What is a DOUBLE BLIND Search in Detector Training, Tracking, and S&R?

By Ed Frawley

A double-blind approach in Search and Rescue (S&R), Detector Dog training, and Tracking denotes a scenario where neither the dog nor the handler is aware of the location of the hidden find, the victim, or the track direction in question.

Handlers who consistently hide their own training aides or consistently lay their own tracks are only kidding themselves that they are or will become an effective dog team.

Implementing double-blind searches is important but they need to be started at the right time of a training program.

Phase One of training:

Obviously, before double-blind exercises can start, trainers must go through the first phase of training in which they introduce their dogs to the odor the dogs are supposed to find or follow.

During this phase, there isn't anything wrong with handlers hiding their own finds, or laying their own tracks. Their job is to watch how the dog handles itself during searches.

Experienced trainers starting a new dog do not need help during this phase. Brand new dog trainers will benefit from working with a helper who can point out problems as they arrive.

Phase Two of Training:

As they work these initial searches they should recognize behavior changes in their dogs for different scenarios:

How does my dog act when he gets in a target scent cone?

Does he wag his tail faster, can you hear the intensity of his breathing increase, does he speed up his search, etc.

How can we tell if our dog is actively working a scent cone or track? How does he act?

Some dogs are masters at faking a search or a track. They learn that if they keep acting like they are searching, nose to the ground, they are left alone.

What does my dog do when faced with a distraction?

Does the dog stop tracking, does it just lift its head to look at the distraction, does it move towards the distractions, etc?

How does my dog act when he is very close to or actually finds the target?

Does the dog increase in speed, does he quarter the scent cone as if he knows it's close but can't target it yet, etc.

What does my dog do when he loses odor?

Does the dog fake searching, does it try to backtrack and then go forward on its own? Does it simply pick its head up as if to say NO MORE ODOR HERE, etc?

Every dog is different, there are not set behaviors dogs offer for each of these situations. In this phase, the purpose of every training session is to set up scenarios that allow the handler to see how his dog acts to new challenges.

Starting in Phase 2 handlers should keep a training journal. As soon as possible after a session, they should be writing exactly what the dog did when it encountered one in this situation.

These objectives become the focal points of every training session during these initial stages...