Help With Scent Discrimination Please

[RubyStar]

I had agreed to go to the DOL Perth meetup this Sunday but I can go to the next one so that will make me free

[RubyStar]

Thought I would update this thread with our progress!

To anyone reading this, Ptolomy suggested, in another scent help thread, putting some cans out with a single scented article and seeing what happened, so here's what happened

I don't know if the cans contributed to the light bulb moment, or she was just long overdue for one, but I think Ruby is finally grasping what she's required to do!!

I put 4 cans out and then put my scented article out with them and got her to retrieve it several times. She had no problem understanding that it was the article she needed to get, not the cans, though she did stop and sniff or paw at the cans a couple of times.

I then added a second article, and by chance, she brought back the right one maybe 4 times out of 5 (I say by chance cos it was the first one she went to and didn't sniff either of them).

I decided to throw in a 3rd anyway and this is where it gets a bit fuzzy in my head as to what happened, but I think she started sniffing them because before I knew it she was bringing me back the right article every time with 2 unscented ones out there with the scented and the 4 cans!! So I threw another out there with the cans, same deal! Blew me away!!

So I put the cans away, put 5 unscented articles out with my scented and broke out my camera to film this cos I wasn't quite believing my own eyes! (Wish I had thought to do this when I was doing it with the cans!) She was going out there and sniffing them until she found the right one and picking up the right one go after go! I think we did it a bit much cos she then got distracted and started picking up all of them, cheeky bugger! But we focused again and ended on her getting the right one first go.

I'm so chuffed! I just hooooooooooope that she doesn't have a mental lapse and go back 10 steps when we try it again in a couple of days! (I'd do it again tomorrow but all my articles need descenting, we went through them all today )

Once I know she's 100% on metal I will move onto wood, uh oh!

Thanks Ptolomy

[Seita]

Thought I would update this thread with our progress!

To anyone reading this, Ptolomy suggested, in another scent help thread, putting some cans out with a single scented article and seeing what happened, so here's what happened

I don't know if the cans contributed to the light bulb moment, or she was just long overdue for one, but I think Ruby is finally grasping what she's required to do!!

I put 4 cans out and then put my scented article out with them and got her to retrieve it several times. She had no problem understanding that it was the article she needed to get, not the cans, though she did stop and sniff or paw at the cans a couple of times.

I then added a second article, and by chance, she brought back the right one maybe 4 times out of 5 (I say by chance cos it was the first one she went to and didn't sniff either of them).

I decided to throw in a 3rd anyway and this is where it gets a bit fuzzy in my head as to what happened, but I think she started sniffing them because before I knew it she was bringing me back the right article every time with 2 unscented ones out there with the scented and the 4 cans!! So I threw another out there with the cans, same deal! Blew me away!!

So I put the cans away, put 5 unscented articles out with my scented and broke out my camera to film this cos I wasn't quite believing my own eyes! (Wish I had thought to do this when I was doing it with the cans!) She was going out there and sniffing them until she found the right one and picking up the right one go after go! I think we did it a bit much cos she then got distracted and started picking up all of them, cheeky bugger! But we focused again and ended on her getting the right one first go.

I'm so chuffed! I just hooooooooooope that she doesn't have a mental lapse and go back 10 steps when we try it again in a couple of days! (I'd do it again tomorrow but all my articles need descenting, we went through them all today )

Once I know she's 100% on metal I will move onto wood, uh oh!

Thanks Ptolomy

That's awesome! I hope I get my 'lightbulb' moment next week!!!

[Ptolomy]

LOL Rubystar - so glad about the light bulb moment, you really can see it - but the first thing that came to mind when I was reading what happened - was talk about flogging it

Have to say.....you need to know when to pull the pin before it goes pearshaped.

Next time start with one article and do it once, then add another article and do it once, then add a third and do it once and then a forth and do it once - that is assuming that each time she is bringing back the correct article, then you can go for a 5th article and leave it at that.

[RubyStar]

LOL Rubystar - so glad about the light bulb moment, you really can see it - but the first thing that came to mind when I was reading what happened - was talk about flogging it

Have to say.....you need to know when to pull the pin before it goes pearshaped.

Next time start with one article and do it once, then add another article and do it once, then add a third and do it once and then a forth and do it once - that is assuming that each time she is bringing back the correct article, then you can go for a 5th article and leave it at that.

Oh well, we got a result FINALLY

Next time I'll do as you suggest - I was wondering how I jump into it next time so we don't go backwards!

I noticed when things went pear shaped and know her limit better now But we ended on a good note thank goodness! Was so thrilled to see the lightbulb go off!!!

[Natsu chan]

I'm so glad you got some success Rubystar.

All this talk of Scent discrimination made me decide to have a go this afternoon. The little girl's retrieving much better lately and she's great with retrieving the leather and wood articles. The metal will be a challenge I think. So I grabbed a wood when we went for our walk and set her on a stay and went and stashed the article in the grass. It's so dry the grass and the article are the same colour. I sent her off and she pelted out past it then applied the brakes and looked around, then back at me, completely baffled. We played with tracking about 8 months ago for some fun and something different from obedience work so I just said find it. She's a good girl we haven't done any tracking work for ages but she put her nose down instantly and scouted around. She was so pleased with herself when she found it, she pounced on it and wagged herself back to me. The second time she put her nose down as soon as she got within range, and I left it at that. Might have another go again in a few days.

Thanks for the inspiration! I hadn't thought about doing SD just yet but I'm glad we had a go.

[RubyStar]

Oh, I forgot to add, we did this on carpet today. We've been doing a mix of carpet and grass in learning. Not sure if I should try on carpet again or grass

That's awesome! I hope I get my 'lightbulb' moment next week!!!

Best of luck!! I hope the lightbulb doesn't go out, here

Thanks for the inspiration! I hadn't thought about doing SD just yet but I'm glad we had a go.

Way to go!

Edited January 18, 2009 by RubyStar