30/04/2026
Today we was the first time we introduced Ember to a live search venue 🕵️♂️
There were a lot of distractions. Different odours, dogs, people and a completely new environment.
And not a single drop in the quality of her indication or the search itself.
We focus a lot of the indication as you will often see detection/search dogs migrating away from hides, turning to look at the handler or uncertainty.
So what causes this?
Rushing the process, poor reward placement and not introducing distractions in a controlled environment before visiting the real world.
Within our search dogs we want accuracy 🎯 we want to know exactly where the ‘hide’ is.
Yes, it depends on what you are looking for but either way a good indication should be focused, determined and unbroken.
So how can you improve an indication? Try rewarding at the hide and not asking for too much. Asking for a 20+ second indication without building it up first can cause confusion within the dog and a tendency for them to ask for handler for reassurance.
Precision is 🔑