hides, particularl

I often see people refer to their dogs as being good at Nosework because they have a 'good nose'. I've always thought this was a bizarre phrase. It's sort of like saying that a certain dog is good at bitework because they have 'good teeth'. If a dog has a nose, they can smell. If a dog has teeth, they can bite. It is not the physical, but the mental attributes that a dog possesses that makes them especially good or bad at these respective tasks. Apart from the obvious impact