Squish is always reminding me that there is no rule book regarding training. He learns differently than others, and I'm still discovering and enjoying that challenge. When it took me over a year to teach him "down", people said he was stubborn. Stubborn was probably the kindest things said, actually. He's not, he is super compliant, actually. He simply  could not do what he didn't understand. None of us can. 

If we want our dogs to do something, the onus is on us to teach it to them, in a way they understand. So, I'd put it down for a while, try again. I tried gimmicks and tricks. I tried capturing and shaping. I tried luring and bribing. I tried everything... or so I thought. In a cleaning tornado one day I unearthed an old clicker. That was a game changer for him! He learned "down" in 2 days. There was something about the delivery of a marker word "yes" that wasn't clicking. (pun intended)

Yesterday, for fun, I got out a bottle of qtips. These are kept in a bottle with the lid on. They have a blend of essential oils on them that makes them distinct. They are used for scent work. Finding this specific scent. Armed with the scented q-tips and treats, I gave the scent value. If he investigated the q-tip he got a "yes/treat". He seemed to catch the game quickly. I started to move the q-tip around.

(If you don't know, I do a lot of training while I'm in the bathroom. Don't judge, you scroll on your phone. It provides quick, easy sessions and he's guaranteed to get training daily. It's not broken, I'm not fixing it. )

Here's where it got interesting; when I tried to do some easy hides, he indicated, twice, on the tin I keep my personal use q-tips in. Unscented, q-tips. Purposeful, nose poking indications. It seems his nose by-passed the strong scent and narrowed in on the actual q-tip. This essential oil blend is part eucaplyptus, part pine and part something else equally intense. Yet, his nose, drilled down through the distracting scents to the actual q-tip. 

He has the ability to smell the q-tip through the oils. Let that sit for a moment. These swabs have been steeping in that bottle for years. He's not stubborn or stupid. He's not trying to be alpha or purposefully frustrating me. He's brilliant. He was chosen for that trait (and many others) to be the sire for litters. That sense of smell allows him to smell anxiety or keytones. To smell fear, sense nightmares and respond. Because he learns in such clean lines, he reacts in clean lines. That dependability is essential in a Service Dog. 

Why do I play Scent Games with Squish (and all my other dogs)? Because it is their strongest sense. It's the one that releases the dopamine in the brain. It doesn't tend to have a lot of pressure applied. We've all heard the human yelling "sit, Sit, SIT" at their dogs, who are too distracted at the store or vets to be able to comply. No one yells SEARCH!!!!! in an frustrated tone. I think we can add; builds optimism, to the long list of reasons to teach scent work. Mammals are mammals, when they succeed/do good, they feel it too! 

What about promoting focus and disengaging with the surroundings? Yup! It does that too. It's great mental stimulation which whittles down to managing a dogs energy in a way that doesn't increase stamina. 

Play with your dog. It doesn't have to be fancy or take a lot of time. Taking 2 minute play/train breaks will benefit you both. You're brain relaxes, when you teach a new trick or command you also get the boost of optimism. 

You can not be adding to your mental load and reading about the next shooting or car accident. You're not doom scrolling. It's 2-5 minutes to just be in the moment. There's no stress here, in the moment. 

How am I working around Squish finding q-tips instead of the scent? I started over, and am presenting him with the whole bottle, so he gets a strong scent. I'm hoping that will over ride the scent of the q-tip. Bottle/interaction/treat. I'll graduate him to 3 swabs, one scented, two plain to ensure he is indicating on the scent. 

Fun Fact; To a dog, every single blade of grass has it's own scent fingerprint! 

Now go play with your dog. 

PS Here's a link to the Inroduction to Scent work found under the Training tab