At what age should a pup be started on the scratch boxes for narcotics training. Is 4 monthes still to young? Have not tried her on boxes, I think she would search them well but she becomes distracted and I do not want to cause any problems or bad habits.
Please keep in mine i am not a pro. by no means. But i do have a 5m old gsd with great drives. My goal is to train in narcotics. I have started him in search in my home and my office at work and just about any where i can hide treats, I use treats at this point and age. I hide them in cabinets and give the search command just one time, I keep it just a game for him and he loves it. I try not to over do it, only one or two times a day. Some days not at all. I put no stress on him at all. He will now search the cabinets after i open the doors for him untill he fines his treats. At that point he gets lots of praise, and his toy. He really likes the games. just my two cents worth. At this age i only have fun with him please keep in mine he is just a pup and he loves to play.
Have you looked into any problems that may come up by using treats? I am knot saying there are any just wondered what you have heard. I have been told that it does not cause any and I have been told that it could take the drive from the reward (ball) and focus it on the food reward. What is your take on it?
I havent heard of any problems from using treats, The trainer that i train with has been training for like 30 years he advised me on this. Stated really all i was doing at this time was teaching the search command. I have a 18m old gsd that i am doing bomb training with and i started her out this way she is fine switched over to odors real fast no problem at all. She was older than 5m more like 1 year old before i started with her not sure if that may have played in or not
Anne Vaini Webboard User Reg: 07-14-2005
Posts: 775
Loc: Wisconsin
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I'm just looking into detection training with one of my dogs.
It seems that treats would not be ideal. After all, we don't want the dog to EAT the drugs but indicate their location. The treats may help in training the dog to search, but I don't understand how it would be beneficial. Maybe if there is a necessity for using a lower drive dog??
Maybe I am missing something -- everything I have read and watched has been about training with a scent and a prey item.
David C.Frost Webboard User Reg: 01-23-2002
Posts: 1204
Loc: Nashville, TN
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Properly trained, a food reward dog is not going to eat the training aid any more than a dog trained with a ball or tug. Additionally, a dog trained on a ball or tug is just as apt to respond to food as a food reward dog, if not properly trained. Dogs trained on food reward can be just as proficient as dogs trained using other methods. The dog will be as good as the training it recieves, regardless of the reinforcement used. Having said that, just because all dogs eat does not mean all dogs can be trained as detector dogs using food reward any more than any dog that chases a ball can be trained.
DFrost
Any behavior that is reinforced is more likely to occur again.
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