BOYS WILL BE BOYS!

​Is my dog on odour or is he about to pee? 
Fouling the search area is a non-qualifying fault in trials and you will be directed by the judge to leave the search area immediately should it occur.

It can also be very disruptive to the dogs that follow and the judge should mark the fouled area with a piece of tape so that the competitors know where the misdemeanour occurred.
 
Here are some tips to avoid your dog fouling in the search area:
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Develop a strong pre-search routine that you practice before EVERY search (even in training).  Your pre-search routine should include:
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  1. Allowing the dog to acclimate to the environment (not the search area) so they are ready to search when taken into the search area.
  2. Ensuring your dog toilets before EVERY search.
  3. Ensuring your dog NEVER toilets while wearing their harness. 
  4. Having a consistent routine in staging areas and with your start line behaviour, so the dog knows they are searching.
  5. Build motivation for odour, dogs can urinate in the search area if they become frustrated or stressed.  In training, increase the difficulty of searches gradually to keep the dog’s motivation high.  Always consider hide placement and the environment.​
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​​​Interrupt “pee” sniffing behaviour in searching and only reward focussed searching.  If dogs are allowed to urinate while searching it can become part of the behaviour chain and very difficult to re-train.
Difference between sniffing and searching
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It can often be hard to tell whether some dogs are on odour or they are just about to pee, so sharp observation skills by the handler are required.

The following changes of behaviour are usually good indicators that the dog is about to pee:
  • legs prop, dog moves more slowly (could also be trained odour)
  • nose will be closer to the ground and almost stationary
  • active sniffing will occur
  • body will curve slightly as the dog prepares to swing their rump to the scent and mark.