I hoping some one can give some opinions and ideas.

I have been training a new dope dog (GSD) and overall he's doing well. He's 9 months old so still a pup with really nice drives. Not extreme but very good. So far we have trained with marijuana and cocaine.

My questions is.. He gives a really nice strong indication during building and vehicle searches, but when I do anything with the scent boxes he alerts but is not nearly as convincing as the others. Don't get me wrong it's an indication but not as strong as I would like. We have tried several things to try and build up the alert on the boxes as far as how we reward it and letting him see me place his tug. Each time with the same results. I have also gone to cardboard boxes and let him completely destroy them to get the reward but every time I go back to the box his indication drops. Normally I wouldn't be to worried since he will most like never have to search scratch boxes, but as I move on to the other scents I would like to start him on the boxes. I also have a scratch wall to practice search patterns made of plywood and he indicates fine on it.

Can anyone give me any other ideas to build up the box indication? Or should I even worry about it since he is indicating strong otherwise.

Thanks,
Jason

My suggestion is simple, build prey drive and quit training for the indication, he's too young to do any more than that at this stage.
The desire to train has to be tempered with the realization that he is not even a year old.

I would agree with Kevin and it also brings to mind that you may already be putting too much pressure on him at the scratch boxes now.YOU are having more fun on vehicles and buildings thus less pressure there, thus better results. Put him up for a month and just play drive games. Then come back with a lighter attitude for the boxes.

Just another suggestion here as well...if you are letting the dog chew up, scratch up cardboard boxes, then he is already getting his drive release with the biting and destroying of the box, so his primary concern isn't going to be the dope work. With a 9 month old I would work more on scent recognition. Take a dope toy (like a pvc pipe w/ odor inside or on it), and hide it behind one of those parking posts (like in a row, what they put in front of places like Best Buy). Stand with your dog upwind (wind blowing in your face), and as soon as you can tell a change in his posture (that he smells the dope), give him your command to get it. Work on letting him have primary rewards like that and getting success on his own rather than working on him and scratch boxes. The scratching will come easier in time.

Thanks Kevin Richard and lori.

I'll try the putting him up for a while and just continue building the drive and see what comes of it.

Jason