Retrieve with Scent Discrimination

I wrote this article in 2007 in response to a question on Belg-L. Someone was having problems teaching their dog the AKC Utility retrieve exercise. This is not some breakthrough concept, I was just playing fetch with Enzo a number of years ago on a riverbank. I think it was back in 1996 or 97. At the time they had just added the scent discrimination concept to one of the FR retrieves, and I was having a devil of a time getting Enzo to slow down, actually check the socks, and select the right one. Instead he would race out as fast as he could, grab a sock, and race back. Sometimes he’d bring me both socks. I realized that if I threw a stick into a pile of driftwood, he brought the right stick back. If I threw a rock down the rocky riverbank, he brought the right rock back. He already knew how to do scent discrimination, I just needed to help him understand that’s what I wanted. By making a “riverbank” of retrieve objects. I’ve used the same thing on all my dogs since, and so far haven’t had one that didn’t pick this up in just a few lessons.

I haven’t taught the utility articles specifically in quite awhile, although I do have some sitting in boxes in my garage 🙂 However, I have taught the discrimination concept to my dogs because it’s used in both French Ring and Mondio Ring. In French Ring it’s 2 articles, your’s and another one. In MR it’s 5 or 6, I can’t remember which, one which is scented by you. So the MR exercises is very similar to the utility one, except the articles are much further away (60+ feet), the dog has to find where they are first, then find the right one. I am working Cali on the utility exercises, but the first time I got out the dumbells, she did it right 🙂

I teach this the same way, whether I’m doing it for AKC, FR, or MR. I actually got the idea while playing fetch with a stick at the beach one time. I realized if I can throw a stick into a pile of driftwood, and my dog brings me back the right stick every single time, then he already knows how to do the scent discrimination exercise, I just need him to understand when I want him to do it. I just needed to substitute that stick/pile of driftwood with the articles I use in obedience.

First, I want a solid thrown retrieve. Then I get about 10 of the same article (gotta make a pile of driftwood 🙂 ) , it can be anything since I’m just teaching the discrimination concept right now. I like to use either rolled up socks (that’s my FR article) or 3 inch pieces of wooden dowel (the MR exercise) but I’ve also used gloves, pieces of leather, etc. Something less formal then the dumbells is better IMO, since I can toss all the socks in the wash to clean them of scent, throw dowels away and get new ones, etc. It’s easy to have 20 socks or dowels available, not so easy to have that many dumbells. Once the dog understands the exercise though, you can use almost anything as your retrieve item, so changing over to the dumbells is easy.

I have a helper scatter my 10+ articles around on the ground, about 6 – 12 inches apart. I turn my back to the articles, and do a regular thrown retrieve in the opposite direction. This gets the article I’m going to use nicely scented, plus it warms the dog up to what we are going to be doing. Then I turn around, make sure the dog is paying attention, and I throw the article into the group on the ground. And immediately send my dog after it. 98% of the time the dog visually marks the right one, and goes and gets it, ignoring the other articles. If that’s the case, we practice this a few times and move on to step 2. If the dog is to excited about all the articles on the ground though, and starts picking up all of them, trying to retrieve multiple ones, etc then we go to step 1.5 😛

1.5 Instead of similar articles, get things that aren’t as attractive to retrieve. A bunch of pop cans, soda bottles, large rocks, etc. Even better if you spray paint them to be the same color as the item you are using for your retrieve item. Once the dog is retrieving properly in this environment, without trying to bring back the bottles, cans, etc then start removing them one at a time, and adding in the similar items. If the dog starts trying to bring back the similar items again, try dipping them in mouthwash. A strong minty one works with most dogs. This does two things, it makes it so the dog will spit out the wrong one of they do pick it up, but it also really encourages them to use their nose to avoid the wrong ones, and find the right one.

Step 2 I have the dog watch me throw the article into the group of other articles, turn in one complete circle (so they can’t visual mark it), then send the dog on the retrieve. If they get the wrong one, I just toss it into a “used pile” and resend the dog. Which is why disposable/washable articles are so handy.

Step 3 I leave the dog in a sit, but let them watch me, while I walk to the group, show them my article, then drop it into the group. Return to the dog and send them for the retrieve

Step 4 I heel the dog past the group of articles, drop mine in as we walk past, then go about 10-15 feet, turn around, and send the dog

Step 5 Have someone else take and put my article in the group, then turn around and send my dog

Step 6 start removing extra articles until I’m down to the number I need for the venue I’m training in

Step 7 work on this concept with a variety of retrieve objects

At any point in time, if the dog is having problems with a step, I just go back a step. If they are consistently bringing the wrong article, I go back to the very first step.

I started out training in AKC, and used a number of methods for scent discrimination. Tie downs, food on articles, etc. Using the method above, I have yet to have a dog who doesn’t have the entire exercise within 5 training sessions, and most have gotten it in 2.

© 2007 Kadi Thingvall