Apart from treats under plant pots and putting things under towels what scent games could I play with my Basset? She finds these to easy now, I want something to make her work harder and take her too the next level. Can anyone recommend anything?
i dont have a basset, but when doing search games with xeva i hide her ball all over the house, high and low, sometimes she gets it really quickly other times it takes her a bit. i put her out the room, hide the toy let her back in and then tell her find it, and just watch, with the occasional "find it" if she stops to look at me, she loves it, i also do this when out in mum's garden on days its not raining, as soon as she has got it she gets loads of praise and then we repeat the process i really must get her harness and lead on and get her used to tracking with it on though
Id love to do tracking with her eventually. Shes too small be going up and down the stairs at the min but I do take her up and down with me as I go...so could focus on one floor at at time and hide stuff. Thanks
i do just use one floor with xeva, but i do hide her toys on top of the radiator (when its turned off) windowsills, behind the couch, under the table, in my pocket, we once hung it from the lights on the ceiling and as soon as she spotted it was told good girl and it was brought down for her (i have no doubt if it wasn't done that way she would have brought the lights down with her ) wish someone told xeva she wasn't supposed to be jumping loads, she started jumping over mum's couch from the back of it lol and she is only 1 next month, but has been doing this since about 7 months old lol
I dont want her hunting animals, I disagree with hunting. I dont mind her tracking, but hunting is another matter.
Hehehe when I first starting playing the scent games with Ishka she just bowled over all the pots, no nose work at all was pretty funny
My dogs will hunt/track but they do not kill because they are not quick enough or designed to catch, but still flush out rabbits and wildlife on the dunes at Crosby/Hightown, give it ago the dog will love it.
Phew so long as theres killing, by me or her lol. To be honest when shes older I think she will go into proper hound mode anyway outside and sniff out buns and squirrels etc. Im more after scenting games at the min but a bit more challenging, she can do a treat in 25 pots in a couple of seconds now. Boring lol
Have a look at the Working Trials Search Square. That`s fun because the dog has lots to do. Walk or mark out a square - toss some obects in, and send the dog to retrieve one at a time. (Obviously start with one simple object). See how small you can go.
We did air scenting in class, I hid in t field and in the wind, Leanne had Flynn on a long line and a harness, you have to do a scent cone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SvMDxVArSc&feature=related This dog is doing it offlead but we had them on lead, the idea is to have a cone in which the target is at the tippy top of it, you and your dog, go along the bottom of it, then a few feet up - and you do that until your dog catches the scent of the person. Obviously when she is older with this. I'll try and see if I can find some better videos.. Or you could do this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deKOXaIAq3Q That is pretty advanced though
Found this: http://flyingdogpress.com/content/view/46/70/ I haven't tried the "lights out" game but I did use Louie to find my missing sock http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik8ydCH8Ra4&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mQrS6n4kJU&feature=related I'm having fun looking through all these - need to take my mind off some things so I might try these
I'm going to teach Louie the paw touch scent thingy.. needed something new to teach him.. ironing was too easy for him
I love the touch game too, neeed something heavy though... It will take Louie 5 mins to learn it will take Ishka 5 months she's generally a bit slow with learning PS LOVED the ironing
Lol, yeah, I'll need something heavy too, when I put a prop out he has a certain way of dealing with it - it's a bit OCD like actually, he'll touch it with his nose, knock it over, bite it then he'll think properly and try and do something different.. I even get things bowed at And it takes him longer than 5 minutes.. I failed the getting him to stand at the sink and hold a sponge though - he wouldn't do both
i do scent work with my foxhounds we hunt the clean boot the earlier you start the better, we use a harness to show the hound she is going to do a job then with baby lines we have people the hound knows drop a scent item in sight of the hound and let the hound see them go them after a few min he ask the hound to go find, then you would just increase the distance over time and time, however once the hound understand the game we dont let the hound see the person go off, if the hound is unsure of going itto the person we use their name and treats to gain their trust in the sport, she will love it as mine do and the bloodhounds,all this is done on line so u can help hound out and keep under control, also start on virgin land(land thats not that often walked acrossed so scent is undestubed
Top Tip when training a Search Square. Start with small square say ten paces each side. Put in pole at each corner. Walk round twice (this marks the area to be searched) Place a small piece of food at each pole Put dog on line when starting This is to get the dog conditioned to stay in square and make the poles mean something. Once the dog gets the hang of going out to each pole to look for food. You can then replace the food with toys Note NEVER put out toys and food at the same time. However................. All of the above is pointless if the dog has not learned to retrieve............ For some dogs an intermediate step of puting food INTO an article can be helpful (so they bring out container to you) but for others it can be detrimental. Please note toys should be PLACED first of all so the dog, particularly your breed, learns that toys are associated with yoru footsteps, ie the dog will TRACK your foot steps across the square. Later on when you tramp all over the square you can THROW objects in. Fill the square with toys at first so the dog is always successful and do not make the dog work too long ie you can stop the game at any time, the dog does not have to find EVERYTHING. Also mix up the SIZE of articles, always set up the do to succeed. You can then make the square larger and large and when the dog knows the game, dispense with poles and squares altogether, just walk around and throw them in. ps let the dog SEE you place/throw things at first; tie it up in sight. Good luck Eventually you can place items IN the ground, UNDER cover, ON raised items like posts etc.
You could try this... http://www.fourleggedpal.com/2011/11/08/beagle-cross/ ... but at a more leisurely pace.
