Sniffer Dogs - A Day In The Life of a Scent Dog

If you have ever watched any TV show or movie that has something to do with crime investigation or drug detection, then you have probably already seen how a scent dog does its job. These are specific dog training breeds that have a great talent!

The sniffing talent of these dogs is already quite impressive in itself, but the way they use it to track down criminals, find drug stashes and locate explosive devices is nothing short of astounding. Anyone who sees these scent dogs in action will certainly be amazed at their skills. What we don’t see, however, is the intensive training that these dogs have to go through in order to hone their sniffing skills.

Finding the Best Scent Dogs

Compared to humans, dogs have a very remarkable sense of smell. But not all dogs are equally qualified to become working scent dogs. These special canines are selected from many different breeds but most of the best candidates are Labrador retrievers and German shepherds.

Training scent dogs is no easy feat. The first stage is to scout for dogs with great potential and adopt them in preparation for the training process.

What most of the candidates have in common is that they are highly energetic, usually too much so for their previous owners who willingly give them up for adoption. Quite interestingly, many of these dogs who have been given up by their owners end up doing great service for human society.

Many dog training agencies also get their scent dogs from private breeders and dog shelters. However, not all initially chosen dogs have what it takes to become a full-fledged professional sniffer.

Green Training

A new method of training scent dogs is called green training. In this method, instructors teach dogs to identify certain scents but without the rigorous procedures used in traditional dog training centers. In other words, they still lack a significant amount of training before they can be regarded as “finished” dogs.

What many training agencies today do is to get green-trained dogs and simply finish the training process. This is certainly a much more efficient method than training an uneducated dog right from the beginning.

Breeding Scent Dogs

To make the process of finding scent dogs much easier, many dog training agencies today work closely with dog breeders in order to increase the likelihood of getting dogs that already have the right temperament, soundness and work ethic.

An excellent example is the Australian Custom Service Detector Dog Program, which has developed its own Labrador retriver breeding program. The dogs bred in this program all have high energy levels, as well as strong drives for hunting, which are necessary qualities to make a top scent dog.

The Urban Dweller’s Guide to Puppy Potty Training

Puppy potty training is easy if you have ready access to a backyard or an open space where you can take your dog out to do his business. But if you live in a high-rise apartment in the heart of a busy city, you will have to find creative ways on how to go about puppy potty training.

It’s quite easy if your dog is of a small breed. You just have to provide him with a litterbox in one corner of the apartment and teach him to go there when the need arises. It is usually safe to let your dog use this system even until he becomes an adult. With larger dogs though, this probably is not the best approach.

Regardless of the size of your dog, litterbox training or paper training is still the first step that you have to take. Introduce him to the litterbox by using encouraging words, praise and treats. Don’t force him though — let him get acquainted with the box at his own pace.

If after a couple of days, your dog still seems reluctant to go into the litterbox, you may want to try changing the kind of litter in the box. Some dogs will have a natural aversion to some types of litter so you may have to experiment a little in order to find one that he finds acceptable.

It would also be advisable to protect your floor from the potential mess of scattered litter. Just lay down some paper or matting around the litterbox and you should be fine. If your dog lifts his leg to pee, you might also find that putting a section of a plastic bin around the side will help in protecting your walls.

During the initial stages of your puppy potty training, make sure that you clean the litterbox after each time the dog uses it. Once the dog becomes familiar with the box and its purpose, you can lessen the cleaning to once per day. You should also clean the litterbox entirely at least once a month — empty it and wash it thoroughly with soap and water.

As mentioned earlier, with smaller breeds, using a litterbox as a permanent puppy potty training option is perfectly fine. One of the downsides is that when your dog does not know any other place to potty, you may encounter difficulties when you take him to other places, such as on a vacation.

Another possible disadvantages of the litterbox puppy potty training method is that the dog may not be getting enough exercise, unlike when you take him out for walks to do his business. To remedy this problem, make sure you bring your dog out from time to time for a little outdoor exercise.

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